Daulat Ram College and Republic Day Celebrations

          On Thursday, January 24th we had the opportunity of visiting Daulat Ram, an all women’s college in Delhi. Immediately after departing the bus, we were greeted with a warm welcome complete with flower garlands made of yellow and orange marigolds and received a yellow tilaka (a Hindu blessing) on our foreheads. They had an entire welcoming ceremony planned for us which included a sung prayer invoking a blessing of Lord Ganesha, a Hindu god known for removing obstacles from one’s path. The next part of the ceremony included a woman performing a fusion of a classical Indian dance, which she then told us was a form of prayer. Once the president of the college arrived, there was a lighting of the lamp and an exchange of gifts from both colleges. Professor Gross then gave a talk on the importance of liberal arts education and higher education in the 21st century. After the talk, there was a brief Q & A which allowed us to see some similarities and differences between St. Olaf and Daulat Ram. Many of the philosophies of high impact practices (internships, independent research projects, study abroad, etc.) were held in high regard by both sides.

          Since we visited the day before Republic Day, the day India formed its own constitution, we were able to attend a Republic Day ceremony put on by the students of the college. The ceremony began with a sitar performance, followed by the principal’s address. She spoke much about what it means to be an Indian citizen, and the importance of partaking in Indian values and ethics, which focused on love, nonviolence, and being responsible citizens of the world. Then, the school’s theater company presented a short play on the pride they felt in being Indian citizens. Although much of the play was in Hindi, we were able to extract meaning from some of the English words. They spoke about the importance of rights in daily life, rights to freedom of religion and culture, rights to education, etc. At the end of the play, they all individually said that they are proud of their country. We also got to view an Indian Classical Dance which included three dancers. In the last dance they performed, they created the Indian flag using their scarves. At the very end of the ceremony, everyone rose their right hand and took the voters pledge before standing and singing the national anthem. The crowd erupted with cheers, and we could all feel the patriotism among the students and staff.

          After dispersing, we followed some students to the psychology department and received samosas and soup. They were all very generous, asking us if we needed anything, showing their immense hospitality which has been a common thread throughout our entire stay in India. Following the break, we were split up into two different groups and participated in two different art projects. Half of us created Warli paintings, a traditional Northern art form which includes stick drawings. The others colored geometric drawings of fish, following the Madhubani art form. This art form involves drawing symmetry and nature.

          We then took a break from our artwork to have a delicious lunch provided by the college. This was our first time eating Northern Indian food. We noticed it was less spicy than food in the South, but no less delicious. We were then taken to the college’s gardens where we saw they grew their own food and practiced self-sustainability in their meal preparations. We also saw beautiful flowers being grown on the college campus, which was amazing since most of us are not used to seeing flowers bloom in January!

          Our group then returned to our art projects for a little bit before going to a classroom and participating in a dialogue with some of the psychology students. The dialogue began with Professor Khosla, a psychology professor and dear friend of Professor Gross, facilitating the discussion. It was interesting to get their perspective, especially as students of an all female college. Topics ranged from diversity in class curriculum, personal fears and beliefs, body image, and female empowerment. This reminded us of a 2013 article we read for class, The Ecology of Adolescence in India. This article brought up the inequality between education for males vs females, and how location (rural vs urban) also plays a role in education levels. Our talk with the students focused on female empowerment and the importance of education for all. The students told us how being at an all women’s college created strong feelings of girl power and a bond of trust with their fellow students. We ended the discussion with a light-hearted improv game lead by our very own Tara and Max. The game allowed students from both colleges to perform an improvised skit together which left us all laughing and in high spirits.
          This was an amazing day and we loved meeting and getting to know many of the psychology students! In talking to them, it was apparent that we shared more similarities in our beliefs and values than differences. Their kindness and hospitality was overwhelming, as was their level of enthusiasm to interact with us. Many of us friended each other on Facebook, which we hope will allow us to keep in touch even after our travels in India are over.

Grace and Teiana

Agra Fort and Taj Mahal

Day 20, January 24th - Agra Fort, Taj Mahal and the Agra Marble Emporium

There is definitely a temperature difference from the very moment we landed in Delhi. It is much cooler here. After a four hour bus ride to Agra and a night's rest, our first destination was the Agra Fort. It was a foggy morning, you can just barely make out the silhouette of the structures. This added a mystic feel to the fort which pairs well with the history behind it. Not knowing what to expect of the fort, it came to my surprise how large it was. Each turn revealed a different courtyard, another room, or a secret staircase. It felt like a never ending maze, full of surprises at every corner.
It was so fun to explore.





Now a little about the history of the Agra Fort; Agra was the initial capital during the Mughal Dynasty before it was moved to Delhi in 1638. There is definitely a lot of interesting and rich history behind the Agra Fort that you should further look into if you are interested. It involves fighting for power between different groups, between brothers, and a love story between Shah Jahan and his wife Mumtaz Mahal. A love so grand that Mumtaz Mahal would accompany Shah Jahan to the battlegrounds even when she was pregnant. The Taj Mahal was later built for her when she passed away. (Which we also visited and will be discussed below.)







Throughout this whole trip, from articles about women and their status (Newransky 2014), to the gender lecture in Chennai, and the village visits, we have discussed about gender roles. Where women do not have a lot of power and men are very much above them. Which is visibly present here at the fort, because it used to house hundreds of the Shah Jahan’s concubines. However, this point seems to be overlooked because of his love for Mumtaz Mahal. This could be because of how things worked at that time, during those times having concubines were normal, but I think it is still important to be aware of this, critique it, and reflect on it. Such events are not unique to only India, but occur and exist worldwide.


We also saw one of the wonders of the world today! Upon arrival to the main gated entrance to the Taj Mahal, we excitedly waited in line, shrouded by the early morning fog. Our tour guide comforted us that the dense clouds would clear in the hour or so we would be there, but many of us were feeling a little disappointed that we literally couldn't see more than 100 meters in front of us. We learned a bit about the rich history of the Taj Mahal from our guide, while he showed us a google image of it in clear, broad daylight on his phone so that we had some point of reference besides the white, damp wall that veiled the building itself.



He recounted to us that the Taj Mahal, or the “Crown Palace” after translation from Arabic, was a marble marvel built by the Mughal Emporer Shah Jahan in commemoration of his favorite wife, Mumtaz Mahal. After dying giving birth to the couple’s 14th child, Mumtaz’s memory became enshrined in the grandeur of this magnificent structure. Commissioned in 1632, the Taj Mahal stands on the southern bank of the Yamuna River in Agra, across from the other stunning building he designed, the Agra Fort, which we saw earlier this morning!

This mausoleum took over 20 years to build, and combines Mughal, Indian, Persian, and Islamic architecture influence. More than 20,000 workers from India, Persia, Europe, and the Ottoman Empire, as well as 1,000 or so elephants, were brought in to build the mausoleum complex. The white marble is inlaid with semi-precious stones like jade, crystal, amethyst and turquoise, and formed the most beautifully intricate designs along the walls.
Many of us were blown away by the detail of the building - it's so easy to be drawn in by the size and majesty of it, but so much of the beauty is on the smaller scale. The bright floral patterns depicted wilting flowers that we learned “were sad” because of the queen’s death.


The four towers, or minarets stand at the four corners of the complex and have a slight tilt outwards, a precaution taken in case of earthquakes, preventing them to collapse into the building. At the entrance of the mausoleum, verses from the Quran are scrawled in calligraphy across the arch, gradually increasing in size as the height of the building towers toward the sky. This forms a fascinating optical illusion that the letters maintain a steady size throughout the entire design. The false tomb of Mumtaz Mahal lies in the center chamber of the dome, while the real sarcophagus is below, at garden level (no pictures were allowed inside).



After touring the inside of the building, we went back outside, and much to our relief, the fog had lifted! We were so happy we could finally see the Taj in all of its glory, and naturally, a superfluous number of pictures were to follow. I’m sure we will all remember the beauty of this place for the rest of our lives! Thanks to Tracy for the group selfie (sadly missing a few)!




Whew! That was a lot of historical information. I'll give you a quick debrief of the rest of our day. We loaded back on the bus and headed to
the Agra Marble Emporium where the male descendants of the original workers still tirelessly work with precious stones and marble inlay work. We were told by our tour guide earlier that there was a topic that we shouldn't mention to any of them, and that was the fact that their ancestors thumbs had been cut off by the Shah after completion of the Taj in order to prevent it from ever being replicated or built again. Pretty intense, huh? At this emporium, price depends on design, not size. We definitely understood why! The tedious nature of the delicate work was evident in the demonstration we saw, and the designs on the beautiful goods we splurged on were breathtaking. What an awesome, memorable experience!

-Tracy and Britta

Celebrations and Ceremony

        Monday, January 22^nd was our final day in Bangalore. We began the day with a yoga class from Dr. Sreenath, a faculty member with the Department of Psychology at Christ. The yoga class was an introductory session for about 1½ hours, and it consisted of breathing exercises, stretching, sun salutations, and corpse pose, which is known as shavasana in Sanskrit. Before the class began, however, Dr. Sreenath shared with us a bit about the history of yoga in India. He explained that yoga originated in ancient India and that the word yoga is derived from the Sanskrit root yuj, meaning to join or to unite. Dr. Sreenath said that this joining or uniting is between the mind and body, and in that sense yoga in India is described as a group of physical, mental, and spiritual practices. We began the practice with several breathing exercises, known as pranayama in Sanskrit. We first learned diaphragmatic breathing, followed by alternating nostril breathing (nadi shodhana) and quick, isolated diaphragm breathing. We then did several yoga stretches such as forward fold, head circles, side bends, and single leg stretches. After the breathing and stretching exercises, we practiced sun salutations (surya namaskar). Each sun salutation consists of 12 yoga poses, and this is done on both sides of the body. The final pose that we learned is known as corpse pose. This pose is done at the end of yoga practice by laying flat on your back and slowly relaxing your entire body. Dr. Sreenath explained that this pose has many benefits, including turning one’s awareness inwards and reducing stress and anxiety.

            In addition to learning about the history and practice of yoga, the yoga class offered insight into the practice of psychology in India. After talking with Dr. Sreenath afterward, I learned that his doctoral research was on the role of a mindfulness intervention program on enhancing resilience among adults diagnosed with HIV/AIDS. He has also done research on spiritual well-being and parenting stress in caring for children with neuro-developmental disorders. Dr. Sreenath’s research highlights the relationship between India’s history of yoga and the role that it plays in the practice of psychology. This relationship is also discussed in one of our readings titled Positive Psychology Progress in India: Accomplishments and Pathways Ahead. The reading discusses the development of positive psychology in India, and the authors mention the practice of yoga as having positive benefits to psychological and spiritual health. In the context of positive psychology, the yoga class helped us to understand how the work being done by psychologists and therapists in India is influenced by the nation’s unique history and culture of yoga.

        After a morning of relaxing yoga and our stomachs full of our last breakfast at Christ, we were ready for an excitement-filled day. When we walked into our conference room, we were immediately taken by one of the three mehndi artists awaiting us. Mehndi, as we learned, is an ancient practice that utilized the natural cooling properties of the henna plant. The dried leaves of the henna plant are crushed into a powdered paste. This paste can be used as the more common form of henna, temporary tattoos, or it can be used to dye one’s hair. Both of these forms are believed to withdraw heat from ones body, which is where the natural cooling properties come into play. Typically henna is only used for special occasions such as weddings, birthdays, holidays. But we were lucky enough that Christ University was allowing us this opportunity to have bodies—hands, forearms, upper arms, ankles, and toes—decorated by such talented artists. One of the artists had been doing this art form for 20 years, and you could tell because the process for the design quality and intricateness took half the time it took us to actually pick out the type of pattern we wanted! It was difficult for us to move after, because we wanted our henna to dry completely without having any of it smudge. An hour after the henna was applied, it was set and hardened. There was a mix of picking the top layer away and using water to aid in the removal. All in all, they looked amazing, and will last approximately 2 weeks, so hopefully they’ll remain long enough for us to show all of you reading this blog upon our arrival home!!

        Lastly, to really commemorate our amazing time in Bangalore, we attended a Valedictory Presentation in Christ University’s main auditorium, which holds 2,000 people. We were told to dress in traditional India garb, and so the men wore traditional kurtas while those of us who bought sarees were able to be wrapped properly by a group of women who worked at Christ. We almost ran out of safety pins, but we didn’t! Together we walked to the auditorium not knowing what to expect. And what we discovered was truly an experience to remember. Students from Christ performed various Bollywood fusion dances, a hip hop dance, well as musical pieces, such as an a cappella group. We sat amidst raw talent, and then had the opportunity to have a 10 minute dance party on stage with all of the dancers. To conclude the ceremony, we gave group presentation summaries of the days we were in Bangalore. The presentation consisted of a trivia portion, video compositions, skits, and Powerpoints. We had many photos taken following the program to capture the day in a snapshot. Then a quick dinner before heading to bed to get some shuteye before our 3:30 am airport departure. Thank you, Bangalore, for showing us your hospitality, kindness, and adventures. To Agra and Delhi we go!

Thank you,

Hannah and Tommy

Day at Hoskote Village

Our main event on Saturday was the visit to the Hoskote Village. Hoskote Village was one of the many villages that struggled with providing an education to its people as well as the wellbeing of all the villagers. Thus, the Center for Social Action (CSA) from Christ University,  decided to take  the first steps to help form a more well rounded and equal environment in the village. CSA is a program that has a mission to encourage students to volunteer and help those all around the country that need it most. The formation of  self-help groups began in 2003 when CSA traveled to Hoskote Village with a vision and goal to educate the villagers on early childhood care, nutrition, strengthening child education, community health and hygiene, community based organization and empowerment of women and livelihood development. The villagers, at first, rejected the members of CSA because they had thought they were there to convert them to Christianity, but after further discussion and explanation the people of Hoskote started to see the vision of a brighter future of their community as well.

Before CSA stepped in to help the village, the women and children had little freedom compared to the men. Women were not allowed to leave their homes because of strong patriarchal traditions. The women would stay home and watch their children as well as complete daily chores around the house. The physical labor done outside of the home was the men's job, such as gardening, providing food for the family, a city job, etc. The men in this division of labor were the sole income generators.With the women not allowed to even leave their homes the villagers did not see a reason for why the women should be educated. They believed it to be a waste of time to educate the women, but what they did not realize at that time was that education would be the key to having a more successful future for their family. So, with CSA's support Hoskote Village now has many self-help groups with over 600 members that are led by women who live in the community. The women from the self-help groups have been empowered and now make the choices for the village's problems to improve quality of life for all.

After 7 years of positive progress from the villagers, CSA pulled out of the village and left the women of the village in charge of the continuation of the self-help groups. CSA still keeps in contact with the villagers just in case they may need support again, but as of now the self-help groups demonstrate their self-sufficiency. Now, the children are going to school and receiving an education up to at least 10th grade. The older women of the villages were trained and educated in the little things, such as communicating in other languages to learning how to start a business. Also, with the idea of health there would be one specialist within the village, who doesn't technically have a medical degree but knows the procedures and steps in helping and curing a person. With this specialist's ability the villagers are then able to receive medical attention without having to pay with money they did not have.

One way that the women were able to obtain money for the community was having each person, every day, donate 1 rupee to the community fund. After awhile the rupees eventually added up which then gave the community a vast amount of choices of what they could do to make their living circumstances easier for themselves and their families. CSA also lent 24 lakhs, equivalent to 2,400,000 rupees, to the village to give them a head start on the mission. With that money the community started a business working with a man from the Netherlands. They make small wood pellet stoves in masses and receives orders of who wants to buy and how many. They keep track of the money coming in and out so they know where their money is going. With only 24 lakhs to start up such a big project they, to this day, now have around 94 lakhs which allows them to pay CSA back slowly the amount they lent to them. Another way they made money was through their beautiful textile work. With their work the villages make it possible for the textile industry to grow in general in India. With the rate of success so high for these villages, CSA also created scholarships for the children in the villages so they could go to Christ University with no extra cost. To this day, 15 people that go to Christ University are from these villages and they plan to go back to the villages after graduating to help give back by using the education they received to make the villages a better place to live in.

After hearing from the women they guided us to their villages to show us what they did on a daily basis as well as other ways of how they make money. We first saw their rose gardens. Our tour guide explained to us that the roses, once they bloomed, were picked then sent to be sold at the Bangalore markets. The roses were not fully bloomed when we saw them but it was still just as beautiful to see. Next, they showed us how they organized the silks they made. It was a repetitive job where you would wound the silk up onto a spool, so every time a silk string would end they would have to twist it together with another silk string so it would just be one long silk string on the spool. Afterwards, we went into the homes of some villagers and were able to ask a few questions about their daily lives as well as their thoughts on the self help groups. Lastly, we had a traditional meal at the village before heading back to Christ University.

We also read an article by Newransky, Kayser, and Limbs that talked about how with self-help groups widows and abandoned women are developing self-efficacy. Through these groups the women are educated and supported from an NGO group that are able to provide the materials and cost expenses in order for them to become successful in providing for themselves.

These types of groups are happening all around the country and are actually of extreme help to these oppressed women. Everyone deserves an equal chance of becoming successful in life.

Parikrma Center for Learning

On January 19th, our group travelled to the Parikrma Center for Learning, a non- governmental organization (NGO) that acts as a school in Bangalore. Parikrma is a Sanskrit word meaning “completing the circle" and caring for a child “end to end" from age 5 to 25. With four locations in the four corners of Bangalore, the schools serve students living in the slums of the city and provides them with well-rounded care. India’s school system favors the rich by granting more opportunities to attend quality schools than the poor, which widens the gap between socioeconomic classes. India has an estimated 1.2 million initiated NGO programs, and each program has a different focus and serves a different population (Saraswathi and Dutta, 2010). Bangalore has over 2.5 million people living in its slums and Parikrma believes that the way to ending this often multigenerational poverty cycle is through education.

Our first task was the distribution of chocolate bars to eager kindergartners on their way to a field trip to the zoo. We were greeted with big smiles and each child graciously thanked us after accepting the chocolate. After a ceremonial candle lighting, we assembled in a small room on the ground floor for a brief orientation. Parikrma has a foundation consisting of four pillars: education, nutrition, healthcare, and family care. The curriculum is more complex at Parikrma than at state-funded schools, and is tailored to the needs of each individual.  Students are served three meals a day, and that nutritional intake is enough where a student can get by without eating again that day at home. Basic healthcare is met within the Parikrma schools, such as dental cleanings and physical checkups. The schools also heavily involve the families of the students. Inclusive programs teach parents English and basic skills, ensuring that students go home to a healthy environment.

We had the opportunity to enter different classrooms and meet the students. There we introduced ourselves, sung songs, and played various games with them. In a kindergarten classroom, we sang and danced to the “Hokey Pokey” with the students, and they loved it! The students performed a song about the solar system, reciting the different planets and reenacting their orbit around the sun. Not only was this song sang loud and proud it was full of science facts and accompanied by choreography. In a fifth grade classroom, the students were fascinated about what life is like in the US. We sat on the ground with them around their small, pull-out desks and answered all sorts of questions and asked some of our own. Some children were disappointed to learn that unfortunately, no one in our class personally knows John Cena. We played games like “thumb war” and “Oboshinotentoten” as well as showed pictures of what Minnesota looks like.

At the sound of a bell, students grabbed our hands and led us out of the classroom to a spacious dirt area for recess. The most popular game was tag, which involved a majority of our group and students of all ages. The younger kids also loved being given piggyback rides.  When it was time for us to head back to Christ University, the students gave us hugs and thanked us for coming to their school. It was an environment no will forget! In addition to the school children’s warm goodbye, the founder of Parikrma as well as heads of school urged us to come back whenever we are near Bangalore. The morning was full of special interactions one on one with students that we won't forget. Some left feeling inspired about how lucky these kids were to be in a school like this, and how lucky we all were to catch a glimpse of what it's like. We encourage all of you reading this to learn some more about this great experience!

Well Being in India

On Wednesday we had the opportunity to visit the NIMHANS Center for Well Being, a branch of the NIMHANS (National Institute of Mental Health and Neurosciences) government hospital that focuses on physical and mental wellbeing through a variety of clinics and supportive services for families, individuals, and children of all ages. The clinics range in focus, including women’s mental health, healthy use of technology, parent child interactions, and positive psychology in youth. Mental health professionals spoke about each of these specifics clinics, sharing with us about some of the approaches, and most common challenges that clients experience.  The organization considers the biological, psychological, and social realities of clients, in order to address challenges holistically.

Thus far in our travels through Chennai, Pondicherry, and Bangalore, we had not visited many locations that focused on mental health, and it was encouraging to hear the work that this organization does, in order to best meet the needs of the community. The mental health professionals reported that hundreds of clients use each clinic on a weekly basis, therefore allowing many people the ability to work towards healthier relationships and better mental health.

We heard about the Youth Pro Initiative - a program that develops and promotes positive concepts of mental health for all young people, and works to remove stigmas around discussing mental health. Adolescents who participate engage in activities around social support, breaking barriers to help seeking, positive psychology, rectifying negative bias, and harnessing creativity. The clinician who shared about the program was enthusiastic about the strengths of the youth she has worked with, and seemed to be passionate about inspiring young people to change the social connotations around mental health.

This abounding hope in the power of the younger generation has remained a theme throughout the trip. One of the articles that we read for class regarding ethnotheories among Indian parents spoke of this as well, remarking that children are considered to be divine and nearly perfect, based on the Hindu belief in the innate tendency of the unconscious mind (gunas) toward light (sattva). As a result, it is often seen that children should be nurtured and preserved (Saraswathi & Ganapathy, 2003).
This belief was also apparent when we heard women in the Pulicat Fishing villages share about their hope that the children of the village can improve gender equality in years to come. It is clear that children as viewed as a source of optimism and hope for a brighter future. The visit to NIHMANS was invigorating, as a group of students studying psychology, some of whom may go on to be mental health professionals ourselves!

-Emma

Exploring Bangalore!

We have arrived in Bangalore! We received a colorful and warm welcome from Christ University, where we will be staying for a little over a week. We all love taking in the beauty and serenity of the campus, and feel happy to be among other college students!

On Monday, one of our activities for the week included visiting the ISKCON temple in Bangalore which is known for their philanthropy through their development of Akshaya Patra which is the largest school lunch program in India--serving 1.6 million school children across 12 states. They have their first kitchen at the temple which includes many multiple cauldrons that each can make rice to serve 1,000 government school children, plus many other large cooking equipment. The visit, information session, and tour of the temple and Akshaya Patra was inspiring as their mission believed that no child should be denied education because of hunger.

On Tuesday, we met up with twelve other psychology students from Christ University and traveled to the Lalbagh Garden together. Here, we were split up into groups to work on an observation project. The goal was to find a certain spot in the park and observe people there. We had to select a behavior to observe and make notes on what we saw. It was really fun to work with students from the university and learn more about their studies and life in India. Many of us bonded over Netflix shows and music, and of course, our love for psychology and working with people!

After our observations, we all returned to campus together and shared a traditional Indian meal. Then, we were asked to present our findings to the rest of the group. All students got really creative with this assignment! Groups presented about observing people’s cell phone usage, levels of physical touch or public display of affection, forms of exercise, and variability of interactions based on gender. It was so interesting to hear about everyone's different topics and findings, and also interesting to
compare and contrast these behaviors with the United States. The day ended with tea, cookies and conversation with new friends. It was so fun to meet new people, and bond over interests we all share. It was also interesting to explore more of this complex country and some of the people that characterize it.

On Wednesday afternoon we had the exciting opportunity to work with the Christ University culinary department and make four Indian snacks that represent a few different regions of India. In small groups, we each tackled cooking a tasty dish and experienced chopping, dicing, stirring, and frying popular snack foods. We made Gujarati Poha, Pav Bhaji, Onion Pakoda, Garlic Chili Chutney, and Aate Ka Halwa--each with a distinct taste and method of cooking. This class emphasized the importance of the use of spices and locally sourced foods. The culinary professor told us that all the ingredients are grown India--nothing imported and at maximum only 100km away. Not only did this cooking experience bring us confidence in the kitchen and a feeling of community, but it also familiarized us with Indian cooking and some new recipes to bring home!

- Bridget and Fiona

A Happy Pongal Visit

Greetings!

On January 12 our group made a wonderful visit to a Dalit village a few hours from Pondicherry. Arriving at the village, our group of students was pleasantly surprised with the very warm welcome we received from the villagers. All of the women in our group received beautiful flowers in their hair and assortments of colorful bangle bracelets. The men were also greeted with a special ceremony in which white cloths were wrapped around their shoulders. On our foreheads and necks, all of us received a red mark, a traditional symbol of welcome and blessings in India. It's safe to say that we and the villagers had mutual levels of excitement for the day, as we were there to take part in the Pongal Festival (known as Makar Sankrati in another south Indian state, Karnataka), a four-day celebration of thanksgiving for the year's harvest in India!

{Our group being welcomed by the villagers}

Our day kicked off with watching the village women cook pongal, a sweet porridge-like dish eaten as part of the celebration. As the food cooked and the water boiled over the handmade pots, villagers began to clap and cheer, as this marked the beginning of the festival! Later, we got to taste the dish— it was delicious!

{Village women cooking pongal}

The rest of the day was filled with lots of fun, laughter, and excitement. The other festivities began with some of the women villagers performing a traditional circle dance for us, which we also all got to join in on. Next, we watched the men villagers as well of some of our own brave men play a traditional game similar to tag, but much more aggressive. It was quite funny to see some of our students get into it. We also partook in a game where one person was blindfolded and had to navigate themselves towards a hanging target and try and hit it with a long stick they were carrying. While nobody hit it, many of us were super close! We also got to spend time mingling with the villagers, men, women, and children. Many of us were excited to interact with the children especially, as we hadn't had much of a chance to do so in the villages we'd visited prior. We found it a bit funny to see how eager they were to take "selfies" with us, but they were full of smiles, energy, and enthusiasm.

{Shown is the hanging pot students tried to hit in the second game}

Towards the end of the day, we gathered all together as a group to have a brief discussion. A few professors from a local college were there to moderate and translate the conversations between the two languages (English and Tamil). As our group has been reading many articles on the role of marriage and treatment of women in India, it was very interesting and enlightening to hear the professors speak on the importance of moving towards a gender equal society and the training the villagers had been going through on giving women more empowerment in their community. One professor also touched on the problem of alcoholism among men, which we had previously read about, and reiterated how important it is to raise awareness and prevent this issue, as it is a cause of many forms of gender inequality and abuse. It was really wonderful to see the villagers react in agreement to these statements, and witness how both men and women had already begun to work towards a more inclusive society to women.

{Fish, rice, sambar, and various salads prepared by villagers}

Our day ended with an amazing meal prepared by the villagers, which we ate on banana tree leaves—a first for many of us! We said our goodbyes with lots of hugs and well wishes for a happy Pongal to the people many of us had felt we'd built friendships with even in the short span of a few hours. While we were sad to leave, I think we all left with full hearts and lots of hope for the future progress of the village community. It was an experience many of us will cherish forever and can't wait to share with all of those at home.

A Very Merry Day in Pondicherry!

Bidding a temporary farewell to Chennai on January 11th, we packed up and drove four hours south to Pondicherry (which is also known as Puducherry). After dropping off our bags at the hotel, we had the rest of the day to experience the unique city of Pondicherry! Even though everyone spent their time in different ways, it’s safe to say that we all enjoyed exploring the beach promenade and admiring the beautiful buildings. In Pondicherry, the architecture suddenly shifts as you approach the beach area — it changes from a bustling Indian street, lined with shops, motorcycles, and cows — to grand buildings displaying the French influence on the city. Pondicherry was originally occupied by French colonists, so much of the architecture by the beach is still modeled after French designs today. Also, Pondicherry has many delicious French-inspired restaurants and bakeries!

A Pondicherry street view

Seeing the beautiful Bay of Bengal for a second time was another highlight of the afternoon, but even the sunny skies and peaceful waves couldn’t keep us from thinking about the devastation that water can cause; we recently read two articles detailing the treacherous 2004 tsunami that greatly affected southern coastal India, and they helped us put the destruction and tragedy these communities faced into perspective. In Pondicherry, a barrier of rocks was installed on the beach after the tsunami occurred to protect the city against future storms

The Bay of Bengal, Pondicherry 

Though we all could’ve spent two more days enjoying Pondicherry, we definitely made the most out of our day there! We are already learning, observing, and experiencing so much here in India, and we can’t wait to continue sharing our adventures with you!
-Meredith

No shortage of beautiful flowers here!

The promenade 

A beautiful park in Pondicherry

Pulicat Lake villages

During our excursion to Pulicat Lake on January 6th, we visited various fishing villages. Prior to visiting the Pulicat Lake area, we read an article reflecting on fishing villages similar to the ones we would visit. The villages surrounding the Pulicat Lake make their livelihoods through fishing. There are two castes of people that fish on the lake, the Pattinaver and the Dalit, the former of which control the regulatory Padu system, which splits fishing time and area between the villages and is used to monopolize the fishing for the Pattinaver. The first village the women's group visited, where we had the coconuts and got to speak with the group of women, was of the Pattinaver caste, meaning they had more rights to use stake nets in the lake and were able to collect more fish than the people of the second village we visited. The people of that village were Dalit people, of a lower caste than the first, so they had to handpick prawns instead of using the more effective stake nets. It was interesting to see not only the difference in the quality of living between the two, where though the Pattinaver clearly struggled, they had more infrastructure and resources than the Dalit, but also the difference between the gender structures due to these economic differences: in the first village, only the men could fish, whereas the women cooked and cleaned and took care of the children. In the second, only the women did the handpicking, while the men stayed in the village doing the physical labor needed to maintain the village itself or working physical labor for wages elsewhere.

For part of the afternoon, we split into two groups. One group focused on women and culture, which was detailed in another blog post, and another group focused on religion and culture. In the religion group, we first traveled to fishing village that was 99% Muslim and 1% Hindu/other. A native spoke to us about the fishing trade, the ideas reflecting the article we had read beforehand. The village used to make 350+ fishing boats per year, yet in recent years, with the addition of fiberglass boats, the number has dwindled down to 0, so people have to find a different way to make a living.
In the Muslim village, we could see how religion and daily life are intertwined. The village leader spoke to us, with the help of a translator, and said that the main ideas he wanted us to know are that there is a “life after death,” and that “heaven is real.” We saw men gathered near the mosque--women had to keep a certain distance away, and young boys were allowed to openly play outside.

After visiting the predominantly Muslim village, we traveled to another lakeside village that had a well-known Christian church. We went inside this holy place, then talked with the Father and another minister. They showed us another building that the Portuguese built in the 1500s, which is part of the church grounds.

Hindu temple

A church

Pulicat Lake

A mosque

First Impression and Spencer's Globalization

Being the oldest mall in India, Spencer Plaza possesses numerous stores and restaurants and is filled with flowing shoppers. This is a sign of blossoming development, and India progresses through the world as a developing nation due to modernization, cultural mixing, and globalization.

Because of modernization, we were able to see a huge contrast between the slums and the urban environment around the neighborhood. This mall also plays a role in the technological advances. Utilizing the state-of-the-art foundation and machinery prosper this commercial complex. Culturally mixing the city of Chennai with stores, such as Nike, Lee, Krispy Kreme, and American Eagle. Even the famed golden arches from Mcdonald’s can be visible for the whole block to see. Nevertheless, these American restaurants have integrated a mixture of Indian cuisine. We tried Domino's pizza yesterday and the food was served with different Indian spices not normally served in the U.S. Yet, the culture of India did not disappear. Traditional clothing articles such as kurtas, saris, and their respective scarves are displayed throughout the mall. It was also interesting to see some of the different textures in fabrics used in traditional Indian clothing.

Overall, the influence of this globalization affects daily lives in India. Technology continues to improve the lives of many people. When arriving in India, we did not know what to expect. We were amazed by the traffic in Chennai and how the people navigating through the roads make it look so easy. From people to cars, rickshaws, and motorcycles, we could only imagine how difficult it is to drive here. The people of Chennai make it look so easy... Geez. Getting a taste of authentic Indian food has been exciting due to the lack of taste in America.

Streets of Spencer Plaza

Women’s Rights in the Pulicat Villages

     On January 6th our class travelled about an hour and a half outside of Chennai to visit villages along the shore of Pulicat Lagoon. The men in these villages predominantly make their living through fishing, though these activities have been negatively impacted by the effects of climate change and pollution. The night before, everyone in our class read an article detailing the social, economic, political, and environmental issues in that area. However, this article only told us about the issues facing the men in the community, and did not touch on the situation of the women. During our excursion, the class split into two groups, and I was in the group that focused on women’s issues for the Pulicat villagers. This experience enabled our group to gain a more complete understanding of the complex issues within the region.

     We were joined by a group of about ten village women, who sat cross-legged in the sand across from us. Our guide, a local social worker who does extensive activism for women’s rights in India, translated our questions to the women as well as their responses to us. It was amazing to be able to listen to the women and hear what they had to say about their lives, and how they would change things if they could.

     One of the most striking aspects of life in the village discussed by the women was the system of local governance. This was not governance through the state or by elected officials, but instead a kind of village council called a panchyat, which was made up of the male heads of household. All of the villagers were discouraged from reporting crimes to the police, and instead those issues between villagers were worked out by the council. Because no women were allowed on the council this left them at a serious disadvantage in disputes, and made them vulnerable to oppressive treatment.

     The women told us hesitantly about how the panchyat had mistreated single-women headed households in the village. They shared that widows had no representation on the council, and because of this when the widow’s pension was paid by the government to the panchyat, which was apparently a regular practice, It was distributed among all of the families in the village, instead of being given to her in full. The women we spoke to that day said that if they had a voice on the panchyat, they would have protected the rights of widows and taken care of vulnerable families in their community.

     Many studies have shown that the surest way to increase the economic growth of a developing country is to better the status of women in a society,but in this village the women felt that they were stuck in a world that would not be better for their children, and that even cultural advancements were not bettering their situations. These women had no power in their local government, were not allowed to fish as their husbands did and thus wielded very little economic influence, and were largely dominated by their husbands and their husbands families within their households. But the women expressed a hope that things were changing for the better, commenting that the young men in their community were beginning to see that the only way forward was through the elevation of women. Perhaps in the coming decades the status of these women will change and they will be able to live more fulfilling and empowered lives within their villages.