Sorry for the delay, everyone! We’re having an amazing time, but we haven’t been able to get the internet since last night and we’re just now getting settled into our Jaipur hotel at 10pm after a long and exciting day.
Our first day in Delhi began bright and early at 7:30 with an orientation and a Visual Sociology class over a breakfast of Indian food--naan, dal, chai tea, and curried potatoes. Fortified and somewhat rested from our 14 hour flight, we began our tour with a visit to see the site where Gandhi was assassinated on his way to evening prayer.
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As the ‘father’ of modern India, this was an important stop to give students an understanding of how India gained independence from Britain and, more specifically, about the path of non-violence that Gandhi espoused. We wandered the grounds for a good while, walking along a path lined with plaques that cited quotes by Gandhi that had students and faculty alike saying “hmmm, yes, yes…” (One of Gandhi’s ideas about the purpose of education emerged later that night as a few students and I discussed the meaning of life back in the hotel lobby.) For most of us, this stop was a powerful start our trip and in some ways an act of ‘witness’ to seemingly senseless violence which India knows all too well, especially in recent days. In times when Gandhi’s ideas about nonviolence seem all too readily abandoned, students seemed pleased to be reminded of alternative ways of seeing and acting on the world.
From there, we left to visit Old Delhi, including Qutub Minar complex. Minars are towers and this one, an amazing structure built in 1199, was intended to be the prototype for them all, glorious in its intricate carving and towering over the smaller buildings below. We wandered throughout the complex for a short while, simply amazed at the beauty of the place as well as its sense of history. For the first time, we came in contact with a large number of Indian families as it was a lovely Sunday and people were out and about. Our interactions there were a mixture of warm welcome and curiosity.
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Leaving the QM complex, we left for the Red Fort, built by Mughal emperor Shahajahan. Though a bit clouded by air pollution, the fort is massive and easy to see. We stopped to visit one of the biggest mosques in India, Jama Masjid, just after the late day call to prayer. While students enjoyed photographing the space, it seems their interactions with children were the thing they liked the most about their visit here. That is the common theme that’s emerging during our trip = a desire to know and to be known at some kind of fundamental level. The students are seeking authentic experiences and those can only be achieved through interactions with others. But, we are also discussing to what degree we can ‘know’ India through photographic documentation.
After the mosque, we headed with our ‘buddies’ through Chandi Chowk, a massive series of streets filled with vendors of all kinds…fish, fruit, clothing, candy, nuts, and even goat heads. We delighted in the cacophony of sound and smell. The most noticeable thing here was probably the crush of bodies at the front of the market where we did not go. It was there we could see how physical space, among other things in India, is a luxury.
On our way to see a performance of Indian folk dances, we passed the India Gate and the Residence of the Indian president. As it turned out, the performers were running late so we settled down for Chai tea and cookies and continued discussion about Visual Sociology. (Chris will be writing about this soon, so stay tuned.)
Finally, after nearly 11 hours seeing Delhi, we settled down for a delicious dinner of our Indian favorites and then back to our hotels for sleep.
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Given the lateness of the hour here (combined with another early wake-up call tomorrow), I’ll just briefly described our day today… We packed our bags (!) and hit the road for Jaipur, the Pink City. Due to fog and sheep (and sheep herders) in the road, we had to take it at a slow pace. Most of the day was spent in transit, but this gave students a wonderful opportunity to take in the sights of a less touristy nature. We passed field after field of bright yellow mustard, soon to be replaced by wheat after the upcoming harvest. We stopped for snacks along the way, including delightful pastries, some made with edible silver foil. One of our favorites was a nut brittle made with rose petals! Unusual and fantastic. It’s hard to describe what made today so special….but I think it was found, again, in those moments of human connection. One student reported how, when our private bus rode alongside of a PACKED Indian bus she started to take a picture. Then wondered (in light of her Visual Sociology readings) about the ethics of such a thing. However, one man smiled and waved. She waved back. And, soon about 6 people on the other bus were smiling and waving. We soon arrived and stopped for a while to see how rugs are woven and how batik fabric is made by hand. Students had more tea, tried on saris, and generally were wowed by how much work goes into hand making rugs! Off to a Rajastani dinner and more dancing and music. Students LOVED the day today and are eager to see what unfolds tomorrow. Again, it’s likely that we’re out until very late into the evening so know that we might ‘skip’ a day of the blog!
(click images in this story for enlarged view)