As we finish up our fifth week here in India, I’m struggling to come to terms with the fact that we have to come home next week. The last few weeks have gone by especially fast, and I don’t even know where to begin!
My last blog post two weeks ago left off just before we were about to head to Rajasthan in India’s northwest. We spent the most amazing few days in the Thar Desert and in Jaisalmer, a small city home to India’s only lived-in fort. Being able to ride camels and watch the sunrise over the desert made Rajasthan feel like a completely different world to the India we have so far experienced. To think that such places exist in the same country as the bustling streets of Mumbai is a testament to the incredible diversity that India offers as a country.
After returning from Rajasthan, it was back to work at our internships! Heading into the last week of work, I’m now beginning to wrap up my project on India’s footprint in the Indo-Pacific. This has included finishing data collection and analysis so that my work can eventually be sent off to be turned into a series of maps and infographics for the Indian Ministry of External Affairs. More specifically, I’ve been researching the various areas in which India engages in the Indo-Pacific region, including its strategic partnerships with other countries, trade and economic relationships, regional development architecture, state and ministerial visits, air connectivity, and the Indian diaspora in the region.
In addition to this, I’ve been lucky enough to help the two other interns, Deepika and Rayomand, with their project creating a database for sanctions imposed on select countries by the United States, including Russia, Iran, North Korea, Cuba, and Syria.
After another two incredible weeks at work, most of us in the group flew to Delhi this weekend, where we spent a pretty chaotic but phenomenal day in Agra visiting the Taj Mahal! We began our day with a 4-hour drive and a visit to the Red Fort, which afforded us our first view of the Taj Mahal from a distance. Then, in the afternoon, we slowly made our way to the entrance of the Taj Mahal. After narrowly avoiding being caught in a stampede and seeing former British Prime Minister Rishi Sunak, we finally got to walk through the archway, which revealed one of the seven wonders of the world. To say that the Taj Mahal is breathtaking is such an understatement. To see it with our own eyes, after seeing it through photos our entire lives, left us all speechless.
After watching the most beautiful sunset and taking far too many photos, it was sadly time to say goodbye to the Taj Mahal and begin our journey back to Delhi. The next day, most of the group continued on to Rishikesh, while the rest of us visited the beautiful Jama Masjid, one of the largest mosques in India, surrounded by a bustling flea market.
This brings me to where I currently am, Indira Gandhi International Airport, where Sangavi and I are about to board our flight back to Mumbai. The next time you hear from me, we will all be back in New Zealand having completed our internships – so I can’t wait to update you all on the final week of work and share everything that I’ve learnt during my time in India!