Since flying into the capital on India's Independence Day, the still shy students have been captivated by a whole new world -- Indian students, local cuisine, lifestyle, historical monuments and more.

"This has truly been an enriching experience," said Rev. M. Jero Selvanayagam, principal of Jaffna's St. Patrick's College, founded in 1860 and a Jaffna landmark.

"These are Sri Lanka's war-born children, they have only seen conflict. Now that rebuilding and development are on after two decades, the visit to Delhi has come at a very appropriate moment," Selvanayagam told IANS.

The visiting boys are Class 9 students. They will depart Monday, after spending a week in the Indian capital.

Hosting them is the St Francis de Sales Senior Secondary School at Janakpuri in west Delhi, an institution that also received girl students from Jaffna last year.

"Our boys are a little shy," admitted the Jaffna school principal. "In contrast, the students here are lively and energetic. The confidence level of our boys is bound to go up after all the interactions."

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