After preparing for a couple days before all the students arrived, the South Asian students presented on their cultures for the international students. You can read more here, and see a few student interviews here, beginning with Olga!
Monica
Mohammad
Rohini
Kultwisiso
Shilpi
Today is one our final days in India, so, of course, we went to the Taj Mahal. This ivory white monument was built by a Mogul king as the burial site for his 3rd and most loved wife. His testament of love is evident in the buildings complex architecture and beautiful calligraphy. It is so advanced that even though the building is a perfectly symmetrical square, you can see all four of the towers from any side. This is because the towers were slanted outwards to give the most aesthetic view from any entrance.
Because if it’s beauty and status as a wonder of the world, I thought it would be more crowded. However, we were able to to the central mausoleum without feeling overwhelmed. The only downside was that it was very hot! The combination of a giant campus and hot weather isn’t so great, but because of the structures utter beauty, it was worth it.
Spent an amazing day today . No wonders why we call Taj Mahal as one of the 7 wonders . At 7am in the morning we left for Agra , a place that I personally adore ! It was a hard time in the sun though at the end of the day it feels like all of it was worth it !
All of us together and with us was the Taj Mahal . We learnt a lot about the history of this incredibly beautiful palace . I felt happy, it was a mixed kind of a feeling because it was super hot out there but the only thing that kept me going was that beautiful palace. The calligraphy , the rich architecture of the palace , the fact each and every color pf the palace was not painted but was made of different stones for that matter ,the mosque around the palace and the gardens around the palace were so fascinating. That moment itself was like being high because I was imagining the palace being made and it felt like re-living the past .
All in all the day was well spent and undoubtedly adds on to the memories that I’d cherish for life !!
Since the end of the Leadership Collective is approaching, I decided that it is time to devote one of my last posts to what impressed me most in India, to what will come to mind first every time I think about this country- HUMANS!
Exactly 21 days ago I arrived in India convinced that my way of thinking, my whole life will change in the following month. However, I didn’t actually know what exactly will trigger this change! The monuments? The temples? The beautiful nature? Only a day was enough for me to realize that the answer is one- the people! It was an immense pleasure to walk along the hectic streets, smile at people and see them warmly smiling back to me! It was exceptionally exciting to spend a night on a train and practice my Hindi skills with locals! I will never forget the whole history class I had on the plane by a college professor on our way to Delhi!
I will keep forever in my heart all the inspirational members of Sauhard in Ahmedabad who proved me that youngsters have the power to actually do great things! I will always remember the deep and honest eyes of the children from all the schools we visited!
It has been almost a month since I am here now, and I can wholeheartedly say that India has the power to change people’s lives, the humans of India has that power! There is only one thing I am extremely worried about right now- in just a day, I will have to pack my luggage and I am wondering how I am going to bring my brand new belief in humanity and kindness back home!
