Archive for the ‘Culture’ Category
Our Colors of India tour is now open! Join us on a women-only, 10 day/9 night itinerary in Northern India: Delhi, India’s capital; Agra, home of the majestic Taj Mahal; Jaipur, the Pink City of Rajasthan; Rajsamand, a Mewar town; and Udaipur, the City of Lakes. Travel with a group of women who share in the excitement of India, and make new friends in a supportive, safe, and enriching environment!
This package includes 5* accommodations with daily breakfast, economy airfare from Udaipur – Delhi, comprehensive touring with an English speaking guide, entrance fees to the monuments, airport transfers, fuel surcharges, and many special experiences, including:
A tender moment
- Sunset visit to the majestic Taj Mahal
- Overnight stay in a historic Mewar Palace
- Lunch at the home of a local family
- Elephant ride to Amber Fort
- Private mehndi (henna) session and Rajasthani cooking class
- Evening boat ride on Lake Pichola
- Rural ramble and dinner at Deogarh Mahal
Deogarh Mahal
To maintain an intimate cultural experience, this tour is limited to 18 guests. Also, if you are a solo traveler but wish to share a room, Sodha Travel will pair you with a roommate (based on availability.) Please visit our Colors of India page or contact us for more information.
Do you love the color, songs, and drama of Indian cinema? Lewis & Clark College in Portland will be presenting 13 Bollywood films from January 18 – April 25. The subtitled films will be shown at 6:00 PM on Wednesdays in Miller Hall 102. They are free and open to the public. Here is the schedule:
January 18: Kuch Kuch Hota Hai
January 25: Lagaan
February 1: Dilwale Dulhania Le Jayenge
February 8: Zanjeer
February 15: Dil To Pagal Hai
February 21: Satyam Shivam Sundaram
February 29: Mother India
March 7: Khalnayak
March 14: Roja
March 21: Hum Aapke Hain Kaun…!
April 11: Devdas
April 18: Masala
April 25: Kal Ho Naa Ho
For more information, please visit Bollywood at Lewis and Clark.
Travel with a group of women who share in the excitement of India and make new friends in a supportive, safe, and enriching environment!
Group Mehndi
Coming soon, Sodha Travel will debut Colors of India, a 10-day tour for women only that includes Delhi, Agra, Jaipur, Rajsamand, and Udaipur. In addition to superior hotel accommodations, comprehensive touring, entrance fees, and airport transfers, this tour will include many special and authentic experiences, including a private mehndi (henna) session, a Rajasthani cooking class, yoga sessions, and lunch at the home of a local family. Travelers will also have the opportunity to ride an elephant, stay overnight in a historic palace, and experience a traditional folk dance!
To maintain an intimate cultural experience, tour participation is limited to 16 guests. The proposed tour dates are October 8-17, 2012. Check back soon for a complete itinerary and pricing!
One of our Sodha Travelers, Erica, recently sent an interesting article from the site LearnVest. The post, The Best Time Investments You Can Make, mentioned Indians as having the ability to enjoy life’s everyday joys:
I love the concept of “La Dolce Far Niente” or “the sweetness of doing nothing,” something the Italians and many other cultures have mastered. Not Americans, though. In America, we don’t feel our time is well spent unless we’re either producing or consuming, says social psychologist Robert V. Levine, author of “A Geography of Time: On Tempo, Culture, and the Pace of Life,” which is a limited (and frankly, stressful) perspective. In other parts of the world, such as India, it’s normal for people to enjoy each others’ company without activity or even conversation. Investing in do-nothing time will help us slow down and experience a different pace of life, in which time’s value is not measured by its productivity.
After reading the article, I sat and thought about this idea of India’s culture. At first glance, India can be a scene of chaos: Millions of people, cars, rickshaws, motorcycles, and cows sharing one sacred land; Technology and infrastructure both booming and yet not able to expeditiously meet the needs of the people; Bribery and corruption permeating the society. However, when you look deeper there is an ideology of – dare I say? – contentment. It is also interesting to explore, as India is presently one of the most productive countries in the world. According to the above, do-nothing time is not measured by productivity, but the Indian people have accomplished both.
Tell me, do you believe Indians have mastered the sweetness of doing nothing? What other cultures parallel this philosophy?
Here is something a bit different for our weekly blog. Many thanks to Marci Gurnow, a Sodha Traveler who sent along a wonderful narrative from NPR about how to retain the treasures from our community: How to Pack Up a Neighborhood, Cumin Included. The narrator, Sandip Roy, embraces what is of real value from his Indian homeland. I found it endearing, and I hope you enjoy it, too.