Hala BHU!

Vignettes from a recent and a very quick tour to IT-BHU Campus

Santosh Ojha

4th June 2009

Camp: Varanasi

Lanka seems to have changed. Hi-rises have come up now. And also other signs of “modernity”. Do notice the signboards of Archies, Cyber cafe and DTDC in the picture on the right. Concepts which did not exist when we were at the Institute. We are O L D now!

View of the main gate from WH

This set of hi-rises somewhere behind the old Kohinoor stores.

Lanka is modernising…..

…..and is still as chaotic!

Views of Lanka from Mahamana’s statue

The popular joints of DG Crossing where many-a-life-altering plan was made over chai and cigarettes. Gen-next has taken charge of the pan stalls now. Jawahar has taken over from Moti who is long deceased and Bhairo has taken over from his father, the late Moosa.

Moosa’s stall now run by Jawahar

Bhairo lovingly made me a paan

DG Crossing

Limbdi crossing

No Jhanna, no Bechu… Jhanna stays in Khojwa as I was told, but not running the pan kiosk at Limbdi crossing. And Bechu and his brood are also not around !!

The grand frontage of Limbdi

3rd floor getting added to Vishvesvarayya

Inner courtyard of Visvesvarayya

A view of Limbdi lobbies. Good old towels and undies hang as usual!

Some of our hostels

Visvesvarayya

Limbdi

Mochhu is no more. He passed away nearly two years ago. The store is managed by his sons now. But the fare remains the same. I disocovered now the real name of Mochhu- Ramcharan Patel.

Mochhu is no more…..

The location where many-a-heart palpitated. The WH! The gate had a forlorn look even at around 6.30 in the evening. Summer holidays are on.

Ah! The WH!!

View of the Mandir from Limbdi crossing

The Mandir

Shops at the Mandir entrance

The campus Mandir

Some more of the Mandir and Pandit Malaviya

The Pahalwan clan has split…

…but the lassi-making process is the same.

The Pahalwan family has split. Junior pahalwans now man the two shops of the split clan. Each part soliciting business aggressively as our car parked close by. The taste of the lassi is the same. The price has increased, Rs 20 per big kulhad against Rs 3 we used to pay. They do not make lawang-lata any more. Reason being the demolition of their workshop close by due to road expansion. The road (to Assi) is indeed broad- and 2 way. An expressway in the context of Banaras.

Pahalwan at Lanka

And about the two famous panwallah’s of Lanka? Keshav is still around, and does the honours 9pm onwards. Mahendra, the one next to Pahalwan’s has now passed away.

Madhur Manohar ateev sundar…