The Mumbai Chapter

 

The Mumbai chapter aimed to make the Czech students experience the flavour of Indian culture. Therefore, we made sure that they were taken to places that were quintessentially Indian. The day the Czech students arrived, they were taken to Dharavi to see the leather and plastic units and the different stages of production of each. The next day they were taken for Mumbai Darshan to get a perspective on the city and its tourist attractions. They saw Dhobi Ghat, which is the world’s largest outdoor laundry. After visiting the Haji Ali Dargah, which is significant for its Indo Islamic architecture, they were taken to the famous Haji Ali juice center to get a taste of fresh Indian juices. They also visited Mani Bhawan to understand the involvement of Gandhi in the freedom struggle. The tour ended with a typical Rajasthani thali at the Golden Thali Restaurant to give the students an essence of the varied and diverse cultures present in India.

 

 

The following day, the students were taken to the Gateway of India and Elephanta Caves to get an idea about Indian history. This visit was followed by a heavy meal at Delhi Durbar, so that they could experience a range of cuisines. Apart from the historical tour of Mumbai, we had a Mehendi and Bollywood night so that the students could explore different characteristics of Indian customs and traditions.

 

 

The Czech students were eager to participate in service for the betterment of the two villages that our school has adopted. They spent their weekend in Matheran where they taught English and simple games to local children. This gave the children a chance to broaden their horizons and provided them with a glimpse of western culture. At the same time, the Czech students got a first hand experience of village life in India. It was an invaluable experience for both the children and the Czech students. Post their Matheran adventure consisting of monkeys and cows, they were taken to Kumbarghar where, despite the heat, they helped in building the foundation for a house. They also built 101 bricks and helped with the construction of a classroom wall. By the end of it all they said they were self-certified brick makers. Some of their time was spent interacting with the locals at Kumbarghar as well.