Day 1 – 19 November 2017
Travel broadens the mind and acts as a catalyst triggering holistic learning. It is Day 1 of the industrial visit to Jaipur and we can already feel the excitement in our bones. Hear from us as we recount the activities, experience, and learning garnered each day. As they say, listen to the story straight from the horse’s mouth.
Just another day, 20 November, turned out to be an extraordinary one. The morning made special by the thought of participating in a trip with classmates and friends. High energy could be perceived among students, with the group departing on schedule at 8 am. Someone had rightly observed that joy and happiness truly reside in the travel and not the destination. The twelve-hour journey, attended by singing, selfies, and general good humour, took us through wide vistas of dreamy landscape. The word monotony was absent from our travel dictionary.
Stopping for lunch at a dhaba, the aroma and flavour of the food, cooked to perfection, worked wonders on our palate. By 8:30 pm we reached The Gold Palace & Resorts. Surrounded by the majestic Aravallis, one of the world’s oldest mountains, and located on the gateway to Jaipur, it was the perfect place to relax and rejuvenate. With faculty members joining in, we headed for the dining area where a steaming, sumptuous meal awaited us. During the postprandial walk in the resort, we soaked in the rich ambience of the place and happily mused on the coming days of the trip.
Day 2 – 20 November 2017
The excitement continued unabated on Day 2, with the party departing from The Gold Palace & Resorts at 8:30 am after a full breakfast.
We headed for Saras Jaipur Dairy, which has 17 plants in Rajasthan with 70% market share in milk and other dairy products in the state. The plant is managed and operated by a competent and experienced team. Providing superior quality products, the highly motivated workforce ensure the best of services to customers. We learnt about the success mantra of Jaipur Dairy and how it has significantly grown in all aspects – from procurement and processing to production of milk and milk products, which are sold in the market under brand name Saras. We gained an all-round learning experience.
Our next destination was Decathlon. With over 1100 stores in 38 countries, this French company happens to be the world’s largest sports goods retailer. The company employs more than 78,000 staff in various capacities. Interestingly, Decathlon employees represent 80 different nationalities. It was simply amazing to learn about the culture at Decathlon and how the company cares for customers: addressing customer satisfaction as a core concern, the retailer’s key mantra is to keep employees happy so that they ensure customers are happy. Alongside shopping, we thoroughly enjoyed taking part in a range of sporting activities at Decathlon.
Following a delicious lunch, we headed for Jal Mahal, Hawa Mahal, Nahar Fort, Amer Fort, and the City Palace, exotic structures, and marvels that never fail to capture the imagination. With local cuisine, elephant and camel rides, and Ghoomer and Kalbeliya folk dance, the day became superbly memorable. Returning to the hotel and with dinner over, we engaged in fun and games – activities that helped us know each other better and explore different facets of our personality.
Day 3 – 21 November 2017
On Day 3 we visited the deeply venerated Ajmer Sharif Dargah, the dargah (tomb) of Sufi Saint Moinuddin Chisti. People of different caste, class, creed, and religion visit this holy place in Ajmer. There is an old saying: those who visit Ajmer Sharif Dargah and pray with pure faith and loyalty will free their soul. We offered flowers and chadar at the Dargah. We were awestruck by the architecture of the place, including the white marble buildings and courtyards.
After getting treated to local snacks and chaat by our teachers Mr Sushil and Ms Bhanupriya, we headed for Pushkar, about an hour’s journey from Ajmer. The Brahma Temple, located close to the Pushkar Lake, is a prominent temple dedicated to Lord Brahma, the Hindu creator-god and one of the holy trinity of Hinduism. After visiting the temple, we moved around to experience the local feel of Pushkar. Famous for its annual fair that attracts visitors from all over the country and abroad, the city is known for its handicrafts and embroidery. From leather goods and rose products to items made from brass and colourful bangles to finely cut precious stones and wood and ivory carving, the myriad sights and sounds and smells of Pushkar captivate the senses.
Returning to the resort and having had dinner, little did we know there was a surprise in store for us – a grand DJ Night by the pool. All of us love spending time by the pool in order to unwind. The music added just that extra to the relaxing experience.
Day 4 – 22 November 2017
Day 4 dawned. Greeted by a cool morning and fresh breeze, we got ready for the day. After a sumptuous breakfast, we headed for the waiting bus with our luggage in tow.
Our first stop: Bhangarh Fort. Built by Raja Man Singh, one of the nine gems in Mughal Emperor Akbar’s court, the fort is located near Sariska Tiger Reserve in Alwar district. Known for its rich history, here one’s eyes are treated to marvelous architecture taking the shape of temples, palaces, and havelis. Apparently the fort city is haunted and this seems to attract a fair number of visitors who are drawn in by the mysteries of the paranormal. As for us, we had a splendid time soaking in the beauty and grandeur of the majestic structure. From Bhangarh Fort we headed for Dausa, where we moved around in the market to experience the local feel.
Evening saw us slowly making our way back to our loved place, the SRMS campus. After the travel and excitement, we looked forward to the quiet and peace of our familiar, happy corner at SRMS. We reached our campus by around 6:30 am the next day and were welcomed back in town by a crisp Lucknow morning.
