Since it was Election Day in India, school was canceled so we didn’t see the students today. Instead, we had a packed schedule of fun activities to immerse ourselves in the culture here! We started off with a 6am wake up for sunrise yoga. It was so beautiful and such a peaceful start to the morning. Some of us even tested our balance and did headstands at the end!
After some breakfast, we headed over to the Walchandnagar Industries for a factory visit. We didn’t have our phones there so we couldn’t take any pictures, but it was very cool to see the factory. The leader of the tour explained to us each part of the factory and the roles that engineers play in manufacturing materials. We learned a lot about engineering in Walchandnagar and it was fascinating!
Later on, some of the teachers came to the guest house and did Mehendi. They were all so kind and generous to spend their day off with us, teaching us about their traditions. It was such a cool experience and I am so grateful for the opportunity to learn more about Indian culture. All the designs were beautiful, and we are all excited to have a temporary reminder of our time in Walchandnagar on our arms.
A few hours later, when the Mehendi dried, the teachers came back to the guest house. This time, they arrived with lots and lots of jewelry, makeup, saris, and accessories. They immediately started dressing us up in the saris and accessorizing with jewelry, makeup, nail polish, hair accessories, and more. Everything was so beautiful and we felt very lucky to be included in such an important cultural tradition. All the teachers were very kind to us and were eager to show us their culture. We all really appreciate the time and effort they put into making us feel at home in Walchandnagar.
After we got all dressed up (and took lots of pictures) we headed over to the CEO of Walchandnagar Industries' house to get a tour and have snacks. The house was beautiful and we even toured their personal Jain temple, which was very neat. Then, they welcomed us into the dining room for pani puri, which was very delicious.
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