Qutub Institutional Area
I did not go to North Campus as a student. And there was no fun to be had outside the fortress like South Campus college that I did go to. So I had to listen to stories of the canteen in Hindu College and the momos in Kamala Nagar and the general buzz around the campus, wistfully, all my life. There was little point in going to North Campus, if you were not studying there, just to pretend to be part of the excitement. That has to be experienced everyday- as a resident not a tourist.
Then I started working in Qutub Institutional Area.
The place has many post-graduate colleges and some organisations which seem to hire only students - the population in these organisations and the colleges merge seamlessly. Indeed, one of the organisation's canteen always seems full of the students from across the road and that particular college's dhaba is replete with the employees of this organisation - a case of "grass is greener on the other side" - literally - and the pun on "grass" is intended. And other than the occassional I-card, it is impossible to tell the difference between the two demographic groups. All the 'males' have beards and wear sandals and are of an indistinguishable age. All the 'females' are aged between 22 to 30 and wear jeans and bored expressions.
One of the Dhabas here became famous because of the legend that Ranbir Kapoor had parathas here. No one cares to validate this but we are all pleased to eat parathas here and be part of the general merriment. On weekend mornings, the Delhi Bikers Club meets here. Along with bird-watchers, nature walkers etc, who probably feel justified in eating the butter soaked parathas, after their walk in the forest- Sanjay Van. Sanjay Van spreads across a large area with a couple of water bodies, ruins, a wide variety of birds and legends of ghosts. Paratha eating and forest walking are two complementary pleasures of this location.
So as I sit sipping my overtly sweet dhaba tea, I soak in the youthful buzz around - with generous gulps of green forest air ( and some cigarette smoke) and don't feel too bad about having missed the 'College' madness of North Campus.
Then I started working in Qutub Institutional Area.
The place has many post-graduate colleges and some organisations which seem to hire only students - the population in these organisations and the colleges merge seamlessly. Indeed, one of the organisation's canteen always seems full of the students from across the road and that particular college's dhaba is replete with the employees of this organisation - a case of "grass is greener on the other side" - literally - and the pun on "grass" is intended. And other than the occassional I-card, it is impossible to tell the difference between the two demographic groups. All the 'males' have beards and wear sandals and are of an indistinguishable age. All the 'females' are aged between 22 to 30 and wear jeans and bored expressions.
One of the Dhabas here became famous because of the legend that Ranbir Kapoor had parathas here. No one cares to validate this but we are all pleased to eat parathas here and be part of the general merriment. On weekend mornings, the Delhi Bikers Club meets here. Along with bird-watchers, nature walkers etc, who probably feel justified in eating the butter soaked parathas, after their walk in the forest- Sanjay Van. Sanjay Van spreads across a large area with a couple of water bodies, ruins, a wide variety of birds and legends of ghosts. Paratha eating and forest walking are two complementary pleasures of this location.
So as I sit sipping my overtly sweet dhaba tea, I soak in the youthful buzz around - with generous gulps of green forest air ( and some cigarette smoke) and don't feel too bad about having missed the 'College' madness of North Campus.
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