Holly Paquette - Northern India

Our last stops were Agra, Jaipur, and Delhi. The ultimate thing in which we got to experience was visiting the Taj Mahal. Its beauty and elegance can never be fully captured or written about, only when you see it first hand can you really experience its full magnificence and splendor. It was amazing to see and it is definitely something I will remember for the rest of my life.

In Jaipur we had the privilege of visiting Jaipur Rug Company. Learning about the company and what it is doing to help the local community, especially village women is fantastic. Before meeting with the head of the company we went on field visits. It was so moving and inspirational to visit with women from the villages and see where they live and work. Each village is provided with a big loom so that the women can work by producing rugs to make money. The great thing about this company is that the women who make the rugs are able to work on the rugs whenever they have a chance. For instance if they need to tend to their children or work on their crops, they have the freedom to step away from the loom. When meeting with the head of the company one thing that I found intriguing was the fact that many of the rugs produced by the women in these villages end up in big stores here in the US such as Ikea, Target, Macy’s, Nordstrom’s, Pier I, and Pottery Barn just to name a few. I never realized that a lot of the rugs on the market are hand made. After visiting with Jaipur Rugs it put a lot of things in perspective for me and the next time a go to a store selling rugs I will be able to look at them with a whole new appreciation. I just wish that these stores made it more clear to the consumer where these rugs came from and who made them because I always just assumed that they were all machine made.
Overall this trip to India has been filled with excitement, new found knowledge, new friends, and awe inspiring experiences. It has definitely impacted my life for the better and I have learned many life lessons.