IIT Kanpur Revisited: Hall 4 canteen is missing us!

You feel the same bliss when you enter the campus. The lush green serenity, the intellectual inspiring faces around you, casual carefree dressing, cycles and cycle stands, neat and marked roads, guards with Lathis.. nothing has changed! Lets look at what has happened to the most famous hangouts at IIT K!

What happened to Hall 4?

I am sure this is the first and for most of you, the only thing that you want to know. The canteen vendor is the same. He and his brother run the business, like before and they have also taken the contract for Hall 3 Canteen.

Hall 4 Canteen Owner hasn’t changed!

They still serve the very famous DP at Rs 5, DCBM (Dal Chawal Butter Mix) at Rs24, Masala Nimbu Pani and Veg Maggi. Look at the menu card and spot your favourite item, I am sure the rates have not changed much. I finally made him confess to the fact that IIT Rajasthan fellows boosted his sales more than anybody else in 2 years time! He was very gentle to not charge for all that I ate today.

Menu Hall 4 Canteen

 They have expanded the sitting area inside and have laid out tables. Though, people still prefer to sit on the lawns and eat. Remember the area right behind the  hall 4 kitchen where we used to find many PhDs sitting and smoking Suttas? That area has been cemented and smoking has been strictly curbed.

New Tables and Chairs at Hall 4 Canteen

Everybody Loves sitting and eating on the Lawns!

What happened to SAC?

SAC stands for Student Activity Center. This is the heart of IIT K during fests like Antaragni. Remember the famous graffiti wall inside SAC? Year by Year the talent improved by leaps and bounds! Here is what it looks like right now!

Entrance to SAC

Student Activity Center (SAC)

The famous Graffiti Wall!

What happened to Hall 1?

Hall 1 is where the Bap ke baap ke baap live. Which means the 4th yearites! The age old tradition of using a proper basket ball court as a cricket pitch is still followed here. The much hyped up fear from  Hall 1 inmates, still persists. The best of the security guards are detailed at this hostel. Perhaps it is the most notorious one.

What happened to HC?

HC stands for health Center. This is the place where you take admission if you have not prepared for end sem and you do not want to get flunked. You also come here when you are really ill. However, most of the severe cases are not dealt with and referred to the Regency Hospital in Kanpur.

This Ambulance at HC, seems to be new!

Entrance of HC is the same.

What happened to SBRA?

Well, how could I not go here! Many more similar buildings have come up. Faculty lives here. Looking at the number of faculties living in these apartments, it seems the faculty crunch no more exists!

The first thing I clicked is the famous electric lever that my dear buddy Ankit took out his frustration on and ended up paying a huge fine for breaking it! It looks like it has been running fine since then! 😛

My friends used to take their frustration out on the lever in the power cabinet!

The building still looks the same!

SBRA Building! We stayed here for a year

What happened to the Barracks?

We stayed at the barracks for a year. Fortunately these barracks are now occupied by the SIS guards and apparently now there are two of them! I wasn’t allowed to go inside 😦

What happened to MT?

MT is famous for its chai stalls with evening and morning snacks. The place is extremely dirty, but it doesn’t deter the inmates from coming here to eat, almost everyday! The famous poori aalo and hot jalebi in the morning is still a daily habit for many. I went late in night and most of the things were closed, so could not get pics!

What happened to Girls Hostels?

I was expecting that there might have been an increase in the number of girls hostels. But there are still 2.

GH1: Senior B.Tech Girls+PhD

GH 2: Junior B.Tech Girls+M.Tech+MBA

What happened to Shop C?

Well guys, remember the  Campus Restaurant at Shop C? I was shocked to see it still runs! I had the most overwhelming moment at Shop C. Remember the narrow entrance into Shop C with tailor shop, barber shop and an old book shop on the right. Followed with a book shop on the left and a grocery store on the right. Leading to the Punjab Bank and an ATM. The pastry shops and travel agent and cycle repair. Everything and everyone is the same. Not only did I recognize all the shopkeepers, they all remembered us from IIT Rajasthan! It is so dear a moment to me that I don’t want to spoil it for you by giving pictures. Go and experience it for yourself!

What happened to the EVS Building?

EVS building was our lecture hall. It stands for Environmental Science Building. It is all full of labs now. The fountain at the back runs 24×7. The mysterious bathrooms that are said to operated in solar power, had all the lights switched on at 10:00 pm in the night. I did switch them off while coming out.  So I am not sure how the building plans to be environment friendly. The Helicopter building at the back, is also full of labs.

What Happened to our Houses and Mess?

Lol. House No. 503 is the Counselling Service House! 😛

House 503: Counselling Service House

Our Mess has been hijacked by Yes+ Guys. They have turned it into a meditation center! 

What is new at IIT Kanpur?

The indoor stadium. Oh My God!

Night Lamb inaugurated at Golden Jubilee

Indoor Basket Ball Stadium

Squash Court

Badminton Court

Billiards Room

What happened to the Diro House?

Diro House is where the director lives. There are occasional high tea sessions. I am sure you all know that Dhande Sir retired. I met him at Pune, he is travelling across the country. Coming to the Diro House. Flaura and Fauna is missing. It is plain, simple and bland now. Very Surprising!

What happened to Ganne ka Juice Shops outside campus?

Remember the ganne ka juice shops and the laptop repair shops right outside the campus? The gane ka juice shop still serves juice at Rs 10  for chota glass and rs 15 for bada glass, while the laptop repair shops are charging Rs 1500 for formatting! 😛

What happened to Kanpur?

The Railway Station still looks as dingy as before. The entrance is as clogged as it used to be and people still shamelessly refer to that bumpy, ill – maintained, slightly elevated road across the bus stop, as a “Flyover” ! The Autos still choose to drive on the sides of the roads rather than on the roads and the entrance to IIT Kanpur is as scary as it always has been! There are three malls now!

But IIT Kanpur is a living example of the phrase: “Beauty Never Ages!”

The beautiful two years that we spent at IIT Kanpur have been engraved as the golden memories of our lives! If you get a chance to visit the campus again, please don’t miss it for anything. 

Shivansh Chaudhary @ IIT Kanpur from 2008-2010