Montag, 20. September 2010

Mysore




Behind the decision to go on exchange there is hardly a pure academic motivation. More likely it is all about travelling. About diving into a new culture, seeking the adventure, trying to understand the diversity of our planet or even the one of our inner selves. Especially if the destination is as far away and foreign as India certainly is.

But campus life at IIMB took me by surprise. Sitting in the first lectures I realized that it would be a pity to completely neglect studying, which seemed tempting given the fact that none of the courses will count for my final grade. It is about more than grades. Studying in India implies taking a completely new perspective. A new perspective on business, economics and not least on life. There is a difference between studying the theory of microfinance and actually going out to visit the respective institutions. Also performing Yoga exercises in class is unlike anything I have done before.

Nevertheless, whenever studying threatens to become daily routine, we make sure to leave campus and explore the exciting world around. This weekend the destination was Mysore, after Bangalore the second largest city in the state of Karnataka. The pictures show the richly ornated towers of different Hindu temples and the tiger statue infront Mysore´s palace.

Especially fascinating are the rituals inside the temples. Hundrets of visitors at a time push through the small rooms in order to catch blessings from one of the many priests standing in shady corners. They bring flowers or pay coins to the Gods. And there are many of them. Hinduism knows more than 300 million different Gods, each with a distinct story. But more about Hinduism at a later point.