"Sarvoydaya" -- Reports from RS India

News is flowing in from our Round Square International Conference participants (three Upper School students and two faculty) attending the conference hosted by Emerald Heights School in Indore, India (September 27 - October 9, 2019).

The Hackley delegation to the Round Square Conference 2019 reports that the first leg of their journey has been deeply moving so far. Traveling with 40 students from 9 schools across the globe en route to the conference in Indore, they spent their first three days hosted by the students at The Scindia School in Gwalior. Visiting the Taj Mahal in Agra, they were reminded of poet Rabindranath Tagore’s description that captures the site: "The Taj Mahal rises above the banks of the river like a solitary tear suspended on the cheek of time."

The group traveled on to Scindia, a wonderful boys’ school built inside a ninth century Mughal Fort. On their arrival at school, the marching band stayed up for our visitors and played royal welcome music.

Their first full day was exhilarating! After breakfast and an opening assembly together, they were taken on student led tours of the magnificent campus. The humbling graciousness and rightful pride of their school shone through. They then visited the nearby Man Singh palace, a stunning 15th century complex built in Hindu style but repurposed by the Mughals after their conquest. Lunch and an Indian siesta, followed by tea and a dance workshop rounded out a terrific day. It ended as all days at Scindia do, with a school-wide meditation on the hillside overlooking the sunset with all students dressed in crisp white garments.

The next day began with a 6:00 AM hike through the nature trails near the school. After a hearty breakfast, they visited the Maharajah's palace - built by the Scindia Dynasty who also donated the royal land where the eponymous school is located. It is an impressive European-style palace, illustrating the complicated relationship between local Indian royal families and the British colonial Empire. They were looking forward to the evening's gala farewell dinner with the Head of School and their host students before departing to Indore in the morning.

What a stellar first few days!! Stay tuned for more updates!
Back