Floating University - Semester At Sea (1979-82)
Apart from Mrs. Shivamoni Nathan, Mr. T S Chandra of Travel Corporation of India (TCI) promoted the Dhananjayans. It was Chandra who introduced them to the Floating University - Semester-at-Sea program in 1979 when the group first came to India as a port of call and visited Bharata Kalanjali to see a lec/dem.For one semester of 100 days, the Floating University teaches as it travels on the high seas, stopping over at different ports of call to allow the students and staff to get acquainted with cultures in different parts of the world. At the end of the journey, they put their information together and make a thesis. Earlier, the program was affiliated to Colorado University, now it has been shifted to Pittsburgh University.
The Dhananjayans have served four times as honorary members of the faculty for The Institute for Shipboard Education’s Semester-at-Sea Program which takes the students around the world each year on 2 semester long voyages on which they earn credits from the University. The Dhananjayans have joined the ‘floating classroom’ in Tokyo, Hong Kong, Honolulu and Singapore on the 4 different assignments. They performed and taught everything from culture to history of India. A video documentary of their Bharatanaatyam and other demonstrations made by the Ship Board Education Scheme of Colorado University was used as a reference for Indian studies at the university. It is still in their archives.
“It was a very rewarding experience for us. Not only did we get to travel a lot, we also had the opportunity to meet many great people. We met many scientists and professors with whom we were able to exchange dialogues. It gave us great pleasure to propagate the very essence of true Indian culture to an international gathering and dispel many mistaken notions about India. Many of the students and people we interacted with still remember us and come for our programs.”
