India’s long and rich history of religious diversity is both well-known and highly complex. Nearly equally well publicized is the juggernaut that is the Indian educational system. Popularly known for producing stellar graduates in mathematics and the natural sciences, it also boasts the third largest publicly funded higher education system in the world.

 During our month in India, the focus of our study will be threefold: education, religion, and culture. Our study of the educational system will bring us into direct contact with a host of educational settings from primary through collegiate in a variety of settings from a village of 2,000 people to a city of 21 million. We’ll study a host of religious traditions (Hinduism, Islam, Buddhism, Sikhism, Jainism, Parsi, and Christianity) within a wide variety of their historical and cultural settings. Our study will examine both individual traditions and the complex history of their interaction. We’ll also examine how both education and religions interact with political, social, and economic systems in historic and contemporary settings that contribute to Indian culture. 

Our study will take us from some of the world’s largest metropolises—Mumbai (aka Bombay) and New Delhi—to remote Himalayan villages—McLeod Ganj—to cities, towns, and villages in between. In Mumbai we’ll study Parsis with their dramatic Towers of Silence, which are used in lieu of burial or cremation. Our travels will also lead us to southwestern India, to the relaxed coastal setting of Goa, a state heavily influenced by 15th century Catholic Portuguese settlers, to investigate the forms of Christianity spawned by these colonists and their interaction with Indian religious and cultural forces. And, we’ll have the opportunity to see the “incorruptible body” of Saint Francis Xavier (1506-1552, co-founder of the Jesuit order) whose remains are on display in a glass coffin in the Basilica of Bom Jesus in Old Goa.

Our study will also take us north to investigate exquisite examples of Islamic Mogul architecture and religious syncretism, seen most dramatically in the Taj Mahal in Agra, as well as in striking examples in a number of Rajasthani cities. We’ll also enjoy a camel ride in the desert and a leopard safari and overnight stay in the Jawai nature preserve, visiting Jawai, India. In New Delhi, we’ll tour the famous Islamic mosque, the Jama Masjid, as well as the vast Hindu Swami Narayan temple complex, and include stops at important sites in the life of Mahatma Gandhi. An investigation of Tibetan Buddhism in “Little Lhasa” (home of the Tibetan Government in Exile) located in the hill station of McLeod Ganj in the foothills of the Himalaya & a visit Sikhism’s Golden Temple in Amritsar round out our stay in the far north.

Our trip east includes Varanasi (aka “Benares”), Hinduism’s most sacred city, which will provide opportunity for a boat ride on the sacred river Ganges and a visit to Bodhgaya (the site at which the historical Buddha is said to have realized the true nature of reality and won enlightenment) as well as a number of other important Buddhist pilgrimage sites.

We’ll move between extremes not only in religious and cultural configurations but also in terms of geography and climate as well. Please note that the itinerary is tentative, and locations are subject to change. This trip is recommended for hearty travelers with intrepid curiosity and a real sense of adventure.

• Saturday, Jan. 2: Depart from SFO

Week 1

• Sunday, Jan. 3: Arrive at BOM (Mumbai)
• Jan. 4-5: Mumbai
  Excursions: Bollywood tour and Mumbai tour
• Jan. 6-8: Goa
  Excursions: Tour of Catholic Churches/Cathedral in Old Goa/Panjim, tour Hindu Temples, Anjuna & Varca Beaches, Cultural dance program/cruise on Mandovi
• Jan. 9-10: Jodhpur & Chandelao
  Excursions: Village and Jodhpur tour

Week 2

• Monday, Jan. 11: Jawai
  Excursions: Leopard Safari in Jawai Nature Preserve
• Tuesday Jan. 12: Udaipur
  Excursions: Tour of city, women’s garden, City Palace/Pichola Lake, Jagdish Temple
• Jan. 13-15: Jaipur
  Excursions: Tour of Pushkar Temple enroute to Jaipur, Amer Palace (with guided elephant ride), Hawa Mahal, Jantar Mantar, Galtaji temple, shopping
• Saturday, Jan. 16: Agra
  Excursions: Tour of Taj Mahal & Red Fort

Week 3

• Jan. 17-18: Varanasi
  Excursions: Sarnath, and Aarti on Ghats on Ganges (with boat tour), bicycle rickshaw tour
• Jan. 19-20: Bodhgaya
  Tour sites related to the enlightenment of the historical Buddha (Bodhi Tree, Mahabodhi Temple, Sujata Stupa), meditation at Zen monastery
• Jan. 21-22: Amritsar
  Excursions: Tour of Amritsar, Golden Temple, Jallianwala Bagh, Wagah Border Ceremony

Week 4

• Jan. 23-26: McLeod Ganj
  Excursions: Tour of Tibetan community, Tsuglagkhang temple, Bhagsunath Shiva Temple, shopping
• Jan. 27-28: Delhi
  Excursions: Tour of New & Old Delhi, e.g., Jama Masjid, Chandni Chowk, Raj Ghat, Gandhi National Museum, Gandhi Smriti, Humayun’s Tomb, Akshardham Temple
• Friday, Jan. 29: Depart from DEL (Delhi), Arrive at SFO via SIN (Singapore)

Course Fee: $4,800-5,300
Learn about the Jan Term Travel Scholarship for additional funding.

This fee includes:
round trip airfare from San Francisco to India (arrive in Mumbai, depart from Delhi); all transportation in India (chartered buses, trains, domestic airfare); shared accommodations; breakfast and dinner; guides; tips & gratuities for guides and drivers; entrance fees; zip-lining, a boat ride, a camel ride, and an elephant ride; and mandatory medical insurance. And, depending on availability of funds, there may be some subsidized lunches in India.

Estimated cost outside of course fee:
$400-500. A number of items are not included in the base price though primarily lunch (and meals on the train or in the air); personal expenses (laundry, beverages, telephone, etc.); any additional tip for our escort; camera fees at monuments; and any spending money for souvenirs. Also, students are responsible for the cost of any immunizations, medications, and visa requirements (visas are currently $25 for US Citizens).