Memoir of A Beautiful Journey: Looking Back at GEC Idukki Days
Magical! Yes, that’s what I felt when I was on my way to college for the first time. The Neriamanagalam bridge which connects Ernakulam district to Idukki looked like a gateway that opens to a whole new world. The sudden change in the landscape, the picturesque waterfalls and dense green forests, the dark foggy roads, the soft sound of refreshing rivers, everything was quite magical. And, when I look back, the four years at my college, Government Engineering College, Idukki, (GECI), feel like a travel diary. You might not be able to imagine a college located in the middle of forests and scenic hills where even wild elephants come for a random visit. But, that was where I started exploring my life.
I did my Computer Science Engineering from the heavenly green campus of GECI, located in the mountainous landscape of Kuyilimala, in the Idukki district of Kerala. The college which was established in the year 2000 and is currently affiliated to Kerala Technological University, offers Masters and Bachelors in Technology in various disciplines. Each year I spent here was so vivid with academic and non-academic explorations.
I built a new family, enjoyed the colorful nights of Advaya, the national technical fest of GECI, and the warm lively art fest—Kavettam, a blend of art and happiness, got intrigued and became a part of the National Service Scheme, and got awakened by endless discussions and sleepless nights covered with a warm blanket and rhythmic rain. The most active vibrant time of the college is during these fests and of course during the student union elections. Irrespective of the festival and time of the year, whether it’s a misty or rainy day, we loved to descend with the wind from the academic blocks to the administration block, situated down the hill where our beloved canteen lies.
My daily life used to start with a cold foggy morning and a 15 minute ‘trip’ from the hostel to the college, presenting a rich blend of wild, scenic, and splendid experiences. The road that leads to our beautiful campus passes through the lush greens of Idukki wildlife sanctuary, showcases Asia’s first, world’s second arch dam—Idukki dam, and the memorial park for Kolumban who is believed to be the person who showed the location for the dam to the English Engineers.
Those journeys were afresh and soothing each day, blended with mythological and historical stories of those places it covers before reaching Kuyilimala. The campus awaits us with its cool breeze, rainy yet foggy days, wind-chill corners, library, labs, and lively classrooms. The 25-acre campus living in harmony with nature beholds a treasure inside—Microwave viewpoint, our Micro. GECIans love to climb the Micro hills to spend their foggy evenings.
It was the most beautiful experience of my life, the four years at GECI!
