Volunteering Solutions gives it's volunteers a great
opportunity to learn the culture, history and
language of this diverse country called India.
Orientation week is aimed to teach the volunteers
about all issues about culture, basic language and
history about India before they start their
program in the field. You can also choose to take
part in this Orientation week or go directly into
the volunteer program. This program starts on
every Monday of the month and is for 6 days.
The program aims to give you true insight about
India, it's culture, basic language, food, places
to visit and things to do while you would spend
your time in India. The program is held in Delhi
the capital of India and volunteers also have a
chance to visit Taj Mahal (at an extra cost) on
the 7th day of the program. While on this program
the volunteers would stay at the hostel or host
family arranged by Volunteering Solutions.
Details & Itinerary of 1 week
Orientation Program in India
Day 1 :
Welcome to India,
introduction to the program help in Delhi, safety
issues, basic culture and history about India. Also
learn about your weeks program and details about your
volunteering program in India to follow after this week.
Day 2:
History, culture and traditional insight about India
followed with Hindi
language class for 2 hours. Learn basic letters and
words of welcoming, greeting, short expressions, as well
as learn about important and handy words whici would
help you while at work in your placement. You would get
a chance to explore by yourself around Delhi in the
evening. Your coordinator would guide you about the best
places to go and visit.
Day 3:Hindi language class
continues for 3 hours, more extensive words, sentences
and expressions. Explore the local markets in the
evening time .
Day 4:
Discover
Delhi -
Go on a
guided tour to Delhi's most visited tourist spots. This
would be a full day tour of New Delhi included with a
lunch at a restaurant. The places you would visit are:
India Gate
- At the centre
of New Delhi stands the 42 m high India Gate, an
"Arc-de-Triomphe" like archway in the middle of a
crossroad. Almost similar to its French counterpart, it
commemorates the 70,000 Indian soldiers who lost their
lives fighting for the British Army during the World War
I. The memorial bears the names of more than 13,516
British and Indian soldiers killed in the Northwestern
Frontier in the Afghan war of 1919.
Lotus Temple - South
East of Delhi, this temple is built in the shape of a
lotus flower and is the last of seven Major Bahai's
temples built around the world. Completed in1986 it is
set among the lust landscaped gardens. The structure is
made up of pure white marble The architect Furiburz
Sabha chose the lotus as the symbol common to Hinduism,
Buddhism, Jainism and Islam. Adherents of any faith are
free to visit the temple and pray or meditate.
Humayum's Tomb
- Located
near the crossing of Mahura road and Lodhi road, this
magnificent garden tomb is the first substantial example
of Mughal architecture in India. It was buit in 1565
A.D.nine years after the death of Humayun, by his senior
widow Bega Begam. Inside the walled enclosure the most
notable feature are the garden squares (chaharbagh) with
pathways water channels, centrally located well
proportional mausoleum topped by double dome.
Qutab Minar
-
is a soaring, 73 m-high tower of victory, built in 1193
by Qutab-ud-din Aibak immediately after the defeat of
Delhi's last Hindu kingdom. The tower has five distinct
storeys, each marked by a projecting balcony and tapers
from a 15 m diameter at the base to just 2.5 m at the
top. The first three storeys are made of red sandstone;
the fourth and fifth storeys are of marble and
sandstone. At the foot of the tower is the
Quwwat-ul-Islam Mosque, the first mosque to be built in
India. An inscription over its eastern gate
provocatively informs that it was built with material
obtained from demolishing '27 Hindu temples'. A 7 m-high
iron pillar stands in the courtyard of the mosque. It is
said that if you can encircle it with your hands while
standing with your back to it your wish will be
fulfilled.
Day 5:Hindi language class
3 hours, covering more words and vocabulary to help you
in daily use. In the evening explore along with your
coordinator to the local markets and then go for a Hindi
movie in the evening to see and understand it in a
visual way. Indian cinema makes more movies in a year
than Hollywood!
Day 6:
Discover Old Delhi -
go on a guided historic trail to visit old Delhi and see
beautiful historic sights, with lunch in a tradition Indian
restaurant.
Jama Masjid
- This great
mosque of Old Delhi is the largest in India, with a
courtyard capable of holding 25,000 devotees. It was begun
in 1644 and ended up being the final architectural
extravagance of Shah Jahan, the Mughal emperor who built the
Taj Mahal and the Red Fort. The highly decorative mosque has
three great gates, four towers and two 40 m-high minarets
constructed of strips of red sandstone and white marble. Travellers can hire robes at the northern gate. This may be
the only time you get to dress like a local without feeling
like an outsider , so make the most of it.
Red Fort
- The red sandstone walls of the massive Red Fort (Lal Qila)
rise 33-m above the clamour of Old Delhi as a reminder of
the magnificent power and pomp of the Mughal emperors. The
walls, built in 1638, were designed to keep out invaders,
now they mainly keep out the noise and confusion of the
city.
Chandini Chowk
- When the famous Mughal Emperor Shahjahan shifted his
capital from Agra to Delhi and established the city of
Shahjahanabad, he had the majestic Red Fort
or Lal Qila, on the banks of River Yamuna. Chandni Chowk was
built in 1650 AD as an accompaniment to the fort. It was
designed by Jahanara, the Emperor's favorite daughter. A
large chowk ("square") with a central pool was built at some
distance from the fort.
Day 7:
Get ready for your
volunteering program the next day or choose to visit Taj
Mahal for a day trip at an extra $50 only per person.
Cost $250 for this 1 week program.
Upgrade to see Taj Mahal on the 7th day for only extra
$50.
** This is a suggested,
itinerary and is subject to change in order to comply
with changes according to local conditions. The program
does not include any monument entry fee.
