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India Gazette
28-06-2025
- Politics
- India Gazette
"Welcomed with open arms, lots of love and friendship": Group of representatives from Montana hail study visit to India
New Delhi [India], June 28 (ANI): The national capital is hosting ten representatives from the American state of Montana, who are in India on a study visit. The Americans praised their experience in the country and hailed India, calling their time here 'magical'. While speaking to ANI, Jason Smith, member of the board of directors of the Montana World Affairs Council, said, 'I've had the good fortune to visit India twice before. I've been eager to come back, and coming back with this group of young people and seeing it through their eyes is very special. I've always found my time in India to be magical. The people are warm and wonderful. The sights and the sounds are so unique. There's no place like it on planet Earth.' He noted that being in India with a group of eager students has made the experience much more special. Smith said, 'To be in this place with so many warm and wonderful people, with an eager group of young people, has made it just that much more special for me. There are so many wonderful things about living in Montana in the United States. It's beautiful, it's rural. There are many open spaces, but we do not have good Indian food. For someone like me, who loves to eat good food, being in Delhi and sampling some of the finest Indian dishes for breakfast, lunch, and dinner is a real treat'. Jason Smith is one of a group of ten representatives from Montana, comprising seven high school students and three chaperones (from World Affairs Council, Montana), who are on a study visit to India. Clara Depuy, while speaking to ANI, mentioned that she is looking forward towards exploring the fauna and flora of India, which is vastly different from that of Montana. Upon her visit, she highlighted, 'I've already learned so much just about expectation versus reality. Coming to India, I did not have anything to expect, but I had these kinds of preconceived notions just from what we learn in school or what we see from over on the other side of the world. And I think that's important to know that not everything is always exactly as it seems from the media, or just what you see on the outside'. Lara Larson, a graduate from Lockwood High School in Montana, told ANI, ' It's been really, really exciting to be able to come to a place that's so wildly different from something that I'm used to. So many flavours, so many colours, it's been so exciting to experience. I'm really, really excited for the Taj Mahal... I'm also really excited to experience the culture and learn more about the religion, especially. We read Siddhartha in our world class this year, and it felt very well timed with this trip because I really enjoyed that book, and I'm really looking forward to talking to people and getting to learn more about how people live their lives' Emily Brandenburg told ANI that reading about Siddhartha made her feel connected to India because it was her first experience with a 'non-Westernised version of religion'. She expressed enthusiasm for Bollywood and the Indian film industry. Alli DePuy, a teacher, told ANI, 'We have been welcomed with open arms, with lots of love, with delicious food and friendship.' The Consulate General of India selected the delegation in Seattle after their outstanding participation in EconoQuest 2025 at Montana State University and Academic WorldQuest 2025 at the University of Montana in Missoula. (ANI)
India Gazette
26-06-2025
- Entertainment
- India Gazette
Montana students embark on India Trek 2025
Seattle [US], June 26 (ANI): The Consulate General of India in Seattle has flagged off the India Trek 2025 delegation, comprising eight students from Montana who will visit India from June 26 to July 9. The delegation is led by Jason Smith, President of the Montana World Affairs Council. The students were selected through an extensive series of programs focused on India, which culminated in the Indian Film Festival at the University of Montana in Missoula earlier this year. According to the Consulate General of India, Seattle, the delegation will explore India's rich cultural heritage, visit grassroots educational institutions, and experience Indian spirituality. The trip is a result of a partnership between the Montana World Affairs Council and the Consulate General of India, Seattle. 'In partnership with Montana World Affairs Council, Consulate General of India flagged off the India Trek 2025 delegation from Seattle today,' the Consulate General of India, Seattle, said in its X post. 'Eight winning students were selected from across the school districts of Montana, through an extensive series of INDIA focus programs, which culminated in the Indian Film Festival at University of Montana in Missoula earlier this year from 2 - 4 March 2025,' the post added. During their visit, the students will travel to New Delhi, Bhubaneswar, and Lucknow, gaining insights into India's diverse culture and educational landscape. 'The delegation is led by Jason Smith, President of the Montana World Affairs Council and will be visiting New Delhi, Bhubaneswar and Lucknow from 26 June to 9 July 2025, exploring India's rich cultural heritage, grassroots educational institutions, and experiencing Indian spirituality,' the Consulate General wrote on X. On June 22, CGI Seattle celebrated the 11th International Day of Yoga (IDY) 2025 at the iconic Waterfront Park, set against the scenic backdrop of Elliott Bay and the Seattle City Skyline. A large number of yoga enthusiasts turned up in true Seattle spirit, undeterred by the morning rain, making the celebration even more special and blessed by the showers. Seattle City Mayor Bruce Harrell addressed the gathering and issued an official proclamation recognising Yoga as 'originating in India, over 5000 years ago, and first mentioned in the ancient sacred texts of the Rig Veda--a profound practice that continues to benefit humanity by promoting both physical health and mental well-being.' 'This year's theme, 'Yoga for One Earth, One Health,' found special resonance at the Waterfront Park where the community and nature came together, highlighting yoga's universal message of holistic well-being and care for our planet,' the Consulate General of India in Seattle said on X. (ANI)
