Robyn with Shoaib and Daanish.

> Robyn and Shoaib

13 Apr 2011 - The train ride from Hyderabad to Bhubaneswar was 23 hours and we spent another night on the train. Thanks again to Ragini's caring arrangement, we were so well taken care by the Art of Living family - Vijayalakshmi, Jyoti and Kishore from the Sri Sri University.

We stayed at the Utkal University guesthouse, a simple but clean and spacious accommodation. Robyn especially enjoyed the daily toast and omelet breakfast.

Bhubaneswar is known as the "City of Temples".

We arrived in the middle of the Sri Sri Lingaraj Festival, a major Hindu religious event in Bhubaneswar. Thousands of people visited the many temples and there was a festive mood in the air.

The Lord Lingaraj Temple (below R) is so majestic and very ancient as it was built around the 13th century. It's a pity that non-Hindus are not allowed in so we appreciate it from afar.

As part of the celebration, an amazingly huge chariot fit for the god with wheels bigger than a human was extravagantly decorated. The entire structure was made of wood including the big wheels, and there's no steering axle so it could only move in a straight line. The chariot is to be towed by devotees from one temple to another by putting logs under its wheels to steer it. It was a pity that we were not able to see this amazing feat in action.

Jyoti and Kishore showed us around Bhubaneswar, including the Old Town, where Jyoti stays. The streets and especially the walls are so full of character.

We were introduced to Prof Ranjan Kumar Bal, the Dean of Post-Graduate Department of Commerce in Utkal University. He invited us to share our experience in banking and business with his post-grad students.

It was the first time that we address a group of university post-grad students in slippers! Nevertheless, we had an enjoyable session. Jin shared her banking experience while Alvin talked about social business and how the students could help to uplift the rural poor as financial professionals.

Vijayalakshmi directs the Corporate Social Outreach and Government Licensing department in Sri Sri University. She is also an Art of Living teacher.

She was away conducting Sri Sri Yoga at her village, some 350km away, when we arrived and she only got back on 16 Apr. We discovered she is another AOL lady who could seva away without sleep!

We shared with her the corporate fund raising strategy we helped DKP developed.

Sri Sri University is a full university that will be built by Art of Living at Cuttack, Orissa. Construction has begun and the pioneer batch of students is expected to begin their term in mid 2012.

This is an exciting time for Prof Mishral, Vijayalakshmi, Jyoti and the rest of the SSU team as they are building from scratch and creating history.

A Construction Skill Training Centre was set up at one end of the SSU ground to provide free vocational training to tribal youth. This AOL training centre was created to help tribal people gain employable skills.

We met the principal who shared with us as part of a collaboration with a construction firm, a portion of the trainees would be employed by the firm upon completing the skill course.

The trainees have come from faraway tribal villages to learn masonry and steel bar bending skills. They live in the hostel provided here for the duration of the 3-month course. They practise pranayama and kriya every morning, and have satsang every evening. The AOL training has enable them to develop inner strength, focus and concentration.

We were impressed with their enthusiasm and good mannerism. We wish them a great future ahead.

It was a feeling of awe to be standing in a place where tens of thousands of men and women, and children, had perished in just one battle for the sake of one man's anger and feverishness. The righteousness of a leader is so important...

From Puri, we headed to Konark where the famous Sun Temple, a world heritage site, is situated. Also built round 13th century, this temple was built so magnificently, incorporating astrological and vedic designs. Stone wheels were carved and placed around the temple that actually tell time from the sun position throughout the day.

Our guide invited us to visit his village where a Lord Hanuman birthday celebration would be held in the evening. We gamely accepted the invitation to experience such an event.

May the silence and peace that surround this ancient temple find as equally a restful place in our hearts...

15 Apr 2011 - Kishore was so kind to invite us to his village home for a homecook meal by his wife, Binata. We visited his parents' home, met his cute 7 year old daughter, Liju, his parents and his 13 year old niece, Buja.

Binata expertly cooked poori and chicken using a kerosene stove outside her home. We enjoyed a wonderful meal and more significantly, warm friendship.

17 Apr 2011 - We met Miss Kulveen Kaur at Prof Bal's office. She's a PhD student doing a thesis on Youth Entrepreneurship. It turned out that she is a volunteer at an acupressure therapy centre. When I shared with her about my essentiallyMERIDIAN business, she immediately invited us to meet with her teacher and fellow trainees at her Sikh temple before our train ride to Ghatsila on 17 Apr.

This was probably my quickest Meridian 101 for Everyone workshop done within 20min. I shared with them Avita herbal essential oils and left a 5ml Forsythia essential oil for Kulveen for her personal use.