Cohn's Law
The more time you spend in reporting on what you are doing, the less time you have to do anything. Stability is achieved when you spend all your time doing nothing but reporting on the nothing you are doing.


The concluding series of


Down the Memory Lane - Part IV


Going to college is a huge transition step for anybody.
Including me.
The entire cycle of meeting friends everyday, academics, hostel life, cultural and technical festivals are sure to come as a new experience for everybody.
What I am going to try to describe here is only a slice of that.
You have to be IN HERE to get the whole cake.


As first years, we were only headed by the (un)trusty seniors who asked us to go and cheer for the hostel in the Inter-hostel WM finals, or do some layman's job like cycling around for the clues in the Treasure Hunt or volunteer work for the Hostel Fete, etc.
While all this seemed quite a bit boring (to say the list), it is what got many interested into the entire world different from what IIT's are associated with, academically. That interest did seep into me to, but after the first year, I couldn't sustain it for long. I was more inclined towards studies. Sudhon would be a better guide here. (Probably, I should ask him to write a bit here.


Of course, another aspect where IIT Madras was always famous for Saarang (Mardi Gras, for ol-timers), the biga-mega-giga culfest, and Shaastra - the tech fest.
The first Saarang, I was unfortunate to miss (I was invited to attend the RD parade in New Delhi - at the same time). But the other three, I did put my head there. (U can read my review of the last one in the January Archives).
Saarang was always the grand conglameration of spicey events and high-voltage gigs and, of course, I admit it, a literal Baywatch. The mega quizzes which ran into the wee hours of the morning, the head-banging rock shows, the informal stalls designed to make everybody look like fools, and yet tempt them with prizes, the popular dramatics, choreo and the JAM sessions were all but Masalas in a tasty pickle. The Saarang '04 T-shirt sayings:

Bush around the beat.
Leave no turn unstoned.
Leaf over a new turn.
Live a Saarang

But Saarang was much more than all of that. A quintessential thread of the Spirit of Saarang ran through it, which could only be realised, understood and digested, but never can be taken.


Shaastra, the tech fest, more famous for attracting geeks, and non-geeks into fellow geeks.
Jus Kidding
This techfest, now having recently got the ISO 9001 certificate (which means that all events started and ended on time - a stark contrast to Saarang), is but a conglobation of events tied up to represent a tech fest. I literally wanted my body in many parts so that I could attend the quizzes, the gaming arena, the lectures, the video-conferences, the workshops and many many other events.
But I loved the gameodrome the best. For two Shaastras I had put nite-outs to play some of my fav-games on the LAN with eight other equally enthusiastic people.
This truly unique event, I will miss a lot.


Apart from Saarang and Shaastra, we had events all year round; the points won by the teams being added to hostel points, so that, at the end of the year, it could be decided which was the best hostel. (In fact, that title was taken by my hostel after a very long time).
While these were the more happier aspects of being in IITM, there are, still some placid aspects for the diffident. The innumerable runs to the Academic sections (which I still have to do), ganging up together to go to the outside world, the innumerable treats at swank hotels, the hostel nites everybody's life was turned inside out and where final farewells were given and innumerable events, episodes and debacles that go to form part of the everyday life at IIT, which are too big to describe in words, is what makes it different from other colleges.
Finally, the convocation which got over the day-before, was probably the final time I would meet most of my college. Friendships forged over a long period of time, will now be strained taut with only the emails and messengers saving it. (Ironical, isn't it, as it is Friendship Day today). I will truly miss all the people whom I have had acquaintance with and felt close.


With the getting of the degree, one of the threads holding us to this honorable institution has now been cut. Only the Alumni Association, can hopefully, keep us in contact.
From the first sight of IIT during my early years of life, to now, I have gone through many stages and events, but IIT WILL ALWAYS BE A PART OF MY HEART. A remembrance of who I am and what I am and how much I owe to this noble institution and the country which has it.


That concludes this Mini-series. Hope you had as much fun reading it, as I did, writing it.