Himalayan Studies Semester

  India

Calcutta,  Darjeeling,  Gangtok

  Tibet

Lhasa

Term: Fall, Spring 
Duration of Program: 3-6 months
Dates: Sept. 6- Dec 8/ Feb 9- May 12

Description: The Himalayas. Since time immemorial, these colossal peaks with their vast web of rugged, isolated valleys and distinct ethnic groups, have evoked a deep curiosity amongst western travelers. On our Himalayan Studies Semester Program, students have the opportunity to unravel the myths and legends, to leap into the unknown and meet the people of this mystical land.

To this day, various Himalayan regions remain very isolated. Dragons students will undertake home stays in such communities, learning of the reality of life at high altitude on the arid northern plateaus, and of the profoundly different, yet equally fascinating, cultures that flourish in the jungles and cities to the south.   

Students on the Himalayan Studies Semester begin their program with a month-long urban home-stay in Darjeeling, West Bengal, where they study Nepali and begin to dive into their Independent Study Projects (ISPs). The opportunity to live with local families (coupled with ISP work facilitated by the leaders) provides a vastly accelerated learning curve for students, whose Nepali language skills and cultural insight and sensitivity invariably develop rapidly.

For students inspired by the beautiful and intricate iconography found in Buddhist art, there are opportunities to apprentice with a master Tibetan thangka painter. Students curious about local medicinal practices, can work with a Tibetan doctor, or visit local Ayurvedic practitioners or shamanic healers. For the musically inclined, students can study the diverse musical traditions of the various ethnic groups who inhabit the region.

Although all students learn about the basic principles of Mahayana (Tibetan) Buddhism, Hinduism and shamanism, others may delve deeper by meeting with well-respected teachers. For those interested in participating in community service projects, there are numerous opportunities available, such as teaching English, volunteering in local orphanages, building schools and latrines, and participating in
environmental awareness and HIV/AIDS education programs.

Following this intensive period of research, we head up along the steep, winding trails of Kanchenjunga National Park. In the shadows of the earth's third tallest peak we relish an otherworldly landscape of thick green forest that ascends to snow scoured plateaus.

Highlights: The following is a projected itinerary, which will vary according to season.)

Weeks one to four:

Orientation in LA. Students fly into Calcutta (via Bangkok) and visit the Kali temple, Green Market and the Indian Museum. Overnight train to Darjeeling (a British colonial hill station): famous for its vast tea plantations and impressive views of Kanchenjunga to the north. Students begin intensive language classes, ISP research and urban home stays. There are opportunities for Buddhist studies, including monastery visits and dharma talks from Rinpoches and monks. As well as daily language classes, instructors facilitate debates and lecture on a myriad of local issues, from child trafficking and shamanism to the rise of Communism in Nepal.   

Weeks five to seven:

Students journey north into the restricted Indian Province of Sikkim and undertake a strenuous, high-altitude trek in the Kanchenjunga National Park. The trek takes students through a variety of different ecosystems from sub-tropical jungle alive with orchids, gushing waterfalls and flowering rhododendron, to an alpine plateau above 14,000 feet, complete with views of Everest, Makalu, Lhotse and Kanchenjunga (four of the highest mountains in the world). Following the trek, students head west into the Kathmandu valley of Nepal, where there are a myriad of opportunities to consolidate ISP interests and conduct service work. For those particularly interested in Buddhist studies, there is an opportunity to undertake a ten-day meditation retreat at the idyllic Kopan monastery. (All time in Nepal and in other parts of the Himalayas as well - will be carefully considered in light of evolving political realities, and may be substituted with alternate travel, should local events precipitate a change in travel safety.)

Weeks eight to nine:

Group heads north into Tibet: explore the sights, sounds and tastes of Lhasa! Visit the Potala Palace, Drepung and Sera Monasteries, circumambulate the sacred Jokhang temple with Tibetan pilgrims, barter for silver and turquoise at the busy Barkhor circuit. A visit to Lhasa gives students an opportunity to experience the cultural and political realities of Chinese modernization in its far western province. This is often a steep learning curve for students expecting to embrace a Shangri-la. Leaving Lhasa, students head out to Samye Monastery, and nearby Chimphu with its many meditation caves, spending the day with monks and nuns some of whom have been in retreat for up to 20 years! Over the course of a week, the group will travel to various pilgrimage sights in the northern part of the Tibetan Autonomous Region (TAR), including the spectacular Namtso lake, Dregung monastery (famous for its sky burials), and Tirdrom: home to Yeshe Sogyal and Guru Rinpoche's meditation caves, where natural hot springs provide a well-earned respite from the arduous roads. After returning to Lhasa, the group will fly back to Northern India for further ISP work, more home stays and language study.

Weeks ten to eleven:

Arriving back in Sikkim, the group will visit the capital city of Sikkim, Gangtok. Here they will have opportunities to meet famous dignitaries, thangka painters, and scholars and learn about the Tibetan community in exile. Students will visit Tashiding, Rumtek and Enchey monasteries, and the Namgyal Institute of Tibetology. In the town of Pelling, there is an opportunity to see the exquisite three-dimensional mandala at Pemayangtse Monastery. Students will also complete a remote ten-day rural village homestay. The village community is predominantly Bhutia and Lepcha (the indigenous ethnic group of Sikkim) and home to one of the oldest monasteries in Sikkim. During home stays, students will be fairly independent; completing agricultural work with their home stay families, which may include anything from milking cows and planting rice to harvesting cardamom (the principal cash crop of Sikkim).

Weeks twelve to thirteen:

Final ISP presentations at the program house in Darjeeling. Following completion of presentations, the group will visit the nearby Himalayan trading centre of Kalimpong for a retreat. In this idyllic setting, the students will have a chance to rest, regroup and reflect, before heading back south into the heat and frenzy of Kolkatta, for the flight home.

Degree Level: Bachelors Degree (Undergraduate)

Cost in US$: 9,250

Credit Available: yes

Experience Required: no

Age Range: 17-22

This Program is open to Worldwide Participants.

Participants Travel in Groups

Typically Participants Work in Groups of max 12

Scholarships are Available.

Application Process Involves:

• Phone Interview
• Physical Exam/Health Records
• Written Application

Where There Be Dragons's Mission Statement: Through expertly guided and honest introductions to the cultural and physical landscapes of developing Asia and Latin America, and through Experiential Education that stresses the empowerment of the student, Dragons strives to cultivate cultural awareness and sensitivity, opportunities for personal growth through physical and emotional challenges, and a commitment to the communities through which we travel, providing young adults with a richer understanding of themselves, and of the social and physical worlds around them.

Year Founded: 1992