![]() ![]() ![]() Arriving just before dusk, soft light illuminated the intricate details of the ancient temple’s carvings. We are perpetually happy that we did just that.Įverything about the temple overwhelmed us. Maybe it was the brief stop at McDonald’s or the unwillingness to give up, but somehow we managed to force ourselves to continue on, to visit the temple we had travelled miles to see. We almost skipped it altogether due to the heat and dwindling time. A highlight for all of us was our visit to the Keshava Temple in Somnathpur, just outside Mysore. On our last day, we went to the historic town of Seringapatnam, where the 18th century ruins and monuments of the Muslim king Tipu Sultan still stand. Afterwards, we visited the grand Mysore Palace and the old Devaraja Market, gaining a new perspective on a different side of India marked by the sights, smells, and sounds of a historic and culturally-rich city. Jackie checks out the marketplace in Mysore.Īt SVYM, we spent the first morning learning about the work that they do with tribal communities in the Mysore area– it was interesting to compare this with Keystone’s work in the Nilgiris. What was old to the Keystone students now became an opportunity for leadership. The camaraderie cherished during the past bus rides carried over throughout the entire weekend. After all, we have learned to love the connections made across cultures during such bus rides and this one lasted seven long hours, filled with squeals, laughter, and blaring Tamil music. Ultimately, we all boarded the bus with the familiar excitement of a field trip. The Keystone students were a bit reluctant to go to Mysore, as this is a city that they know well because of its close proximity. This field trip occurred in response to a strong desire from the Cornell students to explore a new place outside the Nilgiris. Two weeks ago, the Cornell and Keystone students spent the weekend in Mysore, where we stayed with an organization called the Swami Vivekananda Youth Movement (SVYM). We want to summarize and reflect on the adventures of the last few weeks. While our break has nothing to do with the course we have just completed at Keystone Foundation, and although we are apart from our friends and colleagues back in the Nilgiris, the past few days spent apart from them has allowed us to reflect on the past seven weeks, coming to terms with our discontents and rejoicing in our victories. This blog post is coming to you train traveling from Trivandrum to Madurai where the six Cornell students continue their spring break. ![]()
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