India - Days 7 & 8
January 14, 2019 | 11:59 PM
Alexia Helmer, Communications & Web Content Coordinator
We spent two days in Bhavnagar, a four hour bus ride from Ahmedabad, to stay with the family that hosted Professor Anozie during her first trip to India. Most in the family are practicing Hindus, so the students were able to experience a different way of living compared to that in Ahmedabad where we were staying in the Christian Colony.
Once we arrived to Bhavnagar on Sunday, our stay began with lots of conversation as the family we had just met was just as curious about us and life in America as we were about them. The students asked a lot of questions about certain aspects of the Hindu religion as well as general questions about life in India. We discussed the roles of women in the presence of men and the act of married women covering their face in the Hindu religion; we talked about how arranged marriages work, and the ads that eligible bachelors and bachelorettes put out in the newspaper; we also learned how Hindus see God in everything, and how they give special reverence to food and the way in which it is eaten. The family gave us a tour around Bhavnagar, including a look at the plastic factory they own, and then they took us to a garden to enjoy a beautiful walk surrounded by nature.
The next day was the kite festival. Some of the girls dressed up in traditional Indian garb, and we spent most of the morning and afternoon on the terrace where we danced, ate and flew kites. It was a beautifully warm and windy day for such an event. After lunch, we packed and went to the bus station to head back to Ahmedabad.