On Thursday our group went to Old Delhi to visit a spice
market. Old Dehli is known for having small and crowded streets which our coach
bus was unable to maneuver, so we were dropped off at the edge of the city and
then we all rode in bike rickshaws to the market. We rode, two-by-two, through
the crowded streets in a single-file caravan with beautiful shops within
arms-reach. We all rode in awe as our drivers weaved through tight spots and
over the rough roads. Many commented that this was one of the favorite
experiences of the trip.
We visited a spice shop called Golden Horse Tea, which sold
a large variety of authentic Indian spices and teas. We’ve encountered a lot of
new spices in our food this month, so we all wanted to stock up on spices to
bring home and share with our loved ones (and the shop was probably very
thankful for our business)!
After visiting the spice shop, we went to the Crafts Museum
of Delhi. As we were about to enter the museum, we spotted an elephant being
ridden in traffic on the opposite side of the road! Many of us had been wanting
to see an elephant while in India, so this was definitely a trip highlight. At
the museum we saw lots of Indian style arts pieces and vendors that had handmade crafts to buy.
Later in the evening we went to the Beating the Retreat, which
was a parade that celebrated the end of the 3-day Republic Day holiday celebration.
Here we saw men on camels and horses, and multiple music groups and marching
bands. At the end of the evening ceremony, we were elated to see the nearby
government buildings light up with many white strings of lights.
On Friday we went to the Indian Council on Social Science
Research (ICSSR) where we learned about the current social science research
that is happening in India and how it is funded. We were amazed by the breadth
of subjects the organization covers, and by how warmly we were greeted. After
that visit we explored the ruins of the Qutb Complex, which contains monuments
like the Qutub Minar tower, Quwwat-ul-Islam Mosque, and the tomb of Iltumish.
It was a very fun and informative day!
We started our Saturday with a 7am yoga session at the Morarji
Desai National Institute of Yoga where many of us learned new (and difficult)
yoga poses. We then got a tour of the facility, learning about other holistic
practices people do to stay physically, mentally, and spiritually healthy. We
then saw a cooking demonstration and ate a delicious lunch before returning to
our hotel for free time.
