My first week of work and weekend excursion

Last week was my first week at work in the GRAAM office, and it flew by! My project is to create brief documents for GRAAM's use in policy advocacy to the Karnataka State Government, to promote the inclusion of people with disabilities in rural employment programs. GRAAM recently completed a pilot study in the Kolar District to see how well the Mahatma Gandhi National Rural Employment Guarantee Act (MNREGA) has been implemented for people with disabilities, and to identify any barriers to inclusion. I am working with the compiled data to create relevant fact sheets and policy briefs. I'm glad to be working with the GRAAM team in this endeavor.

On Sunday, our student group had a nice time visiting Mysore Palace again, this time with the objective of riding elephants! It was an enjoyable experience. Afterward we did a little shopping, and I got to practice my bartering skills with some street vendors. I purchased sandalwood elephant statues for souvenirs for folks back home.

Our clever elephant passes rupees to the guide! 

Kelly McClure ILR '16

EDI's visit to Shravanabelagola

This photo was taken at Shravanabelagola, where the statue of Gommateshvara Bahubali is located. Shravanabelagola is a pilgrimage destination for the Jain religion and we were fortunate enough to visit. The architecture and landscape were simply exquisite! The view from the top helped me realize how fortunate I am to be in India.

                                               
                                My stunning view from the top of the Hill.

                    The statue of Gommateshvara Bahubali stands at an impressive 60 ft!

Classes 

This photo was taken of me in my Telugu language class. Here, I learned more than just conversational Telugu. I was introduced to the culture, history, and customs of Hyderabad and its people.

This photo was taken during my Indian culture and civilization class. My professor, H.V. Nagaraja Rao, is a leading expert in Sanskrit. He gave very passionate lectures on both the Ramayana and Mahabharata (the two great epics of India).

Kelly McClure ILR '16

EDI's Hospital Visit 

These are photos from my visit to a rural hospital in Karnataka. While the trip was intended for Global Health students to learn more about rural hospitals,  I couldn't help but ask questions about vocational rehabilitation and other services for the disabled population. The staff, some of which are pictured here, were more than glad to answer all of my questions! I was so impressed by the dedication of the staff who services an average of 200 patients a day!

The hospital also caters to medicinal preferences of patients by offering both Western and traditional Ayurvedic medicine. The hospital also offers free or low cost eye glasses, hearing aids and medications. The site also hosts a laboratory where patients are screened for common conditions like tuberculosis and malaria.  

The past few days have been busy! Soon after arriving at the hostel, we travelled into the city to buy appropriate clothes and necessities. We then visited Mysore Palace, St. Philomena's Church, Chamundi Hill, and the Public Health Care Center. We are now settling into the routine of classes at the Vivekananda Institute of Indian Studies, to give us some background in Indian Culture and Civilization, Gender Issues, Labor Economics, and Kannada. I'm caught up in a whirlwind of excitement to be in such an interesting place with so many things to learn!

Mysore Palace

Chamundi Hill Temple

A local monkey enjoys a banana

First week in Mysore, Hebbal, India

Kelly McClure ILR '16

Cultural visits in Mysore!

This is a photo of me at Mysore Palace, which is one of 9 palaces in the city. 

Mysore is often referred to as the 'City of Palaces.' The royal family still lives in a closed-off section of the palace. 

This photo is from my visit to Chamundi Hill, which is one of the eight holy hills of Southern India. The bull in the photo is a large (about 16ft tall) monolithic statue of Nandi (mount of the god Shiva).

We had to take a bus up Chamundi because the hill is about 1,000 meters tall. Before the hill had any roads worshipers and visitors had to climb over 1,000 steps just to reach the top!

Here I am with Annissa, another EDI participant, in front of Mysore palace. Every Sunday night the palace is lit and thousands of residents visit each week.