Wild yet beautiful campus

Its been 2 years now since I have moved into the wonderful campus of IIT-Madras. Till now I have wandered into the many lanes and sidewalks of this campus without really realizing its very beauty and uniqueness, when looked upon now makes me feel really really gifted to be present there to enjoy it. Well the major inspiration for this article came through an unusual source, a CD, made by the GCU an unit comprised of seniors who are supposed to help(do they really?). It did take my memories back and the first thing anybody will like to think when they hear IIT-M its the campus.

My first memories of this campus dates back to one sunny day when we were writing a Computer Science exam when we were asked to attend some metallurgy quiz conducted by IITM. My first peak of this wide campus was not the best. We kept on pursuing a straight road filled with trees banked on either side and here and there a sight of monkeys and cute deers. We wandered hopelessly to the place where the quiz was conducted which gave me an eerie feeling of being in a forest. By the evening we had visited some of the labs, but the frightening thing was the return journey. Night time on your first visit to IITM may not be a good time. Waiting near the Gajendra circle(back then some elephant statue) wondering when a rickety old bus would come to pick us and the contemplation of taking a big walk into the woods wondering what beasts lay in this rather eerie place. Back in those days we were slogging it out for the JEE to be a part of an IIT and this first look made me realise the other aspects of being an IITian, campus life. Ofcourse, little did I realise that I was to be a part of this very campus.
First opinions do change. So I set about changing it(before i got into IIT) with my friend when we attended an olympiad examination. Still the place was black and blue and a bus that carried us to the exact spot where we got off last time. Luckily we had a guidance from a student of the same department who led us literally to the place. Phew, saved us blemishes. But the walk after the exam was the best evening walk i had ever had. Me, rohit, jothi and prasad walking the very same woods which looked eerie the first time. It gave us so much time to chat, ponder and wonder. Thus began the path to destiny. This very experience did pave way for me to spend my first night at BARC which almost looked spookier than the first, largely due to my stay with totally unknown people at a place where my language was a deterrent.(I’ll share it another time ;) )
Destiny did pave way and gave me a chance to stay at the campus. By now certain landmarks did flash out. My first night in IITM was not eventful and not at all nightmarish. By the first week or so we had set about exploring places which we had only seen in the minimap and on the CD i mentioned before. New ways were made each week and the path just went shorter and shorter until we couldnt make it less. The frequent excursions in the night time in the freshie year gave enough confidence to wander into any street( barring the odd street with a really hungry labrador :P ). Watching the deers by the night was my eye-catching moment of a lifetime.
My fantasies with the campus dont end there. Temples for some divine take your mind off time, the CCD for our frequent cup of gossips and birthday treats, the mess which is the one place which unites everybody and the chatter will never cease. One can also taste the experience of waking up early and rushing off to brush your teeth, only to be stopped by those naughty monkeys(especially the room beside the bin is the last place you wish to be picking a brutal fight or a quick flight). Fireflies by the night were a part of the late night adventures and so were the swirly mist, a part of the early morning. Witnessing a total eclipse in a forest when you see the ray of the sun almost turn green on you, or the numerous chirps of birds near the window or the everyday sight of the blackbuck with its herd on my way to breakfast, its totally awesome.
You never really appreciate when you are there and enjoying it. But after spending two months at home i sorely miss the campus, the campus which brought me all of my happiness in the past 2 years and only a slight dose of sadness which vaporizes quickly once we start admiring it. I still have two years to enjoy it and I hope that it keeps giving me enough sights to make me want to post again on this wild yet beautiful campus.

©Rakesh Ramesh