Dr. Geetanja
li Tiwari, KU's
vibrant Hindi lecturer, is not one to keep idle. After seeing through the success of the inaugural year of KU's Hindi Language
Program, she led Dr. Tiwari lead KU's new
Environmental Studies Study Abroad trip to India in May of 2010. She travelled with
graduate teaching assistant Lisa Rausch and 11 undergraduate students to South
West India for the six-week journey. The group travelled to several
protected areas in the mountains from the
Eastern to the
Western Ghats in the
states of
Karnataka,
Kerala and
Tamil Nadu. In each area the group were guided and educated by a wide range of local
experts: they ranged from illiterate people of the
Soliga tribe, to senior
scientists in renowned non-governmental organizations (such as
ATREE,
NCF,
SACONH,
IISc,
FRLHT). The students had the opportunity to interact with native
wildlife and the rich flora of those regions as well as learn from dedicated conservationists
from various disciplines. The accommodations
the group stayed in ranged from a beautiful campground and comfortable hotels
to a forest lodge deep inside a Tiger Reserve; and even a home-stay in a
village.
Bradley Barton, one of the
participants in the Program described his memorable experience:
"I spent six weeks in
Southern India. Six,in fact,of the
most meaningful weeks of my entire
Bradley Barton & Geeta Tiwari
|
life. There mainly to study field ecology and environmental issues, the whole
experience encompassed so much more than that. Not only did I travel and bond with an amazing group of people whom I'm
sure will all be lifelong friends, I also plunged headfirst into a wonderfully
different culture I previously knew absolutely nothing about. Some mornings I woke up to the upbeat hustle
of a massively crowded city, while others I arose to mist rising from the
serene jungle floor. I witnessed the
work of life-changing non-government organizations and learned from some of the
most brilliant and esteemed minds in the country. I took tea with people kind enough to bring
those they've never met into their home, and walked through the villages of the
Soliga, the people of the bamboo. "
Dr. Kamal Bawa, the founder and President of the Ashoka Trust for Research in
Ecology and the Environment (ATREE), one of the non-governmental organizations the group was in contact with, will be giving a
lecture here at KU in November. ATREE is devoted to
research, policy analysis and education in India. Dr. Bawa is also the
founder-trustee of the Centre for Interdisciplinary Studies in Environment
& Development, Bangalore, India.
This Fall
saw the addition of second year Hindi courses. If there is further interest, third
year courses may possibly be added in the future. Students are encouraged to apply through CGIS for
FLAS scholarships to study Hindi, especially at the intermediate and advanced levels.
Dr. Tiwari has also been involved with several other projects in an effort to promote awareness of and build
support for South Asian Studies at KU.
This year Tiwari is acting as faculty advisor to the
Cultural India Club KU student organization. Recently the organization hosted a lively
Ganesh festival celebration in a student's home, including with an array of Indian dishes on the final day. On October 9th the organization
will host a
Garba Raas celebration and Dandiya Dance Night in the Ballroom of the Kansas
Union. This event is free and open to
all; Indian snacks will be provided.
Tiwari recently started a chapter of
SPICMACAY (Society for Promotion of Indian Classical Music
and Culture Among Youth.) This three-decade-old,
has become a movement, bringing great masters of dance and music on a
common platform with the youth of India and the world. Tiwari explains her interest, "I had been a student of
Indian Classical music from childhood in India but while I was an undergraduate
student I became as benefactor of SPICMACAY. I went on a scholarship to the
gurukul of two legendary musician brothers: Ustad Zia Moiuddin Dagar and Ustad Zia
Fariduddin Dagar. I spent two months
living in the gurukul of these maestros and WOW- what an eye opening
experience! I learned and understood
more about Indian musical heritage and technique than I could have ever
imagined. So I started to volunteer for
SPICMACAY in Delhi and I also became a student of
Ustad Zia Fariduddin Dagar."
Now that KU now has a chapter of SPICMACAY, KU students will have an opportunity to experience the richness
of music via interactive lecture-demonstrations by legendary musicians from
India. Tiwari indicates that they are hoping to get funds for
our inaugural concert on October 22, for vocalist
Uday Bhawalkar, who was a senior student at that same gurukul when she attended in the 1980s. All SPICMACAY events are free and she hopes that many KU students
will attend.
Geeta Tiwari is interested in bringing to the KU community all
aspects of Indian culture and Hindi language. She hopes to create other Study Abroad programs in India for Hindi language immersion and Classical Indian Music and Dance. If you would like to learn more or voice your support for these programs you may contact Dr. Tiwari directly at
[email protected].