PART ONE OF THREE
Journey Through College: The Place
Musings of about four formative years of my life, as I grew from an eighteen year old teen to a twenty-two year old adult, stepping out into the world with pockets full of aspirations and a heart full of memories.
Foreword
Around the end of April 2018, I was all set to pack up and return home from National Institute Of Technology Karnataka, Surathkal, or NITK Surathkal as commonly used — having completed four years of a specialized course in engineering. I feared that in the years to come, my memories of the place would fade, the lessons learnt — lost. I took it upon myself then to write about it all — my memories, lessons, musings and all that mattered to me during my four years at the place, as a series of posts counting down from ten during my last ten days in college. This was posted privately and shared with some peers, but recently I took it down from there (Along with just about everything else posted).
I, however, want to keep these specific ‘life-logs’ publicly available, so here I have them again, re-posted almost as-is (Minor edits here and there) from the previous medium, for you to read, either to peek into my life from those days, to relate to it, or for whatever reasons you fancy.
Needless to say, perspectives change over the years, especially when one has a sudden changes in lifestyle — and graduating from college to go on to live by myself in a new city was one such change. I may, therefore, feel differently now about some of what I wrote back then. Or maybe not?
10. Rains
Rains have almost always had an energizing effect on me. The powerful thunder, the cold wind, followed by warm sunlight as the clouds part ways for the sun and the aroma of freshness all around have made me feel very optimistic about my own life. Untimely rains, too, have been very significant for me. I have seen them as an indication of winds of change, and sometimes as nature’s validation of my own life decisions. Yes, these feelings seems nonsensical & maybe frivolous, yet I think they are harmless and I have never found a reason to try and stop feeling this way, about rains.
At NITK, I was graced with probably the most beautiful rains, more so as they would come as relief to the hot summer heat. I wonder if I will ever get a chance to enjoy the rains in such lush greenery around me, away from the loud city life, where all I can hear is the sound of raindrops hitting leaves, puddles of water, mud, and some roof tops. I am glad that it has been raining in the last few days that I have here, untimely of course, as it helps me stay strong and optimistic as I step on to the big world, as a regular nobody, hoping to start a ripple in an ocean of stagnation.
What do you think of the rains?
9. The NITK Beach
One of the reasons I joined NITK was because it had it’s own private beach, which was something I could boast about. When I first stepped onto it, I was not impressed. Well alright, it was beautiful and all, calmer, quieter, cleaner than what I was used to in Mumbai, yet how different can one beach be from another? Especially when both belong to the same coastline!
With time though, my visits to the beach grew in frequency. I started visiting often to watch the sunset, to stroll by the waves, to feel the sand move under my feet. It was, well, very nice. I would often go alone, sometimes with people I know, sometimes with people I love. But one thing came to be constant throughout my visits: I had acquired a taste for this beach and I loved it now.
At this beach, I have witnessed myself change over the years. I remember when I first visited the beach to admire the horizon and contemplate life (Because who doesn’t like feeling intellectual?), I was intimidated by the vastness of the ocean, I was intimidated by the greater vastness of the clear night sky. I remember feeling small about myself when I looked out to the waters. About how insignificant I am, in the grand scheme of things. About how insignificant humankind is, to nature.
Today though, I feel very different when I look out to the skies, to the ocean. I have a completely different perspective. Today, the ocean does not intimidate me. I am instead reminded of the great men who set out to conquer the oceans thousands of years ago. Of how they must have been intimidated just like me, but had the courage to set sail and push our entire civilization into a new age. Today the skies remind me of the great strides made in space research, about how we now know so much more about the universe. Today, I feel optimistic, energetic about our potential. I can look out to the ocean and ask myself — when something so vast can be conquered by the sheer will of a human, then what stops me from conquering that which I desire?
Interesting perspective, isn’t it?
At NITK, I have been exposed to a few such ideas that have broadened my perspective. It is hard to decide which one in this case is better. On one hand, feeling small can help one realize that greater things exist in the world, and one should not worry too much about pressing problems and setbacks because well, they too will soon be insignificant. On the other hand, feeling proud about humankind helps too, as this drives one to find solutions to some of the most difficult problems one faces. I guess, it is less about the perspective and more about the attitude, where being driven and optimistic and at the same time calm and in control will help one achieve all that one desires.
I have learnt so much, at NITK.
8. The Statue
The main entrance of NITK Surathkal is graced by this statue of Sri Ullal Srinivas Mallya. He served as an MP from constituencies in this region for 15 years. He was a noted architect too, under whose vision, among other works, KREC (NITK today) was constructed. He is a celebrated figure across this region.
Keep that aside for a moment, and allow me to talk about two important men in my life. Both of them, my grandfathers.
My one grandfather was an always smiling family man. He would look out for the entire extended family, would love to talk, to meet people. He genuinely cared. He was actively involved in my community too, he had held elected posts in the management of the community activities multiple times. He was spiritual, and loved to narrate stories of deities and gurus. It wasn’t an unusual sight to find him lazing around with my extended family, sipping ‘chai’ and munching on fried snacks while talking about life, family, dharma, politics.
My other grandfather was a strict disciplinarian. He talked less. He seldom spoke to me. Of what I remember, most of my conversations with him were of him telling me to study, to do well in school. He was a man of principles. He too was actively involved in serving the community, in his own way. I remember a little anecdote — Once, the nominal stipend given to volunteers involved in community service for travel and other costs was increased, my grandfather refused to accept the extra money, stating simply that he did not need it.
What was common about both these men were that they were men of certain ideals, and they stuck to them. They were well-respected throughout the community. Even today when I attend a gathering, people refer to me as ‘Nayak maam’s natthu’, or ‘Shenoy maam’s natthu’ — translating loosely, this means the grandson of one of these men.
I was very young when they passed away. I did not understand them well, I did not understand the values they stood for. During my time at NITK however, as I grew as an individual, I began to understand the beauty of these personalities. I regret that this happened late — I could have learnt so much more from them had they been alive. But never the less, the legacy they have left behind will always light up the path for me. I am sure that both of them would have been immensely proud to witness their grandson graduate from NITK Surathkal, or KREC as they would fondly remember it.
Coming back to the statue — I have come to identify men of great deeds, men to look up to. This statue, for me, is not just a symbol of Mr. Mallya, but of many such great men of the past generations, including my grandfathers, who believed in doing, changing and driving this world forward, in their own way. They have set the bar very high for generations to come, and I intend to push it higher than ever before.
Part Two:
Part Three:
If you’d like to share your views, maybe have an off-shooting conversation from here, feel free to message me on Instagram — where I had originally posted this series. You can find me using the handle @hexbioc at just about any online platform I use.
