German Language Course At JVBI - [07] - Sunday Excursion with Teachers

07.10.2007: Sunday Excursion with Teachers

Nearly together with the German language course, a Sanskrit Refreshment Course, sponsored by Indian University Grant Commission (UGC), started on 1st October. The participants of this course wanted to achieve the qualification to give lessons in Sanskrit. The course was organised by the department of Comparative Religion and Philosophy, where Dr. Samani Chaitanya Pragyaji is the head. For JVB University, the sponsoring by UGC is a sign of appreciation of their educational standard. Some students of the German language course were helpers there and invited me to participate in an excursion organised for the participants.

One evening, I had met some participants on the campus who expressed their high esteem of the course. They were impressed by the method of teaching, comprising Sanskrit, Meditation, Philosophy, and Jain ethics, and especially by the contribution to non-violence training. I could follow them very well, as the talks with my table neighbours in the university guesthouse were like a mini-program of the course. Sometimes, JVB University teachers held the courses, and then I was alone for the meals in the guesthouse. Even seen from a distance, the program seemed to be of great variety.

Shobha and Mamta came at 10:00, and soon we started with the JVBI bus, which is also used to bring the students of the Social Work department to the villages. Our destination was a Hanuman Temple in Salasara, about 50 km from Ladnun. First halt was at Ladnun Shiva-Temple.

After one hour, we reached Salasara. I asked the group to pose for a photo, and we then headed to the temple. Although taking photos is not allowed, I succeeded in taking one photo of the beautiful silver work at the entry.

In one room, specially rented for this purpose, we had a wonderful picnic. The students were serving the group and did not eat before the group was satisfied. Then they were served, and I also served them. Finally, the teachers asked for a photo together.

The campus hardly left, all began with singing and chatting and laughing. They asked me also to sing a German song, which I did. They then started teaching me the Hindi words of their favourite song, “ Never say good-bye to me, wherever we will be, we will be friends.” A Bollywood number 1!

Next destination was Chapara black bug sanctuary, where they are saved from extinction. Originally, there was a huge population of black bugs all over Rajasthan. Now plenty of them dwell in the fenced sanctuary under the responsibility of guardians. One of the guardians invited us to come with him. He was on his way to the Siberian cranes, coming all the way from Siberia to stay during winter. But we cancelled the project when we learned that they stayed in a distance of 11 km. We then knew why he had come with his bicycle.

The crowning end of this Sunday after tea pause was a visit to Hanuman temple in Sujangarh, built by South-Indian Tirupati Trust. Sujangarh is only some kilometres from Ladnun. But here I was asked to hand over my camera before entering the temple, so photos are available from outside only.