Our host, Rajesh, planned a wonderful reception for us at his school, it really was overwhelming and to top everything off, he made it a surprise planned after our initial visit….we were greeted and led in by a band, had honorable turbans wrapped onto our heads, kumkums placed on our foreheads (in Hindu – red turmeric in the place of the third eye, a blessing and a greeting for guests also confused with the term tilak and bindi), shawls placed on our shoulders, and then walked into a field with at least 150 patient students seated patiently waiting for us.

We were seated at a dais in front of the students and given at least 7 bouquets of flowers each and gifts of greetings from every department in the school. The best part came when we were treated to traditional Rajasthani dances by the children…so so  beautiful.  At one point, it poured down raining and it simply could not take away the joy of the occasion, even so, two young boys came over to cover us with umbrellas.  Through the rain, the students did not move, though now seated in the mud. They cheered on their fellow peers and I could not sense one complaint in any of their spirits.  I have never in my life witnessed such respectful children, and this proved to be the case in every single school that we visited throughout our tenure in India. It does still exist (I cannot imagine the culture shock that Teachers from India experience when they come to America.) This occasion was just one of the greatest joys of my journey…it always has been, is, and remains all about the kids to me…here are some pictures of the occasion.