Journeys in India

Our last city was Jaipur. Here we were treated to a morning in a special education and vocational school. I was amazed at the care that was taken with these children. It is common practice to keep special needs students at home.

Student at PRAYAS, happy to be in school!

A former journalist, Jatinder Arora, saw a need and started a school. She receives no government assistance, but gets her funding from foundations from other countries. She provides an education for these students and training when they get older in a hope that these children will be self-sufficient.  She is truly another Indian hero!

A student showing the quilt she made at PRAYAS.

In Jaipur we also visited many of the Maharaja’s palaces. About three days before we arrived, his third and only living wife, the Maharani Gayatri Devi passed away at the age of 91. She was very loved by the people and they  were holding many services in her honor. Jaipur is very interesting because it was one of the principalities that never came under British rule. It remained a soverign monarchy until the British left and then it joined the Indian state.

A street sight on our way out and about.

The palaces were goregous as one can imagine. The maharajas had built several palaces and forts. One thing that I found very unique was that there were both winter and summer palaces, within the same compound. Also, the maharaja and maharani(s) had separate living quarters. One maharaja had 60 wives and manyconcubines.

What's a palace without a snake charmer?

We also visited Amer Fort where the maharaja went when Jaipur was under siege. We traveled in the style of the king, on elephant!! It was very, very cool.

Elephant drivers waiting to load their passengers and head up the mountain.

Heading up the mountain to the fort!

We all leave for home tomorrow. I am very ready to see my family and friends, but will miss my new family and friends very much. India has been a wonderful adventure and a life changing experience.

My friends taking pictures of the camel.

Taj Mahal…Yes, I did go and see it!!

The Taj Mahal is in Agra. Everyone has their own expectations of what their first glimpse of the Taj Mahal would be like. I was expecting to have my breath taken away with its grandeur and beauty. I was not disappointed. We were rustled out of bed at 4:15AM to visit the site at dawn. It was absolutely spectacular. The inlaid gemstones, carved into lotus flowers and geometric shapes were spectacular. We were given almost an hour of free time to explore. I found a bench under a shade tree and just watched the light of the morning sun play on the marble and gems. It was truly spectacular.

I have posted pictures, but they really can’t do it justice.

Here she is.....

Gem stones inlaid into the marble.

The play of light on the marble was beautiful!

Veranasi, named after the two rivers the Varuna and Assi that flow together into  the Ganges, or “Mother Gangaji,” as  referred to by the Hindus. This is the most holy city for the Hindus and the center of the universe. It is every Hindu’s wish to bath at least once in the waters. This is also the place where many Hindus come to die and/or have their body cremated.  After cremation, the remains are released to the river. Hindus believe that this cleanses the soul.

Cremation Ghat

 The river is accessed by an elaborate set of steps, Ghats, leading down. The Ghats were built hundreds of years ago by kings and maharajas. Each set of ghats has a different name and purpose.

Typical amount of steps on the ghats.

If a Hindu needs to be cleansed from a sickness, they go to a certain ghat, baptisms take place at a different ghat, cremation takes place at another ghat, etc. It is so very interesting to walk along the ghats to see the pilgrims bathing and praying. Pilgrims wear orange or saffron when visiting because the color is considered holy.

Pilgrims bathing at the ghats in the Ganges.

Elvis has left the building....thought this was pretty funny to find in the Hindu holy place.

 The lanes in the city were very narrow often only wide enough for a car or two. Water buffalo seemed to be the main source of income for many people as we often waited for herds to pass by before we could move.

 While there, we visited a very unique school, Asha Deep Vidyashram, Lamp of Hope School. The school was started by a wealthy woman who lived across the street from a slum and saw children not attending school. She sent a few to government schools but learned that they were often beaten at the schools due to their caste. So she decided to start her own school and now, under the leadership of Connie Rao, the Prinicpal, the school has grown to serve over 200 street kids. She has gotten her school fully accredited by the Indian government and hires only qualified teachers.  She has also put in a computer lab of 5 computers. Students work in small groups when in the lab. When we were there, the fifth grade students were creating personal web pages.  

Students working on their web pages.

This is a true success story. Connie is hoping to add grade levels as the kids get older, currently they go to 6^th grade. She is even looking at putting in a day care because many of the students drop out of school to take care of young siblings. The hope of the school is to show these kids a better way and help give them the needed tools to rise above their poverty conditions. I was very overwhelmed by the amount of compassion and love the teachers had for these students. I would love to go back some day and volunteer some time to work with the teachers.

Connie Rao, Principal at Asha Deep

I found that Varanasi was a true spiritual experience for me, although in a different way than Hindus experience.

Varanasi Photos

When you think of Calcutta, now Kolkata, what comes to your mind? I had always envisioned overwhelming poverty, mountains of trash and pollution, and many, many cows in the streets. Well, my visions were off the mark quite a bit. There is poverty, but it can (and is) found all over India. I haven’t found the poverty to be any more or less here. The beggars are more, and they are more brazen. One of the women in our group gave a few coins to a beggar woman and the beggar woman got very upset by the amount she was given. I found that exchange quite upsetting. The mountains of trash are non-existent here. In fact, on our way from the airport, the guide pointed out the city’s landfill. Kolkata is one of the cleanest of India’s cities. It is also very green with parks, trees and man-made lakes. Finally, the city has a “no cow” ordinance, so you won’t find them roaming the streets the way we have seen in other cities.

Additionally, I was surprised by several things. First of all, Kolkata is governed by the communist party. The party has had control of the city for the past 35 years. It is very common to see the star and sickle painted on city walls. Also, statues of Lennon and Stalin stand proudly in the same gardens as Mother Theresa. Also, people here are very friendly. I have made several new male friends. Every time I leave the hotel, I have a man approaching me wanting to take me somewhere to show me something in his shop. I have had to pull out the “No” word again and again. It surprises me how hard it is to be rude when you need to be.

Unfortunately, a bout of food poisoning kept me from participating in many of the group activities during our stay here. I was confined to the hotel for about 3 days, but have since recovered and am back to my old self. Unfortunately, this kept me from visiting Mother Theresa’s mission. Our tour guide offered to take me on our last day, but that was a Sunday and getting close to the mission would have been a problem. I did see it from the bus, though.

 On our last day, I took an hour to visit the Victoria Memorial. The beautiful buildings in Kolkata are evidence of the fact that it was the capital of India under British rule. They are gorgeous. The British also built a beautiful park, complete with horses and goat herders.

Kolkata Photos

Chennai

Chennai has been a bit different from some of the other cities we’ve seen. First of all, it seems to be much cleaner than the typical Indian city. Not that it’s clean, but it is cleaner. We had a shopping mall behind our hotel. After work, we would visit. That was an experience I won’t soon forget. The shops were oldish and dirty. Vendors would come out of their shops to invite, or corral you in. I have gotten very good at saying, “no”, or just ignoring people. Everything one reads about bargaining with Indian vendors is absolutely true. I bought something and paid the full price because I thought the price was fair. The shop owner then told me that I was suppose to bargain with him, not accept his price the way I did. I think I stole his evening entertainment.

Two highlights of the  city were the visit to the government school, Panchayat Union School, and also the visit to Mahabalipuram.  The Indian government is trying to standardize instruction across the nation. They have developed standards for each grade that teachers must follow. The schools then take the standards, and implement them in multi-age classrooms. Instead of moving from grade to grade, students move from standard to standard at their own pace.  The classes I observed had approximately 40 students present. The students were working in small groups on floor mats. The groups were working cooperatively on a particular standard. The teacher would meet with each small group to provide direct instruction. When a student mastered the particular standard, he or she moved to the next group to work. It was really very fascinating to watch. The students were pretty engaged and I really liked how they were working at their own pace. In the afternoon, we were invited to meet with the India’s department of education members. They were comparable to our USDE. They shared their master plan for providing education for every child in India. I have been very concerned about the number of children I have seen on the street, not in school. I am so happy that India recognizes this and embraces the idea of education for everyone. 

The world map in the native language of these students, Tamil. Maps were painted on the outside walls of the classrooms.

A typical classroom for this school. Students working in small groups.

Two people work on making lunch which consists of rice and milk to drink. This is the cafeteria. Students eat outside.

Mahbalipuram was also a phenomenal place. In the early 1900’s archeologists uncovered these massive rocks sculpted into temples. At first they believed that they were, in fact, temples but upon further study and debate have concluded that they were temple models. The king had them created so that when he needed a new temple built, he could go and choose which one he wanted built. Now some of these temples can be found today around India.

Life-sized temple model.

In the same area was the Shore Temple, which was built out of rock and is located right on the beach. The Indian government has built a sea wall around it to protect it from the elements.

Carvings on the sides of the temple.

Finally, we visited a cliff where a Hindu story had been carved into the side. The story is very elaborate and has to do with penance. The elephants on the side are life size. I am constantly marveling at the history and arts of this country.   

These are carvings are life-sized. They depict a story about the Ganges river and repentance.

Chennai Photo Album

We spent a hectic week in Kochi, which is in the southwestern part of the country in the state of Kerela. Kerela boasts a 92% literacy rate and education does seem to be valued in this part of India. We visited the Center for Science in Society at the Cochin University of Science and Technology. This center reminded me much of a science center museum. Teachers could bring their students here to participate in labs and discovery learning. Science isn’t taught in the elementary grades, so this center really fulfills a need.

We also visited Chinmaya Vudyalaya, a private school that teaches in English. This staff of this school was very excited to have us and welcomed us with opened arms. We were able to participate in their teacher’s meeting, which took place during the day. The older students covered classes for the teachers. I wonder if his would work for us?? The students were so excited to see us. Many had never seen westerners, so we were very popular. The students loved for us to take their pictures and show the image to them. We were taken on tours of the school by the upper classmen. I began in the pre-k and worked up to middle school. I found it interesting that the teachers move from class to class, not the students. When asked about this, the principal commented that it would be utter chaos to have the students move. I wonder how this would work in the states? Also, there were very few signs of technology. About five rooms had large lcd panels, but the teachers couldn’t really explain what they were used for, other than to show the computer screen. There were NO computers in the classroom…NO lcd projectors, or even overhead projectors. I did ask to visit the computer lab where third graders were creating public service announcements in Word. I was amazed at the lack of access in the school, which was a tuitioned private institution.

Teachers welcoming us.

These were my tour guides!! They were super!!

We also visited Fort Cochin, built by the Dutch, St. Francis Curch, the oldest Christian church in India, and the Chinese fishing nets, used by the Chinese when they were in India.

Chinese fishing nets are still used today.

Finally, we went to a traditional play. The makeup was fantastic. All the parts were played by men, because it used to be that women were not permited to act or participate. The story was from the Hindu mythology.

Traditional Indian play.

Kochi Photo Album

July 11, 2009

Pune: Bhaja Rockcut Caves and Univeristy of Pune Dance Program

We hiked up the side of a mountain outside of Lonavala, in a monsoon (‘tis the season), to visited the Bhaja Rockcut Caves. These caves were created by Buddhist monks. How they carved these magnificent caves out of the rock, is miraculous. There was a huge temple and then smaller sleeping quarters with a stone bed in each. The monks had also created a cemetery with large domes called stupas that house the ashes of the monks that lived there.

Cave Video

On the way back down the mountain, we were passed by two cows moseying on up looking for greener pastures.

We visited the University of Pune here the students performed dances from their Ganesha Festival. Ganesha, the diety representing new beginnings, is very  popular in this particular region of India. The dance was wonderful. Indian dance and music are both modes of worship and celebration of life.

Dance Videos:

Part 1

Part 2

Part 3

Check out Flower Bear’s blog to see how our summer school students are learning about India!

Also, click on the link to see how Kollam art is created. The little feet are welcoming Lakshmi, the goddess, in to the home. They represent her foot prints! Making Kollam Art.

We also visited several other Gandhi projects. One was an additional bakery where women come to learn to bake and then take the skills back to their villages so as to create an additional industry. We also visited a school for poor children in one of the villages. This school is also subsidized by the Trust. The students were so excited to see us. They sang for us and were so much fun. Through the assembly, the teachers were eyeing their students and the assistant principal was giving “the look” to some of the girls. It was nice to see that some things are consistent in schools around the world.

Aga Kahn Palace

Photo Albums:

Aga Kahn Palace

SOS Village

Girls in computer class.

July 06, 2009

Delhi: The Madrasa

We visited a madrasa yesterday. It was a Muslim Girl’s school. I was very surprised to learn that there was such a thing. The Muslim community in India seems to be recognizing the importance of women in society. The girl’s schooling included learning the Quran, science, math, English, Hindi and computer programming. They curriculum focus was ensuring that the girls are ready to be productive citizens in the 21^st century. I find it interesting that we share the same focus. The teachers are all certified through the university and in talking to the principal’s they share the same concerns. I found the school to be very plain and simple. The colors were neutral and the technology was very sparse. There were not any computers in the classrooms, but then there weren’t any books in the classroom either. The girls live at the Madrasa and see their parents several times per month. 

More pictures of the school.