Exeter in India

From the city to the country, Exonians explore the vibrant and varied sights and sounds of the subcontinent. 

March 26, 2019
Exonians in India.

In a country of more than one billion people, it was a tale of two cities for the Exeter students exploring India as part of the spring break program, India: A Study of History, Religion and Culture. Guided by faculty chaperones Dr. Stephanie Bramlett and Dr. Hannah Hofheinz, the group started its adventure on the bustling streets of the nation’s capital of New Delhi. Students visited Gandhi Smriti — a museum dedicated to the life of Mahatma Gandhi, The India Gate and received traditional, temporary Henna tattoos. Traveling to the India International Center, students met with Dr. Karan Singh, the former Indian ambassador to the United States, for a discussion on geopolitics and American and Indian cultures.

Exonians dance with locals in India

After their time in the urban metropolis, the students repacked their bags to travel 730 miles southeast to Santiniketan, a rural town in West Bengal. Here students spent time interacting with villagers, learning the local customs of molding clay pottery, traditional dance and the art of alpana — a form of land art created using rice-paste drippings.  

An Indian artist using rice paste drippings

See more from the trip on Instagram.