This January, I had the opportunity to travel to India with other St. Olaf students to study human development in a psychological context. We saw so many different people from so many different areas of the country. We visited rural villages and were welcomed into the homes of the locals with open arms. We worked with other psychology students at universities and bonded over “Friends” and our interest in the field. We visited primary schools and saw firsthand how important education is for the young people of India.
We were able to focus on the smaller pieces of India by getting to know the people firsthand and learning how they integrate themselves into such a large and vibrant culture.
Towards the end of our trip, we visited Agra to see the Taj Mahal. It was breathtaking to see this wonder of the world right in front of me. My favorite part was walking up to the Taj Mahal to study the tiny, delicate detail of the different colors of marble used to create images of flowers and sanksrit verses.
After seeing the Taj Mahal, we went to a small store that makes pieces from the marble used to build the monument. They showed us this sample of tiny flowers to teach us about the level of detail that goes into making something so beautiful. We learned that those who work with this marble eventually lose their fingerprints, because the work is so minute and detailed. I was struck by this, as these people are literally putting a part of their identity into making these beautiful pieces of artwork.
To me, it seemed to symbolize how much dedication and love Indians have for their culture and country, and how even the smallest of pieces can come together to make something so beautiful and colorful.