THIS IS AN ANNOUNCEMENT FOR LAST YEAR'S (2008) SUMMER TOUR. PLEASE NOTE THAT, THIS YEAR, OUR DESTINATIONS WILL LIKELY INCLUDE SOME OF WHAT YOU SEE BELOW, BUT THERE WILL BE NEW SITES ADDED. NEW TO THE 2009 TOUR WILL BE MORE REMOTE AND HIGHER ALTITUDE TREKKING AND WILDERNESS TRAINING. IN THE MEANWHILE, CHECK OUT LAST YEAR . . .

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Religions of India Study Tour:
A Himalayan Odyssey
June 8 - June 26, 2008




An eighteen-day intensive study tour of India that will introduce students to the culture and Hindu religious traditions of India in the Northwest Himalayan regions and along the sacred river Ganges.  Students will follow high-altitude pilgrimage trails to the Hindu temple of Kedarnath (right). They will spend two days with the Hindu residents of a remote and beautiful Himalayan village, visit yoga centers, ashrams, temples,and encounter world-renouncing holy men in the sacred city of Rishikesh.

 


To deepen your knowledge of India (and by extension the world) and its great cultural diversity

To expand your awareness of religious world views, practices, architecture, art, literatures and lifestyles.

To have an unforgettable, fun, challenging, eye-opening, and (hopefully) life-changing experience, all amidst some of the most spectacular mountain peaks on the planet.


 Tour Leaders:

Daniel Meckel (right) is Assistant Professor of Religious Studies at St. Mary's. He specializes in the religions of India and does ethnographic research in the Indian Himalayas. Scott Sater (left) is a teacher and Director of Bands in Shakopee, Minnesota. His passion for the mountains and expertise in trekking has taken him to multiple locations in the Indian Himalayas.





 

OUR DESTINATIONS:

   

 

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The Himalayan Village of Anidasu






Two Nights in the Mountain Village of Anidasu
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Traditional Singing and Dance
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Local Gods and Religious Practices

 


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Cost of the 2008 tour was $4000. We will announce the price for this year's tour soon. The cost covers tuition, airfare, lodgings, ground transportation, expedition services, travel insurance, and special meals. It does not cover immunizations, visa, personal expenses, or medications. An additional fee might be added this year for the Leave No Trace component of the tour.

Students will register for the study tour as a Summer course, worth 4 credit hours. We will meet twice a week for two weeks prior to departure. Students will keep journals throughout the adventure and write a ten-page paper after returning, due at the beginning of Fall semester.

For more information, contact Daniel Meckel
djmeckel@smcm.edu. Tel: 301-240-4464

 

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