IES New Delhi, India
Delhi
Delhi has been an inhabited city since around 2500 BC, making it one of this Earth’s oldest remaining cities. The metropolitan area of Delhi also houses New Delhi, which serves as India’s capital city. Various dynasties and empires claimed Delhi as their own over the years, including the long-reigning Mughal Empire. A variety of ancient architecture from this time period still remains in tact throughout Delhi, such as the tomb of Emperor Humayun. In fact, the Indian government recently declared 175 buildings and monuments in Delhi national historical sites. One such notable site is Jantar Mantar, a large sculptural timepiece built in the early 1700s.
Not surprisingly, numerous authors have called Delhi their hometown over the years. Included in this list is Arundhati Roy, recipient of the prestigious Booker Prize in 1997 for The God of Small Things—a best-seller in over 25 countries including the United States. Upamanyu Chatterjee is another author who has often called Delhi his home, including for the duration of his college career. Chatterjee wrote English August, a well-received novel that also became a major motion picture.
India
Cave Paintings from Western India
Aside from all the incredible architectural contributions—both ancient and modern—India has been an active participant in the literary scene as well. Just as Delhi is recognized as one of the world’s oldest city, so is Indian literature one of the Earth’s oldest literatures. In fact, some ancient Sanskrit epic poems, the Ramayana and Mahabharata, are now a part of Hindu scriptures. India is home to a variety of languages, and as such there is no single form of Indian literature—it exists in many fashions. At least sixteen languages are contributors to Indian literature. In 1913, Bengali poet Rabindranath Tagore brought the first Nobel Prize to all of Asia when he won the award for literature. Since then, India has continued to produce notable authors, including the famous Salman Rushdie, Booker Prize winner and author of The Satanic Verses among many other works. In 2007, India was the “guest of honor” at the annual Paris Book Fair, and thirty Indian authors were featured. In a land of over twenty languages which owns a history far beyond epic, it is no surprise a wealth of talent exists in wordplay.
Education
The study abroad program in Delhi takes a different form than the other available programs. Instead of operating out of one university, this program is part of IES—the Institute for the International Education of Students. One interesting benefit of studying with IES is the core course on the cities of Delhi in which students will learn about the environment they inhabit.
Numerous other educational opportunities exist within this program, most notably the language courses and classes on contemporary India and its culture. Students who choose to study with IES in Delhi also have another advantage which other study abroad programs do not offer: the ability to take courses at multiple universities. With IES, students can enroll in courses at Jawaharlal Nehru University, Jamia Milia Islamia University, and Colleges of the University of Delhi—three major Delhi universities. In addition to these incredible opportunities, students will live in a home-stay environment with an Indian family during their experience. English majors might partake of the courses in post-colonial literature, Indian film, Indian literature, the Sanskrit epics among many other topics
Daily Life
Delhi houses a wealth of cultural resources; with such a vast number of people, innumerable ways to pass the days exist. Siri Fort Auditorium resides in the heart of the city, and serves as the venue to numerous events including an annual international film festival. One could see a play at the Mandi House, or head to Delhi Haat to purchase works of art and crafts directly from the artist. Delhi also serves as the holding grounds for the National Museum which contains a variety of historical artifacts as well as works of art.
As Delhi is home to such a great number of people, all the national holidays—such as India’s Independence Day and Gandhi’s birthday—are passionately celebrated in Delhi. Every Independence Day, the Prime Minister travels to Delhi to address the nation from the Red Fort—a Mughal Empire palace which has since become a World Heritage Site. Delhi also hosts numerous other festivals throughout the year, including the Qutub Festival, a cultural event showcasing dance and various other Indian forms of art. According to one Penn State instructor from Delhi, “There are festivals and celebrations every day in Delhi.”
