India
If there is any hope for a better world, its development is going to come from changed people not changed policies. This development was happening at this school. I saw it with my own eyes. I felt it with my own hands. These kids are learning to live together in peace. Night after night these kids would teach me new songs (in English). And when the singing was over I would help the older kids carry the sleeping young ones off bed.
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Carpe Diem takes groups of 4 - 8 people to India to explore the rich spiritual traditions (Hindu, Buddhist and Sikh) of this country.
India is a vast subcontinent that is made even more vast by the sheer diversity of its coexisting cultures. To experience the true depth and breadth of this country would take a lifetime, however, a useful way to organize India is by way of dividing it into “plains” and “mountains,” as the geography greatly impacts the respective spiritualities and ways of life. The following itinerary has been designed with this in mind, and seeks to “flow” in a manner that provides the most opportunity for exploration.
This semester has been designed to intentionally challenge you in an emotionally and spiritually responsible manner by providing opportunities to develop personal coping skills before asking you to extend yourself outward. During the semester you will be challenged by the itinerary to “be your own barometer” of your energy level, and learn to communicate and manage it appropriately. Your leaders are there to support you 100% along the way as you experience this ebb and flow.
Part 1—The Plains
Orientation
Your semester in India begins in the capital of Delhi, adjusting to jetlag and getting to know your groupmates with a couple days’ orientation in the backpacking district of Paharganj and the commercial district of Connaught Place. “Get your feet wet” at a reasonable pace within the safety of the group; see a Bollywood flick together or explore some of the sights while absorbing the cultural lessons around you. Learn how to negotiate rickshaw prices and wander the markets.Varanasi
After an overnight train ride, wake to find yourself in Varanasi (Benaras), the “city of lights,” renowned as the very pulse and epicenter of Hindu India. You will live in a small, liberal ashram within walking distance to Assi Ghat. For the first week, you will extend your ‘orientation’ and skill set at the ashram by learning meditation, Hindu philosophy, and yoga practice from a Hindu Brahmin, as well as receive lessons in ‘survival Hindi’ from a local language teacher who will visit daily. Practice your Hindi when you go as a group to the market daily to buy the vegetables and cook together at the ashram. Listen to a lecture on the rich history of the oldest city on the globe.
The second week takes you out of the ashram on a more individual basis, participating in internships of your choosing, such as: stone carving, fire dancing, sitar, tabla, and cooking, among others. You will receive more formal lessons in language during this week, and hopefully continue to practice on your own the yoga and meditation you learned in the first week.
Bodhgaya
Move on after 2 weeks in Varanasi to Bodhgaya, the spiritual epicenter and birthplace of Buddhism. Visit the site and meditate under a descendant of the same bodhi tree that Siddhartha reputedly attained enlightenment under. Visit Buddhist temples built by almost every other Buddhist nation in honor of this holy place. Stay in one of the temples and experience how the monks live. Feel the unique flavor of this holy city as it resides within the poorest state in India.Calcutta
After the inward journey of Buddhism and Bodhgaya, move on by overnight train to Calcutta (Kolkata). Here we will turn our journey outward by giving of ourselves, working approximately 4 hours each morning as volunteers at the Mother Theresa Homes for the Destitute. Here you will have choices of what type of work you wish to perform: support services (i.e. laundry), helping to feed the poorest of the poor, or even holding the hands of those who are in the process of dying, bringing them honor and dignity in their last days. Spend afternoons in groups absorbing and exploring this unforgettable and politically pivotal city.Part 2—The Mountains
Chandigarh
Fly directly from Calcutta to Chandigarh, the only city in India that was built on a grid system, and one of only a handful of cities that has a waste management system. Step off the plane into clean mountain air and clean streets. Spend some nights here decompressing from the intensity of the first 4 weeks, and learning the history of this truly peculiar Indian town.
Palampur
Travel overland by bus to the tea settlement of Palampur where you will recover one night on a political official’s tea estate before moving on to a Goddi village in the hills nearby. Here you will live as a group in your own mud hut among the villagers and volunteer during the day on a locally funded infrastructure project. Spend your last night back at the tea estate, taking hot showers and resting before moving on. Experience the drastic difference between the rich and poor during this part of the itinerary.McLeod Ganj
A couple hours’ bus ride from Palampur will take you to McLeod Ganj, home of the Tibetan government in exile and the Dalai Lama. Here you will be living with Tibetan families and welcomed as a true member of their extended family. You will learn first-hand the unique challenges faced by a culture forced from its homeland. During the day you will again have the opportunity to participate in internships such as thangka painting, music, meditation, teaching English to political refugees, and cooking, among many others. There is no shortage of activity to be had in McLeod, as well as no shortage of excellent food, starting with your homestays! At the time of this writing, it appears that HH the Dalai Lama will be home in McLeod during our next semester.
Amritsar
En route to Rishikesh, spend a night as a guest on the grounds of the Sikhs’ Golden Temple. Experience the wonder of eating a free meal en masse with thousands of others. Feel truly unconditionally welcomed as a guest of this unique religious tradition in the home of its birth.Rishikesh
Take an overnight train from Amritsar to the Rishikesh area, where you will spend a few days living and volunteering at an orphanage/school called Ramana’s Garden. Play with the children on the banks of the pristine Ganga—or even take a swim. Meet the astounding woman who founded this school, then follow her to her ecolodge in the mountains northeast of Rishikesh that financially supports the school and includes the gardens that grow the vegetables that feed the students. Here you’ll retreat studying the healing art of Reiki, and participate in a vision quest while staring at the Himalayan peaks in the distance. You will also do some gardening and participate together in meal preparation, utilizing only what is grown at the Mountain Center.Himalayan Trek
Spend 4 days camping and hiking in the Himalayas after a day’s drive toward the headwaters of the mighty Ganga. Breathe deep the crisp mountain air, taking only pictures and leaving only footprints, as you participate in a fully guided and professionally supported trekking experience with one of the most reputable Himalayan companies. Sit each night by a roaring campfire while robust meals are cooked for you, take time for yourself in the silence, or take well-earned naps in the supplied tents. Be sure to dress warmly!
Haridwar
Take a day in Rishikesh recovering after your trek, then make the short trip by taxi or auto-rickshaw to Haridwar. Translating literally as “gate of the gods,” Haridwar is a holy place for Hindus as it exists at a confluence of the Ganga and its tributaries. Less touristed than nearby Rishikesh, here you will find small, earnest ashrams teaching practical spirituality and health practices on a consistent basis. Spend a week in an ashram studying yoga and ayurveda in a formal course setting. Learn practices that will feed you across your lifespan. See and reflect on how far you’ve come since the program began!Free Travel
This is a week of self-directed group travel. Your group will decide where they want to go and what they want to see, be given a budget to operate within, and be responsible for all logistical details. Your group leaders will be there to monitor and assist as needed, but essentially this is your opportunity to experience for yourself what it is like to plan and execute your own travel in the developing world. It will also give you the opportunity to experiment with ways to stretch your travel dollar safely and intelli-gently. End back in Delhi, planning to arrive approximately 1 1/2 days before your flight home. Spend the last days experiencing the markets, sights, and whatever else you feel you wish to accomplish before heading home with more stories than you dreamed possible.Program Details:
Fall 2008: Sept. 10 - Dec. 3, 2008Spring 2009: February 11 - May 5, 2009
Group Size:
Up to 8 Students & 2 Adult Leaders
Eligibility:
Ages 18 and Up
Academic Credit:
Up to 18 credits available
Language Requirement:
None
Admissions:
No deadline - applications accepted on a rolling basis until start date.
Program Fee:
$8,400 Program fee includes all food, accommodations, and scheduled program activities for the duration of the program. International airfare, health insurance and spending money are extra. International airfare estimated at $1700.
