Faculty and Students of the College of the Holy Cross, Massachusetts, USA, visit ISI Bangalore
Three faculty members and nine students from the College of the Holy Cross, a Jesuit liberal arts college in Worcester, Massachusetts, USA, spent three weeks in Indian Social Institute for an exposure programme to India. The programme included, sessions on Indian History and its Political and Social Systems, Gender and Transgender issues, ecological concerns. As part of their encounter with Indian religions, they visited Ramakrishna Mutt, ISKON temple, Maha Bodhi Temple, Sri Guru Singh Sabha Gurudwara, Al-Noor Mosque, St. Francis Xavier Cathedral and All Saints Church. Another aspect of their programme was to visit various Non-Governmental Organisations and see the developmental works done for the poor, migrants and other marginalised sections of society. Their visit to St. Joseph’s University resulted in an exchange of views on the Jesuit contribution to higher education in India and the US. In order to get a glimpse of the advancement of India in Information and Technology, they visited the Microsoft Research Centre. They also got a tour of the Vidhan Soudha, the magnificient Legislature Assembly Building of Karnataka. In addition, they spent a day in Mysore to visit the Mysore palace, Sri Chamundeshwari Temple and Chennakeshava temple in Somanathapura, a UNESCO heritage site. At the end of the programme, they were enriched by the richness and diversity of the Indian culture, heritage and the diversity of its people.