Unity in diversity

The journey to Planet-E and back: A walk down memory lane

A series of blogs about my alma mater - Amrita School of Business(ASB) located in the beautiful village of Ettimadai which we Amritians fondly call ‘Planet-E’ and the happenings in the eventful two years of my life there. Dedicated to all Amritians.

Unity in diversity

I had always found new places very daunting. I used to dread the very thought of travelling to a new place. However my experience in Ettimadai was different. For the first time in my life, I was totally devoid of the anxiety and fear of being in a new place. I really felt at home there. It was very unlike me. I guess it was the first of the many changes that happened to me during the two years that I spent at Ettimadai.  

The first day in college was very special. I still remember that day as if it were yesterday. We were the sixteenth batch of students of the institution. The college was bustling with new students and their parents. I could see anxious faces everywhere – anxious students and their even more anxious parents. I was trying to look for a familiar face in the crowd, but to my disappointment could not find any.

The inauguration of our batch was to take place in the college auditorium called Sree Krishna Hall. We at ASB call it the ‘SKH’. It has a very special place in every ASBian’s life. From the inaugural ceremony to the convocation ceremony, SKH is the place where all the important events in ASB happen. All ASBians have very fond memories associated with SKH. For me, one of the fondest memories would undoubtedly be that of the inauguration day. The function began with a prayer. It was followed by a series of speeches by the dignitaries at the function. We were addressed by our then Dean Dr. Gurumurthy Kalyanaram, an MIT scholar, whom we fondly used to call “GK”. His presence totally changed the atmosphere in SKH from serious to lively. He came down from the dais and shook hands with the students and greeted everyone saying “How are you my friend?”. He occasionally cracked some jokes and won over the audience. We were also taken by surprise when he recited a sloka in Sanskrit!

It was a day of speeches, but there was never a dull moment. Every professor, every guest who addressed us that day shared with us very valuable lessons from the wisdom that came from years of experience in their domain. They were all stalwarts in their fields. Our professors have great pedigree – IIM, XLRI, JNU, Berkeley, Texas and other top notch institutions. What surprised me the most was the humbleness and simplicity of these great minds. I considered myself fortunate to have got an opportunity to interact with them.

It was on that day that we came to know that our batch comprised of students from U.P, Bihar, West Bengal, Delhi, A.P, Tamilnadu and Kerala. There were students like me who had worked prior to joining the college and then there were also students who were fresh out of college. We were a batch of students from different regions of our nation, with varied educational backgrounds, and belonging to different age groups. But we were all united by the purpose that had brought each of us to Ettimadai – to learn. As the inauguration ceremony came to a close the conversations among the students started. We started talking to each other and the differences just seemed to melt away.

Two years later as I write this, many of the people whom I had met for the first time that day are now my best friends. They were total strangers to me two years back and now they are an inseparable part of my life. We have stood by each other through thick and thin in the last two years. The first day in college not only marked a new phase in our lives, but also the beginning of many a friendship. Together we began the journey towards our goal and what a journey it has been!