Projects Abroad, Newsletters from India

The dhoti is the most traditional of all dresses for men in India. Earlier the dhoti used to be a casual daily wear of the Indian men. But with modernization of our society, it was steadily relegated to being just formal clothing in India, though there are still people, especially in the rural belts, for whom dhoti is the regular clothing attire.

The month of April has been really great for the conservation team as we started many new things in the model farm. Like the sandwich model of vermicompost, jeevamritha ginger-garlic extract and the raised bed nursery for rice cultivation. The volunteers who joined the conservation program during the month did everything very enthusiastically, along with the staff.

Kathakali is one of the oldest theatre forms in the world. Kathakali is a group presentation, in which dancers take various roles in performances traditionally based on themes from Hindu mythology. Kathakali has a unique combination of literature, music, painting, acting and dance. The technique of Kathakali includes a highly developed language of gesture, through which the artist can convey whole sentences and stories. The body movements and footwork are very rigorous.

The variety of designs and finishes adopted for completing the look of the anklets are numerous which depends on the quality of material to be used. Often embellishments done with bead work, stone work and ghunghroos manifold the elegant beauty of the anklets. Handcrafted beaded anklets adorned with gemstones and pearls are quite a rage among females, while sterling silver anklets beautified with floral and animal figures created from crystal are as well breath-taking & enchanting.

Gurjar, Jats and Rajputs from the Indian state of Rajasthan wear distinct turbans. Gujjars and Rajputs traditionally wear coloured turbans,whereas Jats wear white turbans. The Marwaris wear light coloured turbans. Many styles of turbans are found in Rajasthan; it is said that the style of the turban changes with every 15 km of travel. In some areas, especially in Rajasthan, the turban's size may indicate the position of the person in society. Royalty in different parts of India have different styles of turbans,y

Mehendi is an ancient, traditional form of hand and feet decoration. It is practiced exclusively by women. It creates a deep crimson colour that shines on the skin. Mehendi is closely connected to the tradition and culture of India. Henna was introduced in India in the 12th century, during the rule of the Mughals.

A small hamlet in Tamil Nadu, Velankanni is a popular pilgrim centre, especially renowned for the Church of Mother Mary. As a great number of pilgrims turn up here, like Lourdes in France, Velankanni is nicknamed as Lourdes of the East. Velankanni is also famous for its delicate handlooms and silk.

Diwali (or Deepavali) is a significant festival in Hinduism, Sikhism, Buddhism, and Jainism in India and Nepal. Diwali is now considered to be a national festival, and the aesthetic aspect of the festival is enjoyed by most Indians and Nepalese regardless of faith. Lightening up the darkness of the Amavasya moon, this festival reinforces our bonding with family members, friends and loved ones.

The grandest of festivals in India, following the South West monsoon and immediately preceding the North East monsoon season, is Navaratri. The word Navaratri literally means nine nights in Sanskrit; Nava meaning Nine and Ratri meaning nights.Navaratri is the longest Hindu festival celebrated all over India.

A highlight of this month was a somewhat accidental trip that we made to the Aadi festival at the Thiruthangal Kaliamman Temple. My first glimpse of the festival actually occurred the proceeding night, whilst returning from the bus station in a rickshaw. Looking out the window, I saw the courtyard in front of the temple lit up with colourful lights, a hub of activity to a background of music that looked, to the Western mind, something like a funfair.

Kerala state in India has a lot to offer to tourists! While you are in India, either in Kerala or Tamil Nadu, you will have the chance to visit our new destination, Kovalam! If you are looking for a great ‘get-away’ this place will suit your expectations! International cuisine, sea-food and places to relax are just some examples of what Kovalam has to offer. Here is a little bit more information on Kovalam.

Very well known in the southern part of India, Varkala is one of the most important beaches visited in India. Its charming atmosphere surrounded by restaurants and coffee shops make this place something relaxing but lively at the same time. Here you have a little bit about this paradise view! Varkala is a coastal town and municipality in Thiruvananthapuram district situated in the Indian state of Kerala. It is located 51 kilometres (approx. 32 miles) north-west of Thiruvananthapuram.

The Eminence Public School is a new teaching placement for Projects Abroad which is located very near to the famous palace in Panadalam where Lord Ayyappa (one of the Hindu God) spent his childhood. It is almost 1 km north of Pandalam city in Pathnamthitta District, Kerala. They speak Malayalam which is the mother tongue of Kerala state.

When allopathic medicine fails to cure or offer typically assumed fast relief from disease, patients often turn to alternative options such as Ayurveda and Siddha medicine, traditional forms of Indian medical practice. Siddha is the main system practiced in southern India and is believed to be the oldest system of medicine in the world. My personal strong interest in alternative medicine led to my placement in Dindigul with Dr. Sundarameenal (Dr. Meenal) at her private clinic and at Gandhigram Hospital where she volunteers.

A sari is a complicated outfit. It has 3 pieces: the top, the petticoat and the 5-6 meters of fabric. And we must not forget the 2-3 safety pins. There's a real art to draping the sari fabric. I still don't have it down. Viji told me the first time to just wrap myself in the cloth, get myself to school and they would take over. I really have tried to fix it right, but both times I've worn it even I knew I needed help.

Before I arrived, I had no idea of what it would be like to spend time here. Yes, it's different, but not as different as everyone kept telling me it would be. I didn't really experience the 'culture shock' that I had been warned about and the only thing that really surprised me was driving on Indian roads. Now that is very different to Australia!

As a volunteer on Projects Abroad conservation programme, I never thought my experience would include painting not only one cow but two. Today was Pongal, where cows are thanked for the work they have done for people.

S.K. Hospital is a new medical placement for Projects Abroad volunteers. It is located at Edapazhanji in Trivandrum, the capital city of Kerala. Director Mr. Rajendran and Mr. Pabbu, the Admin Manager, visited the Medical Superintendent, Dr. Santosh Kumar, in August. The Medical superintendent and other doctors are all very friendly and very enthusiastic about helping our medical volunteers. Our first volunteers at this hospital are Ms. Jessica Jagelski from America and Ms. Allison Nakanishi from Canada.

"As a volunteer, you will be shadowing the doctor, observing treatments, accompanying the doctors during ward rounds and observing surgeries." That was all I knew about my placement when I first stepped into Graham Nursing Home in Sivakasi. After finishing high school in Sweden my dream has always been to go university and do medicine, though after 12 years of hard studying I found jumping into medical school straight after high school a very unattractive option. Going to India and shadowing a doctor while he performs operation seemed much more exciting!

A few weeks before I left for India, I knew very little about this remarkable lady. I did know that the late Princess of Wales had worked in a Montessori nursery before her marriage, and also my own parents had tried in the 1960s to obtain Montessori nursery education for my three brothers and myself, but there were few schools offering this alternative education at the time.

I have been an undergraduate at The University of Birmingham, England studying Dentistry since September 2003. In July 2007, prior to my final year of study, I travelled to a town called Sivakasi which is in the state of Tamil Nadu, the southernmost state of India to investigate different aspects of oral health in this part of the world. My findings would form the result of my 4^th year elective project. I spent 4 weeks on a placement with Dr S.Ravishankar at Ravi Dental Clinic.

Most of my days – and many nights –were spent in Dr Gnanagurusamy’s hospital, observing his work. As the neighbouring villages didn’t havea surgeon, we would often travel from village to village to deliver a baby or remove an inflamed or ruptured appendix. It was quite a contrast from the luxurious hospitals I’d seen in the North America. The patient would be in bed in a small room, with an overworked ceiling fan, and several relatives sitting on the floor.

Every 10 weeks the Projects Abroad cricket match takes place in Sivakasi. All volunteers from the different placements make their way to Sivakasi to attend this unique event. Projects Abroad makes shirts for all participating volunteers with your name on the back.The days and weeks before the match are filled with questions about how it will be, how well you will perform, will you be able to hit the ball?