We had the most generous hosts who had planned a great itinerary to introduce us to the traditions and religions of Northern India. We were able to celebrate Diwali with them and we helped to make a Rangoli creating patterns with coloured sawdust and lit homemade candles called Diyas. In the evening, we dressed in traditional Indian clothes and went to the service at the Gurudwara, a Sikh temple. Afterwards we saw the incredible sight of the whole city lit up with lights.

At Welham Girls’ School, we stayed in dorms of 16 which was very different to the dorms at Downe House, but it gave us the chance to make many friends very quickly! Our timetable started with different sports at 6.00am every morning including yoga, shooting, karate and basketball. We learned about Sikhism, Hinduism, Buddhism and the importance of religion in India as well as learning about Indian politics and education. Everyone we met was so kind and generous with their time, especially our lovely host family who made this trip so incredibly enjoyable for us.