MAYO COLLEGE
	Mid Term Trip-DD House
	Day 1
	The day had finally come when we had to leave for the Mid-Term Educational Tour to Udaipur, Mt. Abu and Ranakpur. We left the house with sixty-two boys and six staff members.. Our excitement knew no bounds and the boys started the countdown as we moved out of the gates of Mayo. Many boys read books during our journey or started playing ‘dumb charades’ with Sir Rajendra Choudhary. We reached Udaipur around dinner time.
	Day 2
	We left for Mt. Abu. During the journey we were amazed by the natural beauty and clicked many photographs. We reached Mt.Abu at noon and rested for a while. Later we left for our day activities. We visited the Nakki Lake and enjoyed boating. The place was bubbling with tourists from the length and breadth of the country. The surroundings looked calm and very soothing, a typical sight that all the hill stations of India are blessed with. We also saw the Toad Rock which was situated at the South end of the lake. After our boating session, we had a long walk to the Sunset Point. As we reached there in broad daylight, we spent the time watching a local magician perform a Magic Show for us! Many boys bought some snacks from the vendors while the teachers enjoyed a cup of hot tea. As the sun started to bid us adieu, we all were smitten by its grandeur. The night seemed to veil the Earth as if signaling the that the time to rest had finally come. It was indeed a beautiful scene and we captured it in our cameras. Exhausted, we had a long walk back to the hotel. It was an exciting and enjoyable day.
	Day 3
	After a sound sleep, we were fresh to leave the hotel. We visited a temple named ‘Achalgarh’. The Achleshwar temple had a Nandi which was said to be made of 5 metals-Gold, Silver, Copper, Brass and Zinc. It weighed more than 4 tonnes. It is believed that the Achleshwar temple was built in the 9th Century and legend has it that it was built around a toe print of Lord Shiva. Later, we went to ‘Guru Shikhar’, the highest peak of the Aravali Range and when we reached there, it had a breathtaking view of the place surrounded by the Aravali Ranges. We also saw a famous Jain temple known as the Dilwara Jain Temple which is one of the finest Jain temples known world over for its extraordinary architecture and marvellous marble stone carvings. Some experts also consider it architecturally superior to the Taj Mahal. It seemed a fairly basic temple from the outside but the temple interior showcased the extraordinary work of human craftsmanship at its best. These temples were built around the 11th Century AD. The beautiful lush-green hills, surrounding the temple had a very pleasant feel about them. The ornamental details of the marble stone carvings were phenomenal and unmatched. The minutely carved ceilings and the pillars were simply amazing. We also visited ‘Arbuda Devi’ which was at a good height and we had to climb a lot of stairs. After marking our presence at all the famous temples, we were given out time for shopping near the Nakki Lake. As there was not much to shop, we played video games and thrilled ourselves in the Horror House. We returned to the hotel with empty pockets but, wonderful memories.
	Day 4
	The day was lined up for adventure sports on the hills. We started with rock-climbing and rappelling. It was fun and at the same time very scary. The risk involved in the activities was indeed a test of our grit and determination and once we had accomplished the task before us, we realized how it gave a boost to our confidence! We had our lunch and filled our stomachs to regain some energy. After some time we left for trekking. We started our trek of seven kilometers. The guide kept us entertained by showing us the variety of flora and fauna that the forest boasted of. He also told us about the various animals that inhabited the area. The forest was full of plants with spines on them. The path had narrow caves and sometimes we also had to make our way through the slippery wetlands. The walk certainly was nothing less than a tete-a-tete with nature. The sounds that filled us with fear, the species of unknown trees, the rustling of the leaves and the green that enveloped us from all ends; it was not just an adventurous trek but it also inspired us to protect this pristine form of Mother Earth so that our coming generations could savour it as well. After our activities, we enjoyed the evening at leisure.
	Day 5
	Our last day in Mt. Abu finally came. We left our hotel after having our morning milk and headed for Udaipur .We stopped at Ranakpur for visiting the great sculptures of Jainism. It was really amazing to see such beautiful carvings. The statue of Lord Mahavira was jutting out from all the four sides of the temple. After that we left for Udaipur. Many boys had a good nap in the bus while others enjoyed talking. We reached Udaipur at dusk, having given free time till dinner; we utilized it to recoup our lost strength. While some of our friends were busy exploring the place, many of us lulled ourselves to sleep till we were woken up for dinner.
	Day 6
	This was our main day at Udaipur and we were all set for a fun- filled day! We explored the City Palace of Udaipur. There we saw huge buildings on either sides of the Palace. Our guide utilized the time en route and gave us all the important information about the palace. He showed us rooms full of swords, guns, arrows and shields used by the kings in the wars. We saw a statue of the legendary warrior Maharana Pratap and his horse, Chetak. We saw a room made out of glass which was brought from Belgium. The room was filled with glasses made of different colours. The room was called ‘Conferencing Room’ .We also saw many beds, chairs, tables, cupboards made out of crystal. We were surely fortunate to meet the Prince of Udaipur; Lakshya Raj Singh Mewar who was an old boy of Mayo College .He managed the whole palace. We were then taken to the Celebration Mall and had lunch at Mc Donalds. We shopped for our beloved parents and siblings. We also played some games at the Game Center. Soon after, we went to Moti Mahal at Moti Mangri. We saw ‘Kacha Mahal’ on a hill built for Maharana Pratap’s stay. We reached the hotel and had swimming immediately after we had devoured the sumptuous snacks. Many boys just lazed around in the pool while the others revelled in Water Polo. We put on our party clothes as we had a DJ Party in the evening. Everyone joined in and we danced to our heart's content. All the teachers joined us too especially Sir Rajendra Chaudhary. Tired after shaking a leg, we went to bed directly.
	Day 7
	The trip was now winding up. It was time to bid goodbye to Udaipur. Our school-ward journey thus began .We reached Ajmer in the afternoon and had our lunch at Mango Masala.. And then it was time to go back to our roots. In the end, we would like to say that it was truly a learning experience and an enjoyable one too. It taught us many good things. We were happy to start with our daily routine. We would like to thank our Principal -Maj Gen KVS Lalotra(Retd), our Headmaster-Sir Pramod Chaturvedi, our Housemaster-Sir Pradeep Upadhayay and all the tutors of our house for making this trip possible and for looking after us so well.
	Vatsal Sahani Aryan Anand Compiled by: Mrs.Rakhee Garg