The picturesque Pune University Campus

My earliest memories of going to the University of Pune are the cherished visits to the Gol canteen inside the campus which has that trademark entrance always decorated with  beautiful yellow flowers and pumpkins ! Yes Pumpkins. I was amazed to see this rather unique way of decoration for the first time but then later got used to it. It feels great to see the entrance lit by a huge brass diya ( called samai) the base of which is strewn with flowers and pumpkins. The sweet smell of the burning incense sticks wafts in the air.

Particularly in the monsoons, it feels awsome to eat those oil and potato loaded breadpakoras with a cup of hot milky tea sitting on one of the narrow wooden benches in the cozy sit out area. I had never eaten such authentic tasting bread pakoras anywhere since I left Delhi.

Apart from this what I remember the most are the long walks in the evening inside the campus. Its really an green oasis in the city of pune which fast turning into a concrete jungle just like so many other cities.



I truly cherish the early morning walks in the huge well maintained garden of the main building. I used to walk bare foot on the dew drop covered green grass. I still remember the scene before me when I went to that garden climbing up a flight of wide stone steps for the very first time in early morning on a cold winter day. 

The Main building garden

Beautiful large cup shaped orange flowers were fallen on the green grass and everything was lit up by the tender morning rays of the sun. I later found out that the tree bearing those beautiful flowers is commonly known as the Fountain Tree, African Tulip Tree or Flame-of-the-forest.

The African tulip I clicked in the main Building garden

We saw another striking variety of a tree which bore large round fruits looking like  'Cannon balls'  !  I later found out that its called the Cannon Ball tree.

These trees are grown extensively in Shiva temples in India. In Hindi it is called Shiv Kamal and also known as "Kailaspati". It is native to the tropical northern South America and to the southern Caribbean.

The Cannon Ball tree

After the walk, we sat on the stone benches admiring the wonderful gothic architecture of the grand building which had been recently renovated. It was fascinating to observe heads of animals carved out in stone near the top of the roof. Upon some research I found out that it was James Trubshawe who made the design for the Gothic structure. It was the residence of Sir Bartle Frere, the then governor of Bombay.

We saw one girl sitting on the bench and engrossed in drawing some exquisite pencil sketches. I couldnt control my curiosity and went up to her and enquired about the sketches. I learnt that she was an Arts student and frequently visited the University campus to capture the architectural beauty of the buildings and the surrounding greens onto her canvas. And I must say, she was very good at her attempt of doing so.

I loved the sunlight beaming through the paper like petals of the Bougainvellia

Another memorable event which I always cherish is the Photography tour to the Univeristy campus. I really enjoyed clicking pictures of a wide variety of flowers and the old colonial structures so painstakenly preserved. We started with the University's nursery and went up all the way to the far end to capture the dark and lustureous greens of the thick forest surrounding the area.

 It was a fun filled and interactive tour and in the end I was truly glad to have participated in it. It was wonderful to explore the picturesque beauty of the University campus through my camera lens !

Tender sun rays in the morning

And then finally as luck would have it, I was selected to be a part of the an integrated Mtech Phd program started by the University of pune. So my visits to the University became far more frequent and I truly enjoyed those.

Once inside the campus, the sense of serenity is overwhelming. I particularly remember reaching my department in the cold winter mornings to attend the 7 am lectures. There used to be quite a nip in the air and I used to like its freshness.

I remember the tall trees opposite our department building swaying gently in the breeze,the morning light getting filtered through the slender yellow brown leaves, the peacefulness of the surroundings, it used to feel so ethereal, so enchanting.

My department is situated at the farthest end of the campus and it used to take me quite a while to reach there, guiding the autorickwallah to the correct destination. I must admit here that the University campus being so huge, it can be quite a task for a person not familiar with the area to reach the desired destination.

After the lectures, it had become a ritual to frequent the 'Adarsh canteen' adjoining the department building. We used to take the short cut through the overgrown bushes and shrubs to reach the canteen. The tea and the piping hot Corn pattices were the hot favourite. The canteen man used to put a generous amount of lemon grass ( gavati chaha) and milk in the tea which used to make its taste similar to the home made version.

I truly like the neat and clean and such green surroundings of the campus.The tranquility which pervades in the campus fills one's  mind with so much peace. Its like entering into another world , so green, so beautiful.

 I sincerely hope that my love affair with the University campus continues forever and more and more such memories get added to my cherished collection!

Amen!

Meenal.