AFS India Exchange

Going to India was an experience like no other. I met amazing people and experienced some pretty cool things. One of my favorite experiences was exploring the Udai Bilas Palace, which is located in Dungarpur, Rajasthan. A few of my classmates and I took a field trip to the palace one weekend, there we met the Queen and King and their young son who lives in the palace. Though the family no longer rules over anything, except the few acres of land they own, they still keep their titles. While the palace they live in now is stunning, my favorite part was exploring the old palace that was built in the 13th century. Abandoned a few hundred years ago, it is in ruins but the beauty and history can still be seen everywhere. It is five stories high, and with no warning signs or roped off areas in site we were free to explore anywhere we wanted. This was a new experience for me because most historical sites I've been to in my life are carefully monitored by a government or state park. My favorite parts were the elaborate mosaics on the walls and the beautiful views. The thing I found most interesting was a platform near the entrance used for getting on elephants, their form of transportation back then.