Visions of India

  India

Calcutta,  Delhi,  Rishikesh,  Varanasi

Term: Fall, Spring 
Duration of Program: 3-6 months
Dates: Sept. 6- Dec 8/ Feb 9- May 12

Description: Based in Varanasi, the City of Light, our India semester program immerses students in an intensely thriving community located just above the banks of the Ganges River. Part of Varanasi's appeal lies in its diverse blend of cultures and religions. In Varanasi, students have the chance to see Hindus walk through dawn light for a ritual dip in their cherished Ganges, and they can learn as well from the communities of Buddhists, Jains, Muslims, Sikhs and other devoted people who live and practice in Varanasi.

It is in this inspirational celebration of life and transformation that we immerse ourselves. Students live with welcoming families whose members might include world-renowned sitar and tabla players, traditional doctors, university professors, or local artisans. Daily language classes in Hindi not only help students communicate with Indian hosts, but with leaders of community service projects sponsored by schools, clinics, and environmental organizations.

Independent Study Projects, another critical component of the semester, give students the chance to acquire new and fascinating skills, develop a fresh perspective on historical and social issue, and practice traditional Indian art forms. While engaging in these studies, students also have the chance to explore some of the subcontinent's most venerated and least-known places.

From a trip to the Bodhi Tree and Temple at Bodhgaya, where the Buddha attained enlightenment, to traditional local villages rarely visited by Westerners, students witness what it means to live in India in the 21st century. In addition, they also have the opportunity to explore the life and culture that has flourished along this most sacred Indian river - from Gangotri Glacier, the source of the Ganges in the Himalayas, to Calcutta, where the river empties into the Bay of Bengal. And throughout the journey, students and leaders collaborate to create spaces in which students discover new aspects of compassion and leadership and grow to better know themselves.

Highlights: Week One:
Overnight in Los Angeles to discuss program goals and begin orientation. Flight to India with stop over in Bangkok. Arrive in Calcutta and meet our on-site coordinator. Continue orientation by attending a Hindi film and visits to Kali Ghat and the Victoria Memorial. Begin Hindi language training. Train to Varanasi. Walking tour of city, early-morning boat trip along the Ganges. Decoration of program house.

Week Two:
Begin home-stays, morning yoga classes and guest speaker/performer series. Continue daily language classes. Learn about community service and Independent Study Projects and apprenticeships with mentors. Attend sitar concerts on banks of the Ganges. Day trip to Sarnath, site of Buddha's first teaching, and visit main stupa, Deer Park, Gupta Museum, and Tibetan College. Weekend excursion to small traditional village of Murahaua. Stay with local families and plant trees in Dragons' Orchard.

Weeks Three to Five:
Travel by train and bus to the foothills of the Himalayas for mountain trekking. Possible options include treks around the Nandi Devi Massif, or hikes to the headwaters of the Ganges.

Weeks Six to Twelve:
Continue language training, home-stays and lecture/performance series. Begin community service and Independent Study Projects. Meet Indian peers and attend classes in local school. Complete the Panchakroshi Yatra pilgrimage throughout the city. Excursions to various important cultural centers including: Bodh Gaya, the site of the Buddha's enlightenment, the Chunar Fort and Ma Devi Temple, and the traditional village of Sul Tankeshwar. Three-day boat ride on the Ganges from Allahabad, where the Ganges comes off the plains, back to Varanasi.

Week Thirteen:
Community service and Independent Study Project presentations. Farewell banquet and concert for host families and friends at the program house. Travel to Agra to visit the Taj Mahal and Red Fort. Train to Delhi. Visit the Juma Masjid, the largest mosque in India, and the historic Raj Ghat. Final banquet and farewells. Evening flight to Los Angeles.

Degree Level: Bachelors Degree (Undergraduate)

Cost in US$: 8,950

Credit Available: yes

Experience Required: no

This Program is open to Worldwide Participants.

Participants Travel to India in Groups

Typically Participants Work in Groups of max 12

Scholarships are Available.

Application Process Involves:

• Phone Interview
• Physical Exam/Health Records
• Written Application

Where There Be Dragons's Mission Statement: Through expertly guided and honest introductions to the cultural and physical landscapes of developing Asia and Latin America, and through Experiential Education that stresses the empowerment of the student, Dragons strives to cultivate cultural awareness and sensitivity, opportunities for personal growth through physical and emotional challenges, and a commitment to the communities through which we travel, providing young adults with a richer understanding of themselves, and of the social and physical worlds around them.

Year Founded: 1992