Shillong: Students of Lady Keane College here recently attended a three-day workshop at Intach, Lodi Estate in New Delhi, attending lectures and acquiring experience on preservation and restoration work in the laboratories. The girls were also able to showcase their culture by performing at the Intach Foundation Day celebrations.

The students were mostly from the rural areas and first-time travellers outside the Khasi hills.

One of the students, Reffi, said: "This was my first experience of travel by train. We enjoyed performing confidently and were proud to share our own culture and learn about theirs. Going outside Meghalaya was one of my best experiences. I could adapt to the different climate, food, people."

Another student, Siantidora, said she had found the workshop a learning experience. "This trip gave us the opportunity to be more confident not only within the college but in a huge crowd."

Her college-mate Airihun added: "We also got to go and see the Taj Mahal." Dakaru, another participant, said, "We learnt so many things I didn't know before. It was a great experience exploring outside Meghalaya and learning about other people."

The college has signed a two-year exchange programme with Ambedkar University in Delhi which resulted in this tour. The girls participated in the university's programme, AUDacity.

Madeline Y. Tham, a professor who accompanied the girls, said it was "a surrealistic experience for me, watching our demure students perform enthusiastically straight after a vivacious and exuberant bhangra by Ambedkar University students. It made me feel proud of the vast spectrum and diversity in our country's culture."