On the Road: Dehradun

Well the trip is over, but I wanted to let you know what we did in Dehradun:

After the crowds and heat of the big cities, it was so refreshing to go up to the foothills of the Himalayas and  rest. We spent a day debriefing the past semester and discussing what we learned and how we can take these things back home with us. 

Another day was spent learning about the Tibetan refugee issue and getting a chance to hang out with some Tibetan guys at a drug rehabilitation center. It was a cool experience to interact with them, play sports, and try their delicious food. 

Playing volleyball with the Tibetan guys

A major highlight of the End of Semester trip would definitely have to be whitewater rafting on the Ganges river. We drove a few hours away to the town of Rishikesh which is famous for several things: it is where Shiva is said to have stepped out of the mountains, the Beatles had an ashram there, and the clean clear Ganges river flows out of the mountains! Needless to say, it is very beautiful and a very unique experience, as well as tons of fun!

Bridge overlooking the Ganges

Whitewater rafting on the Ganges River

Whitewater rafting on the Ganges river

Another day we traveled higher up the mountain to a hillstation called Mussoorie where we got a chance to hike around and see the snow capped Himalayan mountains! So beautiful and refreshing!

Snow capped peaks of the Himalayas!

We took the train back to Delhi and spent the day getting in some last shopping and eating Indian food before it was time for students to board their flights and head home. We wish you all well!

On the Road: Agra

Today was Taj Mahal day!! We arrived early in Agra and so went straight from the train station to tour Agra Fort before it got too hot. It was interesting to hear the story of Shah Jahan’s imprisonment in the fort and how he lived out the last of his days seeing the Taj Mahal through his bedroom window, but never actually got to visit it!

Taj Mahal

After a time to rest, go shopping and get some lunch (buffalo biriyani) we set out to see the Taj Mahal! 

Batch 6 at the Taj Mahal

ISP staff

On the Road: Varanasi

 Welcome to the holy city of Varanasi on the bank of the Ganges River! We wound our way through the narrow alleys- ducking by cows, avoiding cow patties, past rickshaws, and through crowds to get to our hotel overlooking the Ganga! 

The Ganges River

We spent the afternoon walking through the streets learning about the city and Hindu culture and religion from our guide. We went inside ancient palaces, overlooked the burning ghats, and tried tea from a clay cup. In the evening we floated down the river on a boat tour to see the evening aarti. Aarti is a worship ritual to Mother Ganga involving fire and incense and the ringing of bells. Finally we ended our day with a superb dinner of authentic Italian pizza and amazing apple pie (an ISP tradition)!

Evening boat ride on the Ganges to view the river aarti

The next day was just a free day to catch up on some sleep and explore the alleyways to get in some good shopping. Of course we had to visit our favourite shop- The Blue Lassi for this batch to try their amazing creations! Several students got up early to watch the sun rise over the Ganga and walk along the ghats to watch the morning rituals and commotion. 

Sunrise over the Ganges

Blue Lassi!!

On the Road: Calcutta

We reached Calcutta in the wee hours of the morning and made our way to our hotel- the oldest YMCA in Asia with lots of character.

Oldest YMCA in Asia

In the morning we visited Mother Theresa’s burial site and the Mother House where we learned about her amazing life of sacrifice. Then we toured Victoria Memorial which is a beautiful museum filled with history of the British Raj. Finally, we went for kathi rolls- street food at its finest-before enjoying a free afternoon of shopping and relaxing.

Chrissie, Maaike, and Lydia at the Victoria Memorial

  Happy Easter from Calcutta!! Students enjoyed the free day to explore the city.

Megan, Sarah, Maaike, and Chrissie enjoy kathi rolls

 Monday was very busy- first students visited an organization called Sari Bari which rescues women that were caught in sex trade and teaches them how to sew. The women use old torn saris that have been thrown away and create beautiful blankets and bags. The analogy is striking- taking something considered to be broken, useless, and dirty, and transforming it into something beautiful and of value! Students also visited Mother Theresa’s Home for the Dying where thousands of people have come off the street to be taken care of and die in peace. 

On the Road: Bapatla

The chance to be kid again. To run around freely-shouting, dancing, singing, and playing to our hearts content. More importantly, the chance to play with kids and to love on them! This is what we have been doing for the past couple of days at a children’s home in Bapatla-rural Andhra Pradesh.

Uncle and Auntie run a children’s home for about 150 kids who are either orphans or from poor or broken families. The children are given a home to stay in, as well as an English-medium education. We were able to tour the school and visit the children in their classrooms. Then we spent the afternoon playing volleyball, football (soccer), tag and every other running game imaginable with them! 

Playing games with the children

In the evening our students taught and led several action songs before again dispersing to play. Our students were surrounded on all sides by kids pulling them in every direction and shouts of “sister, sister” “brother, brother”! We danced. We sang. We chased. We laughed. We loved. By evening we were all exhausted and sweaty, but every face glowed with the joy and excitement of playing with these wonderful children. We have one more evening with them and you can bet it will be just as tiring and beautiful!

Leading action songs

This morning we drove to the Bay of Bengal to visit the beach. It was amazing to watch the sun rise over the ocean and to just spend some time to be quiet and recharge or to have fun playing in the water!

Sunrise over the Bay of Bengal

Tomorrow morning bright and…. No, never mind, it won’t be bright, just EARLY (as in 3:45am) we head to the train station to continue up north to Kolkata. Twenty-five hours on a train here we come!

On the Road: BIRDS

On Sunday evening, we boarded the train to start our 18 days of travel across north India!

First stop: the small rural village of Cuddapah in the middle of Andhra Pradesh.

We are visiting an organization called BIRDS which works with farmers in learning how to become more self-sustaining. The program also rescues girls caught in the sex trafficking trade and runs a children's home and school. Uncle obviously is involved in a great number of projects, and he took the time to explain how BIRDS started and what they are doing.

We were able to visit a local village where the farmers are implementing their new knowledge and had a chance to ask them questions about their experience.

Visiting a local village

We also went for a hike through the forest-stopping to see many Hindu temples and shrines along the way. 

Our hike through the woods

Tonight we board the train headed to another small village in Andhra Pradesh to visit a children's home.

"All my bags are packed, I'm ready to go..."

We're heading out tomorrow to start our 18 day trek across north India!

As of Friday, all of the classes are over- papers are turned in and presentations are completed. We ended by having a celebratory meal put on my the Catering class to demonstrate all that they have learned over the course. Delicious!

Friday night was Candlelight- a special ceremony to honor those that have made this semester possible and to celebrate the student's hard work.

Kirk congratulating the students for their hard work

Batch 6 is DONE!

Batch 6 with their friends

Students are making the most of their last weekend here- visiting their favorite restaurants and hanging out with their friends.

The journey will comprise of about 85 hours of train travel, 7 different cities, from the Bay of Bengal all the way up to the foothills of the Himalayas. Follow our journey here to get updates of what the students are up to!

10 Reasons to spend your next semester in India

Are you looking into studying abroad next semester and trying to decide where to go? Are you interested in social justice, learning about world religions, good food, wildlife, and adventures? Consider studying abroad with India Studies Program and immersing yourself in the Indian culture!

Here are 10 reasons you should study with ISP:

1. Travel. While ISP is based in the south in Tamil Nadu, one of the highlights of the program is our extensive travel component. During the semester, you will go on three 3-5 day trips to neighboring cities and states to visit people and programs, as well as to enjoy what those areas have to offer including food and famous sites. At the end of the semester you will enjoy an 18 day trip across north India hitting various cities such as Calcutta, Varanasi, Delhi, and Agra! Think Mother Theresa, Agra Fort, Taj Mahal, Ganges river...

Batch 5 visits the Taj Mahal

2. NGOs and job opportunities- You can come to India and enjoy all the tourist attractions on your own. But when you study with ISP, you will be introduced to people and organizations that are doing great work here in India. Interested in education, business, sex trafficking, outdoor adventure, or enterpreneurship? We'll show you what opportunities are open to you here and what is already being done.

Shiamala Baby's women empowerment organization

3. Festivals. India is known for its fun and bright festivals. No matter what semester you come, you will have the chance to join in the celebrations. Fall semester students will experience Diwali- the Festival of Lights with lots of fireworks and sweets. Spring semester students will cover each other in bright colored powder when they participate in Holi-the Festival of Colors.

Celebrating Holi

4. Friendships. One of the best aspects of a study abroad experience can be the friends you make, whether those are Indian friends or other American students on your trip. These are friendships that could last a lifetime as you learn from each other.

Camel rides on the beach

5. Adventures. From white water rafting on the Ganges river, to possible elephant rides, to swimming in the Indian ocean in a salwar kameez, to boating on the Backwaters of Kerala, to camping in the wilderness, to train rides- you will find adventure in India!

Repelling down the side of a waterfall

6. Food. There are so many great restaurants and road-side stands to choose from with a variety of delectable cuisines. If you take the Catering class, you will have the chance to learn how to cook Indian dishes!

The Catering class enjoys the fruits of their labor

7. Clothes. All right ladies, this one is for you. India is a colorful nation with gorgeous saris at every turn. Fabrics are very affordable, tailors are numerous, and there are rows upon rows of saris to choose from. If you take the Design class, you will even get a chance to design your very own outfit!

The girls enjoy dressing up in beautiful sarees and salwars

8.Chai. Once you've tasted this sweet milky drink, there is no turning back. One of the great parts of this culture is that there is always time to take a chai break during the day!

Traditional way chai is served here

9. Language opportunities. Tamil is the official language of Tamil Nadu and is offered as one of our classes. However, you will most definitely meet people from Kerala and be introduced to the Malayalam language and North Indian people who speak Hindi.

Watching a traditional Kerala Kathakali dance

10. Discovering the Divine image. While in India you will come in close contact with people from other faith backgrounds than yourself. What can we learn from them? Learn about world religions and how they are practiced in India.

Convinced? Come join us next semester!! 

To apply, go to: https://www.bestsemester.com/locations-and-programs/india

On the Road: Agra, Delhi, and Dehradun

Sorry for the long delay! We have been travelling pretty hardcore these last few days but are happy to now be settled for a couple days in Rajpur in the foothills of the Himalyas.

From Varanasi we went onto Agra to see Agra Fort and of course the Taj Mahal!!! What an unreal experience! We all had a wonderful time taking pictures.

Batch 5 at the Taj Mahal!

Next morning early we headed to Delhi for the day. First we went on a tour of the streets with an organization that rescues and restores street children. The best part was that the tour was given by a man who used to live on the streets so we got a first-hand perspective! For lunch we ate at the world famous Karims restaurant which used to serve food to kings until they made it available to the common man. The group split up in order to cover more ground so some people saw the street kids dance while others went to see Suffi singing. Both ended up to be very good experiences!

That night we boarded the train for Rajpur which is a hillstation in the foothills of the Himalyas. While it is much colder, the beauty around us is astounding! These hills are stunning and it is wonderful to be in the peace and quiet after the busyness of the other cities we have visited. We are taking time to rest and refresh as well as debrief our semester in India. We also took time to go white water rafting on the Ganges river! The Ganges flows out of the Himalyas so it is cold and clear (quite different from how it looks when it reaches Varanasi). Everyone enjoyed their experience and  some even cliff jumped into the mighty Ganges!

Ready to raft!

We have 2 more days here in India before returning back to our homes. While we are excited to see our family, friends, and pets and to eat our favourite foods and see familiar sites, for many leaving will be bitter sweet. Deep friendships have been formed and lives have been changed from this experience in India. We will arrive in the airport with suitcases full of dirty clothes and presents; hearts full of numerous stories to share about our experiences; and probably a bit of Indian soil still clinging to our shoes! See you soon!

On the Road: Bapatla

And....we're off!!

Sunday morning the whole batch participated in the Mega Pink (race for the cure against breast cancer) 3-K run around Coimbatore. First we all warmed up by doing zumba...in a crowd of about 200 people...in India! Quite a hilarious experience. The course went around our area of town which gave us a chance to say goodbye to various sites as we passed them. Goodbye to restaurants like Myx, Coffee Day, AFC, and Marry Brown's. Goodbye to sites such as All Souls, Gugu's, and the crocodile median. And goodbye to entertainment of Racecourse exercisers! We were quite proud that our Alex Wilson ended up coming in first place- way to represent Pennsylvania from India!

Batch 5 after the Mega Pink run

The rest of the day was spent packing, cleaning the apartments, and saying goodbye to friends before boarding the train in the evening. I think we would all agree that we could have used another couple of hours of sleep on that train when we reached the station before 7! 

Director Kirk has been visiting Uncle Babu and his wife for many years in the rural town of Bapatla. Uncle runs a school for children who have lost their parents. For the next 2 days we get to visit the children in their classrooms and play with them. Our students even designed a program to put on to entertain the children tonight! We will also be learning from Uncle about the humanitarian projects he runs. We may even have a chance for some site-seeing to the Bay of Bengal.

Bapatla, Andhra Pradesh

Next stop... Kolkata!!

(photo credit: Faith Boyle)

Packing Up and Heading Out!

We can’t believe we only have 5 DAYS left in Coimbatore! The time has really flown! Was it really 3 months ago that students flew into the city and began their experience? Was there ever a time that they didn’t know how to barter for an auto, or dodge across the streets, or eat with only their right hand, or find their way on the bus route by themselves?

Tina in her costume for dance presentation

Tayler's beautiful painting of a traditional Toda woman

Stevie's handmade cookbook, Emma's mobile and the clay pot they made together

 This week is crazy with trying to finish everything up. Students have final papers and projects to complete-art projects to create, a clothing design to finish, and a cuisine final to cook, and an exam to take. Meanwhile, they have to get in last minute shopping, eat out at favorite restaurants and say goodbye to all their friends and the life they have made here.

Faith is exhausted after all her hard work

We leave for our north trip on Sunday evening. It is going to be a wild and exciting ride: 18 days, 76 hours on trains, 7 cities, rafting on the Ganges river, visiting Mother Theresa’s Home for the Dying, seeing the foothills of the Himalayas, and of course- taking pictures in front of the Taj Mahal! 

Follow us on our journey across India!

Travel Component: In Pictures

Ready for some train travel!
Most Indians travel on trains and ISP loves taking students along for the ride.

The end of semester trip is always highly anticipated by all of our ISP students. After several months of making Coimbatore their home, they are excited to take their journey to the North and keep learning from inspirational people and new experiences!

 

Checking out a temple.

This time our trip took us to 6 unique cities around incredible India. We started in Chennai, the capital of our home state of Tamil Nadu, and wound our way north to Delhi, home of the famous Taj Mahal.

 

A woman selling flowers for puja outside a temple.

Our first stop was Chennai where we realized that it could in fact get hotter than the sweltering summer climate we were experiencing in Coimbatore. Despite the weather, we had a great time learning about the diverse offerings of the city. Chennai has a rich history of Christianity in India so we took the opportunity to visit where St. Thomas was martyred and buried. 

The site where St. Thomas was martyred.

We also visited Shiamala Baby, a woman who transformed her own abusive past into an organization working to empower women in their own communities. She is one of the many amazing people we meet that our students like to call "cool people doing cool things".

 

Shiamala and the women she works with in a self-help group.

Next on the list was Calcutta, a city that played a prominent role in India's colonial background. We were excited to try kati rolls and spiced chai in clay cups before heading to Sari Bari. This NGO continues to be a highlight for ISP students. It focuses on providing an alternative source of income for women who want to leave the sex industry by teaching them to sew beautiful products from recycled saris. As we toured their workshop and learned about the organization we were encouraged by the courageous stories of the women working there.

 

Enjoying some roadside chai in clay cups.

Filled with twisting alleys and wandering holy men, Varanasi is filled to the brim with nooks and crannies to explore. As the holiest city in India it was the perfect place to learn more about Hinduism and Buddhism. 

Varanasi is famous for its ghats along the river.

On our walking tour we spent hours making our way down the ghats and seeing daily life on the holy river Ganga. Those of us who were early risers saw bathers and dhobis doing laundry on the riverbanks. Then in the evening we all headed to the ghats to watch the Ganga aarti, a fire worship ceremony to the holy river.

 

The daily Ganga aarti.

Of course a trip to the north would be incomplete without making our way to Agra, home of the Taj, and Delhi, the capital of India. Pulling into the train station in the early morning we had  a breakfast of puris before checking out the Agra Fort and the famed Taj Mahal. 

Jumping for joy at the Taj!

The Mughal architecture was stunning and we took the opportunity to not only soak in the history but also to taking some group snaps! Once we made our way to Delhi we took some much needed time to relax and wandered the city - seeing everything from the Lotus Temple to a lively Sufi singing performance at the tomb of a saint.

 

Sufi music at the Nizamuddin Dargah.

Our last destination was Dehradun, a gorgeous hill station nestled in the Himalayan foothills. In addition to debriefing the semester, we visited some organizations in the area focusing on social entrepreneurship and one that mentors Tibetans in the area. 

Riding in rickshaws.

One of the best ways of getting to know someone is over a meal, so we were delighted to share a lunch of buffalo momos with the mentees in the program! Then we spent time with one business that sells beautiful furniture and crafts while partnering with locals to work towards sustainability. And of course our trip would not be complete without some whitewater rafting down the Ganges!

 

Whitewater rafting.

All in all, our end of semester trip was two weeks of insane traveling around and witnessing India's vastness and complexity. We are excited to see how we can continue learning from these experiences!