I was born in the small town Goraya, Punjab but brought up on the campus of Punjab Agricultural University (PAU), Ludhiana, as my father was working there as a Professor at an Engineering College. Though I now live in Delhi, but for me the university is not just a place to live and for higher education but a land of serenity, calmness, beauty, flowers, greenery, café’s and friends. In the words of my father, “I feel as if PAU is my mother.” Indeed for us PAU in an individual heaven and love for the place is beyond explanation in words.
Completely different from how my day starts today, those childhood and college days at PAU used to start with tranquillity, my mother’s sweet voice and sitting in the veranda of my house before going out for study or work. Our evenings were even more charming with friends all around and playing different games. Then, the walks after dinner with family till the PAU Library were just amazing. There was beautiful black architecture outside the library with a platform to sit, which still exists today. In that there was one pillar and at the top of it was an egg shaped structure. We used to believe that that structure kept changing its position every year but that had never happened. Even now as well, whenever I go there, I check the position of that egg because that has been stored by default in my mind and I really cherish that.
We used to call PAU a garden because of its immense greenery, seasonal flowers, huge lawns, grounds and experimental fields. And for that reason one can feel the lowering down of temperature by a degree or two by mere entering the gates of the university. However I was really sad to hear that some of the trees on this green land were under axe last week as the land was required to make an auditorium.
Another very memorable part of my heaven is the Kisan mela that is held in the month of March each year. Though it is meant for farmers and scientist but I as kids used to enjoy it a lot because of story books stalls, Verka milk and festival feeling. The small happiness of such kinds are missing in today’s world and giving way to more and more technology. Kids prefer to spend time in front of TV or laptop than visiting such places and that too each year with same vigour.
My college of Journalism, its canteen, friends, sip of hot tea and garm samosas (hot snack) with them in winters, teachers, participation in youth festival and that immense homely feeling everywhere at Punjab Agricultural University are few more to explain my love for that place. I really wish that I remain in touch with PAU and if not in a big way and directly then through small actions can contribute in the growth of PAU and my department. I also pray that the dream of Dr Mohinder Singh Randhawa, the first Vice Chancellor of the University to set an example of green land among growing concrete jungle and Green Revolution in India remains true forever and my heaven remains the same.
