Request for suggestions on teaching about Varanasi

[Chris Wooff]

Status: RO

This was sent direct to me. It was clearly intended to be sent to the
list.
************************** Original message *****************************
Date:          Thu, 11 Jun 1992 20:31 EST
From: RAMAN at EARN.SJC
Subject: Request for suggestions on teaching about Varanasi
To:            qq43 at UK.AC.LIVERPOOL
X-Envelope-to: qq43 at liverpool.ac.uk
X-VMS-To:      IN%"qq43 at liverpool.ac.uk"
X-VMS-Cc:      RAMAN
 
To the members of the Indology list:
I am involved in a project on creating curriculum for sixth graders in the
Hartford schools on "Cities: Windows on World Culture".  We are conducting
teacher institutes with a battery of scholar facilitators, writing
consultants, geography consultants and curriculum writers. The five
cities in the project are: Varanasi, Athens, Timbuktoo, San Juan/Ponce and
Edo/Tokyo.
 
I would like to have suggestions from indologists on maps and anything that
you might think will be meaningful for sixth graders.
 
The teachers are expected to read Diana Eck's book on " Banaras",
Wendy Doniger' s books on  "Hindu Myths", "Other People's Myths", R.K. Narayan's
"Gods, Demons and Other Stories", Amar Chitra Katha comic books and a few
segments of Julian Crandall Hollick's NPR program on "Passages to India".
 
Also, there is an obsession about "primary sources/documents" among the
project personnel.  I wonder how far back in history we can get "primary
documents" on Varanasi.
 
I understand that this is not a topic that is generally discussed on the
indology list. I am seeking your suggestions in the interest of
disseminating  something positive about India. At least this is not like the
infamous 'matchbox' toy monster.
 
Thank you
 
Shyamala Raman, Saint Joseph College, West Hartford, CT 06117
e-mail: Raman at sjc