Namaste!
After a long day of travel from Bodhgaya, we finally made it to the bustling streets of Kolkata. Coming to Kolkata after spending a peaceful day in Bodhgaya e(this letter key does not work)ploring temples, meditating, and rela()ing was a big change of pace. Our days in Kolkata were full of e()ploring the hectic streets, eating delicious and very greasy street food, volunteering for the Mother Theresa Home, and… Read More
We are now in the city of Varanasi, or as the locals called it Banaras. Just a short walk from the Ganges, we’ve thoroughly enjoyed all this river symbolizes to the Hindustani people. I’ve watched as they pray to her, bathe in her, drift upon her surface, perform rituals in the ghats that line her shores, and sadly, also defecate on and litter the beaches, contaminating the waters to a… Read More
Even though we have only visited four different cities and villages in Northern India, it is already apparent how diverse the landscape, culture, and people can be. We have seen the dry quiet mountains of the arid village of Jhadol. We have seen the temples and camels reflected in the lakes of Udaipur. We have seen the absolute chaos that somehow comes together to create Delhi. And we have seen… Read More
Hi friends! Sophia again, we are currently in Jaipur, getting ready to leave for Udaipur tonight. We’ve kept ourselves busy this past week: eating glorious meals with our host families (and losing many games of chess), we’ve visited numerous organizations that have opened our minds and hearts. We went to a paper production factory on the first day. It gave me a new appreciation for gift bags, after watching the… Read More
After a week in California, couch surfing and exploring San Fran, it was easy not to be nervous for India. Even on the way to the airport, I was chatting with the guy next to me on the Bart train and didn’t really have a second to contemplate the MASSIVE trip I was about to embark on. India didn’t feel real until our first breakfast on our hostel’s roof. We… Read More
We’ve gotten word that the Shiva and Shanti groups have safely landed in Delhi. They are now getting some well-earned rest after flying halfway across the earth. Stay tuned for more updates from the students themselves.… Read More
The Shanti group has come together in San Francisco and is relaxed and ready to embark on their journey together to India!
Be sure to stay tuned to the blog as we will post again when the group arrives safely in country!
We wish you all the best team Shanti!… Read More
Yes, tis official….Grupo Shanti is no longer on Indian soil, having departed late last night en route to San Francisco (well, actually, Ian has the great fortune of heading to Paris!). From San Fran, they’ll say farewell and travel to their own destinations, to families and friends eagerly awaiting their arrival and the many stories to be heard. Welcome home, Shanti!
Three months of travel in India can hardly be… Read More
HEY!
Our last post left off in Bikaner, home of the Camel Man and the desert in which we safaried through atop smelly camels.
Early in the morning on December 7th, we rickshawed our way to the train station and spent two 6 hour train rides playing tai-pan and laughing, finding ourselves in a foggy midnight Agra, eager to see the Taj Mahal the next morning.
The day of the… Read More
Guys… we made it. And we’re going out with a bang a camel safari, an Indian wedding and the Taj Mahal in 7 days? With three trains, two buses and innumerable auto-rickshaws, it’s possible.
We spent the first days of our free travel continuing our stay in Mcleod Ganj. On December 2nd we left our Tibetan homestay families with an exchange of white scarves and satisfied our sweet… teeth with… Read More
Our time in McLeod has been a whirlwind taste of independence and Tibetan culture!
We decided to individually do activities specific to our interests and all of us participated in volunteering and an internship. Activities included a cooking internship (mo’ momos please), mala making/dream catchers, and flute lessons. All of us taught English to Tibetans (many of them monks) and found that looking at your own language from a new… Read More
After Amritsar we headed to Deer Park Institute in Bir where we did a Buddhist study for a week. Deer Park was once a Tibetan Buddhist monastery but eventually became too small for the amount of monks studying there. At one point the monastery reached 400 monks and it was decided that a bigger monastery had to be opened. Dzongsar monastery was later opened which is now one of the… Read More
NAMASTE Y’ALL.
Shanti’s experience in Amritsar has been pretty interesting to say the least. Amritsar is known as the spiritual center for the Sikhs and home of the Golden Temple, Harmandir Sahib. The temple is MAGNIFICENT. If you’d like to see images of the holy temple, feel free to Google: “Harmandir Sahib”. I guarantee the pictures hardly do it justice, you must come see it for yourself. I promise you,… Read More
OM Shanti, Shanti, Shanti,
We are back in Rishikesh after a week of yoga, meditation, calm, and quiet. Before entering the ashram we spent a night in Rishikesh and celebrated Diwali the festival of lights, which is the most important holiday in Hinduism and also an important celebration for Jains, Buddhists, and Sikhs. In Hinduism Diwai is associated with several events: Krishna defeating the demon Narakasura, the return of Rama… Read More
This is the view from the Tibetan monastery we visited in Gangtok. I’m not sure who those people are, but their silhouettes are so lovely. The temple itself was also beautiful.
At the monastery we got to watch a bunch of monks get ready for dinner, which involved chanting and playing instruments. They didn’t offer us any food, but we were kind of eavesdropping so I guess that’s only fair,… Read More
Namaste family and friends!
We have just arrived in Rishikesh in time for Diwali after an amazing two weeks of exploration in the Himalayas. We started out in Gangtok, the beautiful capital city of Sikkim, at a lovely homestay nestled in the foothills of the Himalayas. We spent our mornings taking long uphill walks to the Serenity Home to volunteer with men recovering from drug and alcohol addiction. We all… Read More
Hey USA
This week began with a bittersweet ending in Kolkata. The Mother Teresa home is a quiet oasis in the middle of a bustling city. We’d go through a tight alley to reach the front door, admiring the calm blue hue of the outside walls accented with a dusty orange in the windows, metal gates shield every window with varying patters on a tetris-esque theme. At the door we… Read More
