all things indian are the current rage in the west. if you are indian, people want to know you , if you live in india, people want to come visit you, if you wear any thing indian,people want to rip it off your back and god forbid you tell them you cook indian food,there will be a queue out side your front door.as i was doing my shopping at the triana market in seville recently , i heard strains of bhangra in the air. it was an ad on radio, abt a special promotion at El corte ingles , a departmental store ubiquitous thoughout spain. my curiosity piqued, i wanted to get there. when i entered the store i heard the music again, with spanish lyrics. fighiting my way through thick clouds of nag champa, i looked up to see cheap banner s of guru nanak , a moghul miniature of a woman smelling a flower, an elephant, a brides mehendi adorend hands and, of course , the Tajmahal. every thing they sold was lebelled '' Autentica India'' OR AUTHENTIC INDIAN. TWO MEN WERE SMEARING MEHENDI ON WOMENS HANDS while a spenish woman was teaching customers the art of appling kajal. young girls were sporting nose pins and wanted to dye their hair black . promotions such as these give people in the west distorted picture of india. if you want to experience india, you simply go there. you cannot pick it off the shelves in sachet sized doses.