1971 – 1973: My Years @ BITS, Pilani – The Campus: The Maiden, Panoramic, Look In : On To The Hostel

Once off-loaded at the bus adda at the Bazar of the Pilani city, before I could locate the gate to the campus, I was surrounded by a few pedal-rickshaws. With my looks and the luggage that I was carrying, that was certainly not surprising. Each one announced, synchronously as if pre-programmed – ten rupees. As I was to find out during my subsequent visit, the default transport charge was Rs.5 and that such call nor invitations were not required for the regular students. The regular students would just settle into any rickshaw and curtly announce the name of hostel block. Once reaching the destination, he would hand over a 5-rupee note and walk on the hostel. However, since such auto-invite, with seemingly pre-orchestrated price-tag was tell-tale indication that they, and perhaps who would have cared to throw a glance at me there, would have identified me as a fresher.

I declared my destination and settled into one rickshaw. Then, it seemed to me that I reached the designated hostel block, Budh Bhavan, in almost the fast-forward motion. Hardly had I settled on the slightly sloping seat of the rickshaw, we were at the hostel gate. Rickshawwallah even indicated where I should go, which incidentally, was the office where the candidates were required to register. As he drove off, I thought I saw a fleeting smile on his face. It was fleeting that neither then, nor even now, I am able to comprehend whether it was look of pity, a smirk, or a mocking gesture or a good wish!

At the hostel office, I was duly registered, allotted a room on the first-floor right wing facing the main road. I was also informed of the location of the mess and timings of the meals. I was required to deposit the room and meal charges for five days. I was also informed of the location of Admissions Office area and was informed that further details relating to admission test will be made available when I report there. I was advised to report at least an hour before the appointed time.

I located the allotted room and unpacked my luggage. The fact that I had finally reached the hostel room seemed to engulf me with the boredom and fatigue of the travel. Therefore, without wasting any more time, I  readied myself for the bath. To wash off all the dust and grime as well as the fatigue and boredom off the body, I had had a good half-an-hour refreshing bath, the first task I took up was to write a postcard, which I was to post next day after the test, briefly informing my parents that I had reached BITS Pilani quite comfortably.

Then, I took a quick reconnaissance tour of the entire block of Budh Bhawan. I do not remember now whether I did come across any other candidate at that time.

My travel fatigue – and tension – now gone, I was feeling hungry. So, just as my watch declared the time for dinner, I walked over to the mess and had my first meal at the hostel. Except that it was quite a satisfying meal, I do not remember much about it. What I ever do, is in fact because of meals consumed later during the say there, hence, as such I will take up when I reach that part of the narrative.

Here, too, neither I made any conscious effort to make new acquaintances, nor perhaps any else too tried to be acquainted with me.

Once my the then primary need of hunger was well-satisfied, my next need in the priority of hierarchy was sleep. Once back at the room, I kept flipping of the pages of the magazine. The letters were passing across my eyes, but mind seemed to be in some trance, so not a word did get registered. In fact, that seeming-to-read activity had worked like a sleeping pill. Soon, I was sound asleep, to wake up around 5.30 or so in the next morning.

I was now fully fresh and rearing to go, with not a thought of what the result for the test would be. I finished off my morning routine very leisurely, again to be ready for the breakfast, probably in the very first batch. Here, too, finished off my breakfast alone. In fact, I still wonder, how it should have so happened that I had not opened the account of my acquaintances all this while. I am basically a hermit, but not much to say even a hello to anyone. And, I do not think I was after all that much of an alien for someone to wave a hand or just make an eye-contact!

However, I will not deny that my eyes were not registering anything except that test. Whether it was a subconscious undercurrent of fear of the test or it was tension of lack of knowledge of what was lying the store of the future, I am not able to decode it even now.

Be that as it may, I was now off the Admissions Office ………

We will visit The Campus in next two episodes.

1971 – 1973: My Years @ BITS, Pilani – Onwards To Pilani : The Maiden Journey

Continuing From:

1971 – 1973: My Years @ BITS, Pilani – Onwards To Pilani : Charting the Untrodden Path

On the appointed day, my father had already reached his office according to his regular schedule. My mother was busy with rounding up her daily morning chores. It was just as normal a day as all other days. I, too, had my normal lunch. If one were to find out any variation in the daily pattern, it possibly could be said that I was about three quarters of an hour early in my lunch, so as to be able to reach Navsari railway station in good time without any undue hurry.

In fact, the day travel need not have been a special day. Our family never had such a tradition to give very special consideration to academic careers of the children. My father certainly did take interest in my academic progress. However, the mundane details of study were expected to be navigated by us on our own.

As I look back, the last, and the only, ceremonial activities related to any (so called) important milestone in my academic career was the first day of my S S C examinations. My father had accompanied me, a day before to the first examination, to physically see in which hall of Gujarat College (Ahmedabad) building I was to write my first paper. On the first day, in the one-hour break between two papers, my mother had come to the examination hall with a thermos full of tea and some refreshments, In fact almost all the family members of each of the student too had come with all sorts of refreshments. It was more like a big celebration than any important examination.

I do not remember if any one had accompanied me on my first day to primary school or middle school or even on my first day at Virani High school at Rajkot, my first ever schooling outside Bhuj, my birthplace. Of course, my admission to Virani was half way through the V^th standard because of my father’s ever transfer outside Bhuj. So, a good deal of efforts was required by father with our reactive, (late) Janardanbhai Vaidya (who was then teacher of English at the school. Similar heavy legwork was required for my admission to the Pre-University class, because I had not competed 16 years as required by the rules of Gujarat University, and was therefore, technically, ‘underage’. My father had to undertake a couple visits to Vallabh Vidyanagar to get that admission. I, too had accompanied him during those visits.

In the overall perspective of my life, as I look back now, these were more of the ‘special causes’ rather than the ‘normal’ trend. In fact, when I look back, now, I consider this upbringing atmosphere as blessing in disguise. I can now very clearly visualize the role these circumstances have laid in laying the foundation of my whatever it may be worth, ability to chart my course on my own.

As I boarded Paschim Express at Navsari, my subconscious mind did take a note that this was my first ever journey that was to take me beyond the borders of Gujarat. But, the feeling that this journey is also to likely to lead to a phase in my life was still nowhere nearing to shape up.

I was carrying the latest issues of India Today and The Week as time-pass-cum-general knowledge reading. I was also carrying the All India Railway time table with me. Once we crossed. Vadodara, I would consult the time-table to check-up which was the next halt and how much time the train would take to reach that station. I ate part of the refreshments my mother had packed up for me for the journey. When all other passengers went to sleep, I too stretched myself on the berth, But my sleep was with my both ears up. I continued to check with the time table to keep checking when would the train reach Kota.

Once we crossed Kota, I was now literally, and really, on the edge of my seat. The run between Kota and Sawai Madhopur was around two hours. For the last half an hour I was at the gate of the coach, with my luggage bag in the toe. The train had only a two-minutes halt at Sawai Madhopur and now I was seriously worried if I would be able to really get down from the train in that much time.

However, my worries were all uncalled for. I, of course, was first to get down. Three-four more passengers also got down thereafter and equal number also got in, both sets of people carrying quite substantial luggage in the toe. And still, it seems that the train had halted there for ages! To me, it seemed that train took even longer than it took to travel from Kota to Sawai Madhopur. I did not realise at that time that I was demonstrating the validity of Theory of Relativity in those two minutes😊.

However, that l o n g two minutes also helped me to realise the value of a good one hour I was to get at Sawai Madhopur before my train to Chirawa would leave from Sawai Madhopur.

Of course, the very first thing I took up was to book my ticket to Chirawa, which perhaps did not take even ten minutes. Then I went public water tap at the platform and had rather leisurely freshening up chore. Once done, I realised that I was feeling a little hungry too! So, I had had a kulhad full of steaming hot tea and one samosa and one kachori for breakfast.

I boarded the train, took up a vintage window side-seat, facing the direction of travel. I think those 15-20 minutes of waiting period was, perhaps, one of my most relaxed period of my life.

The journey to Chirawa was quite uneventful. The first major stop, Jaipur came and passed away. Except for physically taking note, I was perhaps now not interested in Jaipur.  I was enjoying either watching (relative to the movement of the train) moving countryside or watching the co-passengers (of course, without being obvious).

At the lunch time, I do not remember which station it was, but I had had a plate of fresh puri-sabji, like many other passengers did. Around tea-time or so, we reached some station after Sikar. When I got down to the platform to loosen up my leg limbs and sought for a cup of tea, the tea vendor proudly volunteered to inform me that sev (fried beson – the chickpea flour – noodles) from this ppace was also as spicy as those of Ratlam, but was totally different in taste. I had not tasted Ratlam sev till then, but I did purchase a small packet of that sev to gainfully pass time till reaching Chirawa.

I due course, we reached Chirawa railway station. Along with about a dozen or so other passengers too would have deboarded the train. But I was as focused as Arjun was to hit the target of a moving fish to locate the bus that would take me to Pilani, that I did not register if there were any student-look like passengers.

The bus that was to take us Pilani belonged to some private bus service. Even that was my first ever such experience, since all these years I was used to travel by a (Gujarat) State Road Transport bus only. So, I did take some time to locate if there was any Rajasthan State Transport bus. However, everyone I enquired with, quite sincerely assured me that this bus was as good, and in fact the only, mode of transport. When I think back now, I am sure some of them would have wondered if I was a human looking alien from other planet as I was to realise just a few days later that public bus transport was long back privatised in Rajasthan (and other that matter in many North Indian states).

Well, another half an hour – forty-five minutes of travel, and I was at Pilani bus adda.

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We  will take up “Institute Campus: The First View”  in next couple of epiosdes.

1971 – 1973: My Years @ BITS, Pilani – Onwards To Pilani : Charting the Untrodden Path

Continued From:

1971 – 1973: My Years @ BITS, Pilani – Onwards To Pilani : The Turmoil and The Decision

I had only the call letter as any guide, if one could say so in my the then position, that pointed to the destination of my future course of journey. The postal address of the institute revealed that the mundane destination, Pilani, was situated in the State of Rajasthan. The call letter did further mention that Pilani can be reached by bus from nearest railway stations of Chirawa (from Jaipur) or from Loharu (from Delhi).

I knew that Rajasthan located on the west-northern side of Gujarat, on the basis my knowledge of geography from the school days. However, I had travelled only upto Surat before I came to Navsari that very year. As a result, I was totally blank about how to travel to Jaipur or Delhi. I was even quite new to Navsari too. So, I could not even think out of enquiring with someone or somewhere, there of the whereabouts of these places.

Fortunately, I was aware enough of All India Railway Time Table. So, I hoped that with the help of that time table I should at least be able to locate the two railway stations mentioned in the time table.

It took me around five minutes or so of thinking and some preliminary enquiries at my father’s office to arrive at the decision to head for Navsari railway station and purchase that All India Time Table. Once I reached the railway station I did make enquiries with ticket counter and with the station master to see if I can get any help about reaching Chirawa or Loharu. Their guidance, too, pointed out as time table as the (only) source of information at Navsari station. The other alternative was to go to Surat railway station to get the required information. I purchased the time table and headed straight to home to begin my work of charting out the possible routes.

Once I reached home, I did not lose any more time. and sat down with few papers and pen to chalk out various options available. If Google maps was available then the job of selecting the most optimum route would have been easier. But at that time, it simply was a job to wade through the timetable and arrive at the possible options.

A good few hours of search led me to arrive at two options to reach Chirawa:

• • Navsari – Ahmedabad – Jaipur – Sawai Madhopur – Chirawa route:

My rough calculations showed that the total journey would be close to 850 + 200 KMs and would take anything from 20 to 24 +  around 5 hours of travel, with two breaks at Ahmedabad and Jaipur. On this route going to Sawai Madhopur was not necessary as Sawai Madhopur – Chirawa train was to pass through Jaipur.  Sawai Madhopur to Chirawa distance was around 340 KMs, but if I choose this route, Sawai Madhopur – Jaipur distance of round 130 KMs could be avoided.

• • Navsari – Vadodara – Kota – Sawai Madhopur – Chirawa:

Navsari – Sawai Madhopur leg of journey was on Bombay – Delhi route. This was an over 700 KMs of journey with travel time of around 15 hours (if travelled by Bombay – New Delhi Paschim Express) to 20+ hours (if travelled by Bombay – Dehradun Dehradun Express), in addition to about 7 hours of travel from Sawai Madhopur to Chirawa.

The only logically feasible route to reach Loharu was travelling from Navsari to Delhi and then from Delhi to Loharu.

With this much information available, it did not require any computer (not that anyone was available then) to decide the most preferred route. So, before I went to sleep my next course of actions next day were decided in my mind to book the ticket, from Navsari and if that did not work out, then from Surat for Sawai Madhopur as the first choice.

I was at ticket-booking window of Navsari railway station, first thing next morning. After about a half an hour so wait in the queue, I was all smiles, with my all thirty-two teeth being visible, with a ticket for Paschim Express to Sawai Madhopur for the appointed day. I was also informed that ticket for Sawai Madhopur – Chirawa leg of the journey could be purchased from Sawai Madhopur only.

However, by now, out of knowledge that I had no choice or because of the latent expectation that if luck had favoured me till now I can still bank upon it, I was feeling more confident that I should be able sort out the nuts and bolts ticketing once I reached Sawai Madhopur.

To continue with ……..

The Maiden Journey to Pilani

1971 – 1973: My Years @ BITS, Pilani – Onwards To Pilani : The Turmoil and The Decision

The result for the last semester of 5-year BE degree course was already declared. My performance, in terms of the overall marks secured, was quite encouraging. The first, and obvious, outcome was that I already had shaken out from my lazy, drifting, occupation of keeping myself “busy’ with library visits to ‘prepare’ myself for the entrance tests for the applications I had put in Jamanalal Bajaj Institute, Bombay and BITS, Pilani.

I was now, also, aware that my first priority was to search for possibilities of getting a job. But the stark fact was that I had no idea whatsoever as to what kind of job I should look for, where to find a job and how to approach the potential employer, how to prepare for the interview and such related issues.

My father was outing in the word with colleagues to see if they knew anyone who can provide me some opening. I, too, had heard the awakening from the slumber bell alright. But the inertia of lack of knowledge about ‘how to get the first job’ had not really put me to an active search-apply-interview’ motion.  My daily reading contents at the local library had expanded to looking out for the ‘wanted’ columns in the pan-Gujarat presence English and Gujarati dailies at the library. I had also started working on the possible draft of my application for the job. My discussions with our neighbour academic colleagues, who were all doctorates in their respective fields, of my father now included getting in their inputs for drafting of the format and content of the applications.

Those were still not the days of getting the testimonials photocopied. One had to get these testimonials typed and get them certified with nominated authorities. As such, I started off with getting such copies typed out, go my father’s college and get the already typed copies duly authorised by any professor who as free enough on the given day. I was advised that I should get my copies of the SSC Board examination and the ten semester examinations of the BE degree course marksheets certified only by the Principal of the college, since that would make the duly authenticated “True Copy’ look more authentic!

Just as this turmoil of mind was gaining the momentum, I received a registered letter from BITS, Pilani. It was the call letter for the entrance test for the 2-year MBA post-graduate program!!

As soon as I finished reading the letter, I started of the meet my father at his office. Without much discussion, the first decision immediately after he finished reading that letter was that I should take that test.

My experiences of the maiden trip to Pilani in the next episode

1971 – 1973: My Years @ BITS, Pilani – Foreword

During the last year of engineering studies, some of us had tried our hand for the admission to IIM, Ahmadabad. However, we were so unprepared, both in terms of competence as well as mental set-up, that attempt had miserably failed. As such, at the end of the engineering studies, I did not have any clear game plan for the future. During the free time that the vacation had provided I had virtually nothing ponder over except having to work on the two obvious alternatives of searching for a job or take up a post-graduate study.

I had parked aside any search for a job till the results of the final semester of the engineering studies were out. Similarly, even though I had not charted out any clear plan or strategy for post graduate studies, I was quite seriously using the free time of vacation to strengthen up my knowledge of English with the help of books like ‘How to increase word power’ or full reading of the English dailies like Indian Express. Additionally, I was also seriously reading the stock of reading material on ‘how to increase General Knowledge’ that I had collected during the last semester from second-hand book market.

In so far as the post-graduate study was concerned, by now, I had very well realised that my father strongly preferred that I seriously work on that alternative. Reaching up to a good PG degree was his own dream too when he had completed graduation. However, his family circumstances were not conducive at that time, so he had to take up any government job and to take up the regular life of a householder (as was the most done thing in those days). But his dream to earn a PG degree seemed to remain alive at the back of his mind. So, as soon as we settled at Ahmadabad, after a good thirteen years because of his regular transfer orders, he had formally registered for the PG degree course. Even though I was too young and naïve at that time to understand the hard work he put in to realize his dream, his zeal and hard work had certainly made deep impression on my unconscious mind. So, when my time had now come up, I had realized how much did he expect me, too, to take up PG studies.

Asa result, not knowing whether I was mentally ready or academically competent enough for a post-graduate course in business management, but perhaps under the influence of our failed attempt for admission to IIM Ahmadabad, I had put in applications for PG studies at Jamanalal Bajaj Institute, Bombay and Birla Institute of Technology and Science (BITS), Pilani.

It can be only the plan of destiny that the call letter for test and interview for admission @ BITS, Pilani came in first. It was a good enough jolt for me to jerk out from the aimless activities with which I was keeping myself busy during the vacations to put the wheels of decision-making process into full-speed motion so as to take up concrete actions to reach Pilani on the appointed date. …………