THE BEST OF HUBLI AND THE BEAUTY OF HAMPI
People choose various ways to be happy in their lives.
Some need to sit alone and enjoy the moment while others love to travel across
the world in search of happiness. I belong to the latter group of people who
love to travel and explore. As part of our academic programme, our class got an
opportunity to explore both Hubli and Hampi. The objective of the visit was to
spend time with the rural school children in that area. Hubli, being the second
largest city in the state of Karnataka is the nerve centre for North Karnataka
region and the fastest growing city after its capital Bangalore. My friend’s
family fortunately had a beautiful farm house there and were our gracious
hosts. Their farm was in the outskirts of a little rural town. During our stay there,
we cooked together and bonded over food, campfires, songs and exchanging
narratives. The whole trip was a wonderful experience.
The main purpose of the trip was our visit to the
school. We had the opportunity to interact with school children who amazed us with
their discipline and active participation in the whole learning process. The
manner in which the teachers and students greeted us completely overwhelmed us.
Since the children were not used to visitors from outside, they were thrilled
to have us there and followed us around almost as if we were from a different
planet. Their eyes sparkled with joy at the sight of our faces. We then engaged
the students at different classrooms teaching them and interacting with them.
When it was time for us to leave the place, I walked away leaving half my heart
there with the children. We were happy to learn that the children were equipped
with suitable teaching aids for different academic levels. We also spoke to
them about dedication, sincerity and the rewards of hard work. The children
were indeed shining gems that will definitely light up the world soon.
Rural exposure at the Government School
The last day of our rural exposure found us high up in
Matanga Hills, which is one of the best destinations in Hampi. It provides the
best spot for an aerial view of Hampi. We reached there early in the morning so
as to see the sun rise from the top of the hill and it took us atleast half an
hour to climb up to the top. We were the first tourists of the day to reach the
hilltop. We sat down and allowed the gentle breeze to caress us. The view from
above was so sublime that it raised many philosophical and religious questions
in our minds. After the sunrise we all
sat down to have breakfast together on the mountain top and a dog also joined
us, making us wonder where it suddenly appeared from. With the beautiful sight
of the sunrise as a backdrop we enjoyed the joys and camaraderie of friendship
and wished the moment would never end.
Time played spoil sport and soon it was time to pack
up and leave. We began our journey back, holding fast to a bunch of cherished
memories.
