Madhubani Tour Review

INDIA - MADHUBANI ART WORKSHOP STUDY TOUR - Dec. 27, 2010 to Jan. 12, 2011

Sponsored by College of Arts & Humanities, California State University, Fresno. - Course: ART 109T India Tour. There were 11 Students and 7 community members in the group + 2 chaperones: Professor Joan Krejcar Sharma & Brijesh Sharma. The group arrived in Indira Gandhi International Airport in New Delhi by Emirates Airlines flight after a stop over in Dubai. The New Delhi sightseeing included Emperor Shahjahan's Red Fort, Rickshaw ride in old Delhi, Jama Masjid, Crafts Museum and Qutub Minar.

"I wanted to express again that I really enjoyed going on the India Trip and I will always remember it." - Alysha T. K.

"I think of India every day. Our trip changed my life." - David B.

Photo: Courtsey Professor Joan Sharma
GoAir flight to Patna, visit to the birthplace of the last Guru of Sikh religion, Guru Gobind Singh. They were celebrating the 344th birthday anniversary of the last Sikh Guru at the time of our visit. Later we visited the archaeological site of Vaishali. Buddha visited often in his lifetime and initiated Amrapali, a famous Buddhist nun in this city. In ca. 250 BCE Mauryan Emperor Ashoka had monastery, a stupa and a pillar with lion capital built at the site. On the way to Madhubani we stopped at the studio of the sculptors who make idols of the goddess of Knowledge and wisdom, Saraswati.

Photo: Courtsey Professor Joan Sharma
5-Day Painting Workshop at Mithila Art Institute in Madhubani, Bihar. About 30 students are selected from about 300 competing artists for a one year free education in traditional Mithila Art. About 5 best students later are offered an additional one year of free education. The Mithila Art Institute is financially supported by the Ethnic Arts Foundation - http://www.mithilapaintings-eaf.org/welcome.html

Photo: Courtsey Professor Joan Sharma
While in Madhubani, India Traveller, celebrated the birthdays of two participants in Mithila Art Institute as well as in Madhuyamini Hotel. A private vocal and instrumental Indian classical music concert with seven artists was organized for the group in our hotel on the new year's eve. Two excursions were planned to Jay Nagar, north of Madhubani near Nepal border and to Darbhanga. In Jay Nagar we saw some of the palaces of the Maharaja of Darbhanga and some very beautiful temples built by the former royal family.

Photo: Courtsey Professor Joan Sharma
In Patna the participants visited the Khuda Bakhsh Oriental Library that houses over 250,000 books including original, ancient manuscripts from Moorish Sultanate court in Cordoba, Spain and the courts of various Mughal Emperors and provincial rulers of pre-British period.

In Varanasi the participants experienced the Ganga Aarti at the Ghats in the evening from a boat in the river. Later there was another boat ride on the Ganga river at sunrise to view the Hindu pilgrims at the morning prayers. We visited the Sankat Mochan Hanuman Temple on the way to Bharat Kala Bhawan Art Museum of the Banaras Hindu University. In the afternoon there was an excursion to Sarnath - birthplace of Buddhist religion - Buddha preached his first sermon here more than 2555 years ago.

From Varanasi the study tour group took a Kingfisher Airlines flight to Khajuraho for sightseeing of the Hindu and Jain temples that were built by the Chandela Rajput rulers between 9th. and 12th. centuries CE. We visited the Varaha Avatar, Lakshman Temple and Kandaria Mahadeo Hindu temples as well as all the Jain religion temples.

After a short drive the study tour group visited the Orchha Fort of the Bundela Rajput rulers and the Jahangir Mahal inside it on their way to train station to board the Shatabdi Express train from Jhansi to Agra.

In Agra the Study Tour group visited the world famous Taj Mahal and Agra Fort. Later in the evening an Indian classical music concert was organized exclusively for the group with Dr. Lovely Sharma on Sitar, Dr. Debasis Chakroborty on Indian Guitar and Vilas Palkhe on Tabla. There was a discussion on Indian Classical Instrumental Music subsequent to the concert.

Mughal Emperor Akbar's Fatehpur Sikri, the capital that was populated for only 14 years and deserted for more than 400 years was the last sightseeing stop for the Fresno State Study Tour.

The College of Arts & Humanities of California State University, Fresno's Study Tour included eight UNESCO World Heritage Sites in India: (1) Qutub Minar, (2) Jama Masjid and (3) Red Fort in Delhi, (4) Sarnath near Varanasi, (5) Khajuraho Hindu & Jain Temples, the (6) Taj Mahal and (7) Fort in Agra and (8 )the deserted capital of Emperor Akbar at Fatehpur Sikri.

This study tour was the second one that India Traveller operated for College of Arts & Humanities of California State University, Fresno. From Dec. 25, 2006 to Jan. 6, 2007 India Traveller operated the Art & Culture of Northern India Study Tour in which there were 31 participants, Professor Joan Sharma and Brijesh Sharma co-directed this study tour which included following places: New Delhi, Agra, Fatehpur Sikri, Jaipur, Nimaj Castle & village, Jodhpur, Ranakpur, Udaipur and Deogarh Mahal Palace & village. This study tour was also sponsored by the Division of Continuing & Global Education of California State University, Fresno and the Fresno Art Museum.