From Brahma to Buddha: The Cultural Traditions of India, Nepal, and Tibet
Pacific Village Institute
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Primary Location:
| *Various Cities* - India | |
Highlights:
| Students live and study in India, Nepal, and Tibet while participating in language training, home-stays, service work, and Himalayan excursions. | |
Dates:
| 9/10/2003 - 12/9/2003 | |
Price:
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$7,450.00 (USD)
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Included:
| Academic Credit, Airport Transfers, Class Materials, Donation, Entrance Fees, Excursions, Ground Transportation, Housing, Internships, Meals (All), Other, Room and Board, Tour Guide, Tuition | |
Accomodations:
| Homestay, Other, Hostel, Hotel | |
Eligibility:
| Minimum Age: 17
Other: Must be in good physical health.
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Description:
| In the fall semester*, we begin our program with a flight over the Himalayas to the Kingdom of Nepal. We stay at a guest house in the Sechen Gompa of Boudhanath, Nepal’s largest monastery. Our orientation is packed with exploring incredible places and meeting fascinating people who live among several of the most important religious and cultural sites in the Kathmandu Valley. We spend our second week of the program at Osaling Retreat Center to begin an intensive exploration of Buddhism, attending teachings and lectures, witnessing prayers and offerings, and receiving an introduction to meditation.
We then bring our studies to their place of origin: Tibet. We will spend time in Lhasa and visit the Potala Palace, the Norbulingka, the Jokhang, and the monasteries of Drepung and Sera. We will also have the chance to explore several of the most important religious sites in central Tibet while witnessing the vast changes this society has undergone since the Chinese occupation.
After our return to Nepal, we will have four days in the village of Dhulikhel to reflect on our time in Tibet and catch glimpses of Mt. Everest. We then fly to Varanasi, the "City of Light", and begin our orientation in the most sacred Hindu city in the world. After becoming more familiar with our host community, we move in with our home-stay families in the Assi Ghat neighborhood. During the day, students reunite in our program house for morning language study, meetings with guest speakers and discussions about Hinduism, or other facets of Indian culture. We will offer morning yoga classes and classical Indian music concerts in the evenings. Students are also matched with service project coordinators at nearby schools, clinics, or other organizations.
Two weeks after our arrival in India, we will make excursions to the Chunnar Fort and complete the Panchakroshi Yatra, a sacred pilgrimage around the perimeter of the city. After our journey, we will travel by boat on the Ganges to Sul Tankeshwar, which is reputed to be the original site of Varanasi.
The final segment of the program will focus on Independent Study Projects (ISP) in either Kathmandu or Varanasi . During this time, students will be paired with mentors from the community to acquire new skills, develop a fresh perspective on social, religious, or historical issues, or learn a traditional art form. In the final week of the program, we will meet together as a group and to enjoy student ISP presentations and bid our farewells to our host communities. After a stop in Agra to see the Taj Mahal, we travel north to Delhi, where we will have a day to explore the capital of India before boarding a plane to return home.
* Please note: The sequence of the itinerary changes in the spring semester to accomodate the weather. | |
URL:
| http://www.PacificVillage.org |
This listing is part of PlanetEdu's Educational Travel category.
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