We arrive in the spectacular northern district of Ladakh and its capital city of Leh. This remarkable corner of the world is one of the few remaining places where traditional Tibetan Buddhism is still practiced. We spend our first few days acclimating to the elevation of the Tibetan Plateau and learning the culture of the region. The Buddhist villages are invariably marked by mani stone walls and a backdrop of Himalayan peaks. As we wander the city of Leh, we visit Buddhist monasteries, sharing tea with monks and conversing with local doctors and shamans.
We head to the small village of Stok, where we make camp in the shadow of the Dali Lama's summer home. Our nine days of service learning take place at the Government School, a co-ed day school for students ages five to fourteen. The children it serves, some traveling a great distance for the opportunity of a formal education, are simply delightful. They welcome us with open arms and the traditional greeting of "Jullay!"
Our work includes constructing a new classroom using traditional mud block and mortar methods, building terraces for a vegetation project to provide shade for the students, plastering walls of a new school structure and offering English lessons to the young students. In the evenings, we get to know the community, culture and religion by visiting students’ homes for dinner and tea, allowing us to gain an understanding of their everyday lives. A high point is attending the Hemis Festival, one of the region’s largest religious festivals. During our stay we also meet with several monks to learn about Buddhism and attend one of the most sacred of all components to the Ladakhi culture: a ceremony with an oracle.
When our service work is complete, we explore the natural beauty of this area and its colorful markets and Buddhist monasteries. Geared up with pack horses at our side, we journey into the home of the snow leopard high in the Himalayas. We spend four days hiking the winding trails with stunning vistas and an opportunity to commune on the top of the world and an option to go to nearly 18,000 feet. Upon our return to Leh, we wander through the valley to the Indus River for a white water rafting adventure, weaving our way through the Himalayas by boat. As our time in Leh draws to a close, we enjoy a spectacular Tibetan Indian banquet and celebrate with traditional Ladakhi song and dance.
Delhi is our next stop, with a brief visit to the marketplace, before boarding an evening train to Varanasi, one of the holiest cities in all of India. On the Ganges River, Hinduism’s most important pilgrimage site, we see the soul of India through an emotive traditional Aarti ceremony in which incense, flowers and lit candles are balanced on fragile lilies and released into the current of the water, creating a brilliant light show of prayer offerings. During our time in Varanasi, we begin each morning learning the basics of yoga and traditional Indian music. We also have the privilege of meeting a highly regarded Swami, who guides us through meditation and eloquently presents aspects of Indian culture and religion.
Next, we take the train to the city of Agra. Upon arrival, we visit the ornamented buildings of the historic Agra Fort. Rising early the next morning, we set out to view the exquisite Taj Mahal through the early morning mist at sunrise. This jewel of Muslim art is one of the most universally admired masterpieces in the world.
As his Holiness the Dalai Lama has stated, “Many of our problems are created by ourselves based on divisions due to ideology, religion, race, economic status, or other factors. The time has come for us to think on a deeper level, on a human level and appreciate and respect our sameness as human beings.”
| AGES |
DAYS
|
TUITION |
DATES |
ARRIVE/DEPART |
| 15–19 |
28 |
5,995 |
6/26/10–7/23/10 |
Chicago, IL
|
