As I stepped out of the Mewar Express in Udaipur, an unfamiliar yet expected sight greeted me on 2nd January of this year. Scores of classmates were buzzing across the length of the platform trying to find the ones who had just deboarded and directing them towards the waiting bus outside the station.
I boarded the bus and soon we set off towards IIM Udaipur, Balicha Campus! As the bus reached the main gate of the institute, a majestic sight awaited us. Standing before us in all its grandeur was the academic block of IIM Udaipur. The
Acad Block as it is popularly called overlooked the largest lake on the campus and mind you, there are 5 lakes planned when the campus attains its full glory, spread across 300 acres of mountain-like terrain. Since the campus is a green campus, hence we were asked to walk to the hostels while our luggage was loaded in a golf cart and syphoned off. Since the campus has been built in such a way that each and ever nook and cranny of the campus is accessible to differently abled people, the golf cart is quite handy in moving stuff around.
Neatly stacked at the gate is a cycle stand where there are some college cycles as well as mountain bikes that students own. Many of us took a cycle each and cycled to the hostels. We crossed the 6th floor of the acad block on the way. The cool breeze blowing in the alley of the Acad Block that connects it to the hostels was bewitching!
We reached the hostels and put the cycles in the stands placed outside the hostels and quickly made for the allotted rooms. The rooms were spacious with full-length mirror fitted in each room. The washrooms were adjacent to the rooms and the ratio of student to washrooms was 2:1. This was surprising because I had visited one of the older IIMs for a finance competition last trimester and the ratio there was close to 10:1. We unpacked our stuff into large cupboards and stuffed the bags under the beds/over the cupboards. We set out to explore the new campus and started marking Addas for the future generations of IIMU students. The Amphitheater on top of the mess has an amazing view of the valley beyond and was an instant hit amongst the *cough-cough* gang. The large open area in front of the mess became the natural gather point for all the hostels. A few weeks later when we were practising for the flash mob, the same open area turned into a dance floor too.
My love lies in
Le jeu de football (the game of football). I dropped the trademark football mail <Football at 5 NNTO>. 16 of us managed to reach the ground to play. The ground was about the right size width wise and about 3/4th the right size length-wise. We made a mental note to let the sports co-ordinating team know that a little more area needs to be levelled for us. The field has been made by flattening a hill top. Hence it is a little above ground level. That particular day happened to be a windy day and the cold breeze left us all shivering. Soon it began to drizzle and like magic, a full rainbow appeared before us. We stopped the game to marvel at the beauty of mother nature.
Once we were back, we bathed and got started with the chain of meetings. study group meetings, clubs and committees meetings and of-course, the pondering over tea at the night canteen! In trademark IIM style, we reluctantly left for our rooms at around 3 and slept at about 4. Next day the classes commenced at 9 and I woke up punctually at 8:45. Brushed and rushed towards the classroom lest I be late by even 1 minute! I reached the classroom in just the nick of time and the professor glared at me and then an the watch. At sharp 9 the doors were closed and the lecture in the teakwood U shaped classroom kicked off!