ANJUNA'S HIPPIE HERITAGE
Goa has always been linked with the hippie culture that spread through the US and other countries in the 60s. Funnily enough though the movement has faded away in most parts of the world or at least seems to have less relevance, the pocket that has remained in the state is still alive and kicking. Perhaps this has a lot to the with the state’s own susegad (relaxed) culture where being happy, living life at a slow pace and “enjoying the moment” are still ingrained in Goa. For those who live in the hub-bub of Delhi or Bombay, Goa attracts the corporate banker looking for a two-day break, the IT consultant who wants to switch offline for a few days or even the newly divorced 30-something looking for a super weekend.
SO WHO WERE THE HIPPIES?
The hippies of the 1960’s were the teenagers of the baby boom generation, so they were found in large numbers. They were generally Caucasian, middle-class, white teenagers between the ages of 15-25 who were tired of the restrictions put on them by society and their conservative parents. Most lived in urban areas or came from an urban background. They were tired of conforming and began to express themselves in a radical way. Hippies didn’t care about money and worked as little as possible. Instead, many of them shared what they had and lived together in large communes, while others simply lived in poverty by choice. They had very liberal political views and strongly protested the government and the war. The lifestyle of a hippie centered around non-conformity, because hippie culture is all about embracing who you really are and rejecting the need to conform to their society or authorities.
The Hippies believed in the following ideas -Do not conform to society, materialism is wrong, technology is unnecessary and oftentimes dehumanizing. be your own person, not who anyone else wants you to be.
Although each hippie embraced his or her own ideals as a part of their new culture, the stereotypical hippie practiced or were interested in Eastern Religions, had very liberal political views, peaceful and loving, expressed extreme tolerance, lived life to the fullest and embraced the peace and love expressed by music, as well as the unification it creates among people, usually rock and roll.
