This young man squatting barefoot sculpts small figurines of the Mahabodhi Temple just down the street from the religious site. He sleeps, eats and works in this spot.
February 17, 2025
By Evelyn Lopez
It was advertised as a study abroad Flagship led by Associate Professor of History John Young, examining the Diversity and Citizenship in India. But when I traveled over the pond this past January with a group of Flagler College sophomores, I wasn’t expecting to be confronted with so many images that would open my eyes and forever alter my mind. Culture shock is real. I never thought I would feel it this intensely and be so immensely grateful for it afterward.
India is the most populated country in the world, having nearly 1.5 billion people as of last year. There are quite a few misconceptions and stigmas that come flying out of the mouths of people after you tell them you are going to India for two weeks. I was told that the country is only filled with poverty, that the food would make me sick, that the people are “dirty” and “dangerous” there, etc. Yes, poverty is a concern in many places, and yes, there is a lot of pollution, but India is so much more than that. And the sad truth is, I felt safer walking down an alley in New Delhi, India, than I did walking down the halls of my public American high school. Below is a collection of photos I shot while on this remarkable trip.
In the village of Bodh Gaya, one of the most important Buddhist Pilgrimage sites in the world, this stray dog finds his lunch amongst the piles of trash just across the street from the Mahabodhi Temple. From the amount of waste, I don’t think he could ever go hungry here. I didn’t understand why there was rice covering every surface at each sanctum we visited. I learned that the small grain is used as an offering, representing abundance, sustenance and the act of giving in many Hindi and Buddhist religions and cultures. I found this woman deep in meditation at the Mahabodhi Temple, chanting mantras under her head-covering bellow the Bodhi Tree, the same tree under which Buddha found enlightenment over 2,500 years ago. One thing I never got used to was the beggars. I can still hear the sounds of empty bowls hitting the pavement when I took this photo outside of the Dhamek Stupa.At every temple and mosque, we had to remove our shoes before entering as a sign of respect. When entering a sacred space, it is a conscious effort people make in order to leave behind the impurities of the outside world.One of the seven wonders of the world, the Taj Mahal, a mausoleum ordered by Mughal Emperor Shah Jahan to be built in honor of his late wife, Mumtaz Mahal. It was heart-rending seeing dozens of stray dogs surrounded by flies sleeping in the dirt and shivering in their sleep during this windy Indian winter. Here a dog tucks its nose between paws to keep himself warm.I watched this Buddhist Monk leave his offerings and pray with his head against the 2,000-year-old stone of the Mahabodhi Temple. Groups of Buddhist Monks gathered before this ancient relic statue of Buddha meditating in the Sarnath Museum. Just a few feet away from the Ganga Aarti, the nightly Hindu ceremony on the Ganges River, this stray slept peacefully. The strays in Varanasi must be accustomed to the music and chanting coming from the thousands of people gathered along the banks of the most sacred river in India.
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