“The place has its rurality with a mixture of technology and the rich culture of Rajasthan.”
The term “Engineering” has been taken for granted by young people. However, it’s a valuable English term for Indian parents. It’s true that almost every Indian family includes at least one engineer.
Hello, I am Riya, a recent graduate from Banasthali Vidyapith, and yes! I am an engineering student and guess what I am the first-generation engineering graduate from my family. I enrolled in the Mechatronics branch at my University back in 2017 with good grades. Honestly speaking I didn’t know about Banasthali Vidyapith, what was this university like? what’s the rank? Is it a coed school? where’s the university situated? Nothing. Searching about it back then in 2016 on the internet, you could have barely found some images of department buildings, some few activities, girls wearing simple khadi salwar suits, and a beautiful big green campus, In other words — a complete Hogwarts.
The first year of being a B.tech student at Banasthali is like being imposed with a different set of rules and seeing the world differently. For me, I was cut down from the world due to the isolated campus and the low speed of internet connection. The place has its rurality with a mixture of technology and the rich culture of Rajasthan. I was overly engaged in extracurricular activities and thankfully I did because the senior years are troublesome and most of the time were engaged in labs and project works. We had our classes from 9 in the morning till 5 pm. We used to ride our bikes, sit on the classroom seats for hours, return to our hostels for lunch and then go back to our classes within 15 minutes. I used to see the distance between my hostel and the department same as Kashmir to Kanyakumari. However, that had changed once I became a senior. Walking long distances became a habit, spending time in the labs to learn something new became my priority, and starving for a day was the norm.
I would definitely say that the most demanding part to face as a Banasthalite is getting the heavenly gate pass for leave. Separately bunking the class, standing in a long never-ending line, and going back and forth with hunger strikes is very common. But the joy of having the gate pass in your hand and packing the bags while having some of those random imaginations of what we will be doing the next day after crossing the university gate was a piece of satisfaction and achievement.
Let’s talk about the weather. You are obviously going to see and feel the official 4 seasons of India — winter, summer, monsoon, and post-monsoon period but with that spring and autumn, two of my favorite seasons to cherish at Banasthali Vidyapith. There is nothing like the winters- a beautiful sky full of stars, friends walking with their hands inside their pockets of furry jackets, and late-night festivals to enjoy. The security guards, our Bhaiya Jis’, are often seen sitting outside the hostel gates with charcoals ready to burn. I used to hear them tell stories of the university and my seniors. Summer is one of the hardest seasons of the year. I don’t know what magic the fans have in them, despite their superior performance throughout the year, they stop working within the first ten days of the summers. A special thanks to the electric wale Bhaiya Ji who works so hard to bring our fans back to life. Banasthali students have a love-hate relationship with the Monsoon season. The clear sky you see before your lunchtime will go away within a blink of your eye. It will rain the second you go out without an umbrella. But you know, I never mind, because of this we had lots of our classes canceled. The main road of the campus turns into desi Canada with yellow leaves of Neem trees during autumn and the road to the Apaji building turns pink with Bougainvillea flowers during spring. One can witness some of the spectacular sunsets there, I’m not sure about the sunrise since I’ve never tried to get up that early, but I’m sure they’re stunning enough to make you want to stare up at the sky every time you go outside.
There are numerous activities available on campus, particularly if you join the Banasthali Panchmukhi Shiksha, which is a great initiative. It encompasses a wide range of sports and artistic endeavors. It will certainly appeal to people like me who enjoy sports and art. Banasthali isn’t just about being involved in academics and extracurricular activities on campus; it can also be as simple as sharing a sip of your tea from your favorite tea stall and eating just one plate of spicy momos with four friends. Sometimes it’s about escaping a dull lecture and being surprised to discover the same professor or the Dean of your department is seated next to you at Shanus. At times it’s about the favorite corner of the dining hall and listening to conversations while washing your utensils in the sink and other times it’s about the tiniest arguments with your roommates or wardens. Sometimes it’s about going for a solo walk down the street while listening to your favorite music, and other times it’s about missing your entire schedule simply to wash your hair and clothes.
An annual series of events and festivals are organized by different active departmental clubs, and one official event marks the end of the academic year, the Apaji festival, which is dedicated to Banasthali’s founder, Shri Hiralal Shastri Ji. The rest of the departmental festivals include food, drinks, clothes, and accessories stalls as well as an ending ceremony that includes dance, drama, and singing performances. The Apaji festival is one of the most actively participated and thoroughly enjoyed by every department student including their family members and relatives. Yes, that’s true! students can get entry tickets for their family members to attend the festival which includes rides, stalls with a range of cuisines, drinks, accessories, photo booths, balloons, and light decorations from the main gate to the end. For the final day, the gates of Banasthali are opened for the locals but with authorization and complete security. The fireworks show is without a doubt the best and most unforgettable highlight of the event. The streetlights are dimmed, and people gather with their friends and those they care about to capture the exquisite moment. That’s not it. The firework show marks the ending of the gala but the beginning of the feast. On the last evening of the Apaji festival, the invited family members can partake in the feast. This was my first time eating some of the authentic Rajasthani cuisines like daal baati churma dipped in pure ghee. Following the festival, comes the difficult phase- the semester exam. The humongous mob rushing through the Banasthali photocopy store, extra classes, and deserted roads are some of the typical sights that can be seen a few days before the exams.
My high school friends always mentioned that the Banasthali Vidyapith is quite popular with its educational records and milestones, and the former students have always put a great impression in different areas within the country as well as abroad. It would be a lie if I tell you that I loved this university with all my heart from the very beginning. But, looking back now, I believe I was safe there. I met people with various personalities and viewpoints, professors provided support and advice, encountered challenges but grew stronger and more resilient, created memories with my friends, shared joy and sorrow, and formed an unbreakable family-friend bond with them. Banasthali, in my opinion, is not simply for random girls. It’s a place for young women to develop an effective personality, confidence, and determination to accomplish their goals in the fast-paced world.
