Baga...Not Naga...Beach

"Naga" means naked in some of the 1,000 dialects in India.

As far as I know, Indians hardly usurp the adjective "naga" given that doing anything without clothes is blasphemous, heinous...scandalous.  For example, even bathing is sometimes accomplished without going naga with women in full saris cleansing themselves in local rivers and bodies of water.

Therefore, a fascinating and perplexing site is seen in the Southwestern state of Goa.  A clothing conundrum really.

Baga Beach is an Indian hot spot and fabulous tourist destination in this tiny state of Goa.  Foreigners from all over the world alight on this town and bring their many habits...and quirks.  One being, going naga on the beaches of this very conservative coastal country.

"hya allah!"


Watching the spectacle of European women in their 50s, 60s and 70s saunter along the beach topless in only their skivvies (aka: bee-keeni bottoms) while their South Asian counterparts wear every piece of clothing they own makes you wonder, "what truly strange beach-fellows".  Indians, men and women alike, soaked and played in the ocean fully dressed in jeans, t-shirts, dresses and/or salwar kameezes, which include full pants AND a dress ALONG with a fully-bodied scarf or dupata.  Not ONE Indian was in a swim suit, bathing costume, swim cozi...and don't even think the word bikini.

It's just too funny to me. In my Indian-American household I was forbidden to wear tube tops, spaghetti straps much less sleeve-less. And here in my native lands, the mother of all things conservative, there were tourists confidently romping around on the beach, for all to see, with no shirt on and barely any underwear.

I mean I'm no fan of wearing my entire wardrobe into the ocean, but what happened to when in rome...

I'm all for feminist empowerment...freedom!...but a little respect for the country one frolics through wouldn't prove too large an impediment to the declaration of "hear me roar". And at least it would prevent many a local and witnessing traveler to exclaim, "PLEASE NO MORE!"

Stay naga in the parks of Munich, the beaches off France, the streets of Denmark.  But please, please, keep yo gals modest while in the Hindustan.

I won't go as far as demanding the Burkini while in India but at least a bathing suit would suffice.

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