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Just one of many possibilities: The American Indian Foundation is an opportunity to give back.
The group was given just over an hour to roam about the Taj Mahal, and take in all of the beauty that it offers. All together, the students easily took over one thousand pictures of Shāh Jahān's masterpiece.
The following 40+ hours were spent traveling back home. Our journey to Omaha was relatively trouble free. Plus, it gave the students much needed time to process their incredible India experiences.
There were six, that's right, only six students that organized the entire trip for us. They spent months planning before
we arrived and hardly slept for quite some time. Here are
the students:
Harish
On Day 9 the students were given the wonderful opportunity to visit InfoUSA. InfoUSA's main operation centers on the creation of proprietary databases, which are then sold to businesses throughout the world. This stop was especially meaningful though, because InfoUSA's CEO and founder, Vin Gupta, is the man responsible for funding UNO's India tour. Mr. Gupta directed his generosity towards UNO because he obtained a Master's degree in Business Administration from the University of Nebraska in 1972.
After InfoUSA we cruised over to InfoVision. The president of InfoVision, Aditya Gupta, gave the students a tour of the company building. Mr. Gupta also delivered a speech on the IT service sector and his company's operations within it.
Once the company tours were complete, everyone loaded onto the bus and headed off to Agra. Five hours later the group arrived at Jaypee Palace, a five star hotel located 10 minutes from the Taj Mahal. Our last night in India ended with a delicious dinner and a bit of socializing.
Ivan Anchan
Director, India Operations
Office: (402) 930-1607
Fax: (402) 930-3600
ivan.anchan@infousa.com
Amit Khanna
President Database Licensing
Office: (402) 596-8978
Cell: (402) 598-8978
Fax: (402) 537-6019
amit.khanna@infousa.com
Any UNO student interested in more information about a career with InfoUSA should contact one of the individuals above.
As usual, the day started off with a nice breakfast and morning chit-chat. A group of students enjoyed a common session of hacky-sack, while others talked history and politics with Dean Gouttierre. We jumped on the bus at eight a.m. to kick off another twelve-wheeled journey.
The first stop was a big one. The memorial of Gandhi proved to be a simple and yet humbling environment, with strong overtones of the peace and change he brought to India. A few chanters were positioned in front of Gandhi’s cremation site where they sat in a vigil, reciting traditional Hindu prayers. A brief stop at the Lotus Temple was next, followed by a guided tour of Qutab Minar. The latter illuminated the beauty of the ancient Muslim world with its intricate stonework and 72-meter tower of red weathered sandstone. Afterward, we were taken to Humayun’s Tomb, known to be one of the earliest historical examples of Persian architectural influence in India.
Dinner was at Gulati, a restaurant located in a small bazaar (similar to a strip mall). We enjoyed the common buffet-style catering, which offered Northern Indian and Mughlai dishes.
With full bellies, the day’s journey concluded at the Red Fort for a light and sound show. The presentation was not only a unique oral narration that explained exactly how Delhi came to be called Delhi, but also how it came to be the wonderful city we have been trekking through. From there, we then ‘herded’ (hint, hint: that’s a cow reference) onto the JIIT-bound bus for a quick sleep and sweet, sweet dreams of the next day.
The Presidential Palace was our next stop. Unfortunately, due to the president’s busy schedule, our prior meeting arrangements with him were cancelled, though we were given the pleasure of touring the palace grounds. Beautiful artwork, ancient relics, and national pride were showcased throughout this amazing mansion. The magnificent Mughal Garden were also a part of this amazing walkthrough. This seemingly endless garden overwhelmed many of the students with its wide spectrum of forms and colors.
Next, everyone took part in a serious bout of shopping. Over three hours were spent perusing a local market. Everyone left with smiles on their faces, and their arms full of bags. “It was cool because the students got first hand experience with haggling with the local merchants,” said Jay Austin. The day ended with dinner and a few drinks back at JIIT.
Lotus Temple
Humayun's Tomb
The streets of Kolkata
View from Presidential Palace
View from Jaypee Institute of Information Technology
At six a.m., all of the students climbed onto a bus destined for Kolkata. After a three hour bus ride, we arrived at Mother Theresa's memorial, which is nestled within the streets of the "City of Joy." This beautiful site is home to the holy woman's tomb, and many of her personal belongings that were with her as she lived her life of service. Our stay here was brief, but many of the students still found it to be inspiring. The American Chamber of Commerce hosted a lunch for us at our next stop. At this event we had the pleasure of sitting in on speeches by the American Consul General and other distinguished Indian businessmen. All of the students were given a chance to pose insightful questions, which the panel responded to in a honest and thoughtful manner. Afterwards, the group caught a flight to India's capital, Delhi, and arrived there safely around 9:30 p.m. From the airport, we traveled to the university that is housing us for the next 3 nights, the Jaypee Institute of Information Technology. A late dinner capped off another busy, meaningful, and informative day.
