History and Cultural Immersion

From the Taj Mahal to Gandhi's final footsteps, we saw it all in our trip to India.

An important part of our trip to India was visiting the beautiful culturally and historically significant temples and ruins. While the Taj is a large tourist location, we also visited places like the Red Fort, the Pink Palace, the Shore Temple and other places! We learned so much about the history of India. I didn't know that the Taj Mahal was a tomb. I thought it was a palace before I visited, but once we went and toured the area, we learned that the structure was a giant tomb dedicated to the wife of a wealthy noble.

We were able to literally walk in Gandhi's footsteps at his museum. It was a melancholic and spiritual moment for everyone.

Besides the temples and museums, we also had plenty of Indian cuisine on our trip. It's safe to say we all got our Indian food cravings fixed during the trip! I still dream about Indian ice cream at night, it was so creamy! We also got to dress in Indian clothing and dance traditional Indian dances with students. The Indian students in the last school we visited helped us get dressed in our sarees for the final performance!

Of all the historical sites that we visited, I would have to say that visiting Gandhi's museum and grave was my favorite. It was a surreal experience to stand in the footsteps of a remarkable and influential individual. This man made history despite his death, and his influence is felt even in the present day.

Temples

I had never visited a Mosque, or a Hindu temple in my life. However, I was beside myself with joy whenever we had trips to them. Hindu temples are incredibly colorful and the Mosques were so ornate. It was easy to get wrapped up in the details of it all. I had been to catholic churches and Buddhist temples before, however, nothing could compare to the ones I saw while in India. Everything in India was much more vibrant and colorful, I feel like I can still remember everything in breathtaking detail.

When entering the temples we made sure to adhere to the rules of every temple. Some temples had the women wrap their head in a cloth, and most temples required that we take off our shoes. It really felt like we were participating in the culture when we visited these places.