india week

For India Week, volunteer Sina Rohani describes his experiences of working with children in India. 

"After 5 months in India I wish to share with you some of the experiences from my voluntary service at the Baha'i Rabbani School. I highly recommend all of you to get out of your comfort zone and offer the skills, ideas and energy you have to enrich the lives of others.

The majority of the Indian population will never leave India and in some cases their own town, so when a foreigner comes to their rural village in the middle of nowhere, it is a refreshing breeze and an open window to the rest of the world which they may otherwise never see.

I was a teaching at the Rabbani Baha'i School, where the students come from very poor local villages, the school is one of the cheapest in the state at about $200 for the year, which includes food, accommodation and a state recognized education syllabus.

A New Illiteracy

These children are some of the first to be given education in their families. Illiteracy is decreasing, but a new illiteracy is stopping these children from getting the job opportunities they deserve- their lack of English and computer skills.

For India Week, we will be trying a different blend of Indian Tea every day of the week and giving our own opinions of it, as well as a little of the history. Today's tea is Mango.

We've gone a little off-piste for Day Four of our tea-tasting week. For we've gone for a fruit tea (gasp)! To be more precise we're having mango tea, which is basically a blend of black teas from India and Sri Lanka which is then flavoured with natural mango oil.

As part of India Week, writer Preena Deepak champions the history, tradition and skill behind Indian palm crafts.  

"Indians' association with naturally occurring products is an ancient one and also the basis of India's enormously varied handicraft industry. Using substances found in their environment, Indians have excelled in creating exquisite products. Right from household utensils to ornaments and finery, Indian crafts have stood out for their uniqueness as they are sourced from nature.

Traditional craft secrets have been passed on from one generation to another and much of what remains today in the Indian craft arena is a result of such knowledge transferred from our ancestors. This is also the reason why certain families have taken up art and craft as their profession.

Palm Crafts in Manapad

Deep in the heart of South India, in the small coastal village of Manapad, reside groups of women who engage in creating craft using palm leaves. Though the community living in the village relies on fishing for their livelihood, women here have made a mark for themselves by trading in artistic utilities made with dried palm leaves.

As part of India Week, we are trying a different Indian dish for lunch every day this week. Each day we will be eating something from the menu at Masala Zone and will be reviewing it for you. Today's dish is Chana Dabalroti.

For Day 4 of the most curry-tastic week ever, we had Chana Dabalroti on the lunch menu. This was the first dish of the week where we didn't really know what to expect. It had been described as a curried sandwich, but other than that, we went in pretty blind. 

As part of India Week, seasoned traveller Aryan Stanley takes a light hearted look at India and describes his experiences of the religion, spirituality and temples of the country.

"India is a big place. It is a vast nation full of history and culture, a heavily populated mass of Asia teeming with over 1.2 billion people from all walks of life, whose sprawling land is alive with sights, noises, tastes, and smells (some less agreeable than others). It is a chunk of Earth wholly distinct from the small islands of the United Kingdom, despite their past colonial relationship.