It was 2020 when I got admitted to the BSc (Hons.) Mathematics program at BHU, Varanasi. However, due to COVID and lockdowns, it was only in 2022 that I went to the campus. Almost two years of my three-year bachelor's degree was spent at home, taking classes on Google Meet and taking OBEs (Open Book Examinations). During that time, I went to BHU only once for my document verification process. When I was in the fourth sem of my BSc, the campus opened for offline classes, in late Feb 2022. In this article, I am sharing my experience of the few months I spent in BHU.
Campus:
The huge campus of BHU is like a mini city. Everything that you need can be found inside or near the campus. Founded in 1916 by Pt. Madan Mohan Malviya, BHU has 5 institutes, 16 faculties, and around 135 departments in its 1300+ acre area main campus. The serene campus even has many temples inside, particularly the Vishwanath Temple of BHU, popularly called the VT. I have been to many campuses in the country for various camps, internships, and interviews but there's nothing like BHU. The peace and calmness it offers to our mind is incredible. No matter how stressed you are, just a trip to the nearby Ganga Ghats or the VT is more than enough to calm you. Truly, there's no city like Banaras and no institute like the Banaras Hindu University.
Second Year:
I came to Varanasi when just 2 months of my second year were remaining. Unfortunately, I couldn't get any room in the institute hostels and hence, had to find a place to stay outside the campus. I found a PG hostel near the Naria gate of BHU and took a double-sharing room with a friend there. To attend the classes, we had to walk around 2 km every day from the PG to the Lecture Theatre Complex (LTC), where the classes of BSc students are held. Also, since it wasn't very feasible to return to the PG for lunch, we used to have lunch in the institute hostels on a payment basis. The daily up and down tired me a little and hence, I didn't try to explore the city much. I just visited the nearby Ghats and temples in those two months.
Even after offline classes for 2 months, the students demanded OBE for the semester. After various protests, the administration bowed to the demands and hence, OBE was announced for us. As a result, I came back to my home after the classes were over.
Third Year:
Thanks to my grades in the first four semesters of my course, I was alloted a room in the Ramakrishna Hostel for the third and final year of my course. Since the food in the RK Hostel Mess was a bit better than other hostels alloted to the BSc students, I was very glad. Also, it was just behind the VT and hence, I couldn't have asked for anything more. Everyday after dinner, I used to go to the VT and talk to Mahadev for a while.
Since it was the final year, we had started preparing for JAM and other master's degree entrace test. We couldn't afford to go to every place in Varanasi and nearby places we had initially planned of in 2020. But we tried our best to balance our exploration and studies. Often we used to reward ourselves after an all-nighter by walking to the Ghats to watch the Morning Ganga Aarti and seek the blessings of the Kashi Vishwanath. The street food of Varanasi is at next level in terms of taste and price. No matter where you go, you'll find gems of street food. Lassi, Samosa, Launglata, Kachaudi, Tamatar Chat and what not. Just imagining these have filled my mouth with water and forcing me to plan a trip to Varanasi. Even momos and chinese street foods of Varanasi are worth every penny spent on them. The nearby restaurants offer a 10% discount to the BHU students. We often celebrated birthdays there and had plenty of delicious foods at reasonable prices.
The campus is so big and mystic that it'll take weeks to explore it completely and find all the hidden gems. The Bhart Kala Bhawan is an incredible museum, situated in the campus itself. The Madhuban Park or the Botanical Garden are amazing places to spend an evening. On every turn, you'll find a chai tapri serving hot tea, samosa, kachaudi and chhola. You'll get everything that you crave for inside BHU or at a walking distance from BHU.
After spending the last two sems in BHU, it was finally the time to say goodbye. The days spent in BHU, the people I met there and the memories I made will stay with me till my last breathe. BHU is and always will be a home to me.