...I spent two of the most important years of my life at MDI. Whenever I reflect back on those years, I become very nostalgic. Not only were the experiences that I gained there of immense value to me, but it was a very beautiful place. I cannot put on display my experiences, but I can give you a glimpse of how beautiful the place is. Here you go...
MDI from top, Google Earth. A quick rundown of the layout of the campus - Closest near right are the academic blocks. Further along the right next we have the NMP hostel, the tennis and badminton courts follow next and then followed by library and computer centre and finally the main reception.
On the left hand side you have the parking slots, followed by boys hostel (the U shaped structure), then the mess followed by ladies hostel. The vacant plot next is actuall now built up with a spanking new MDP block.
Now, a close up look at each of them individually!
The academic blocks 'Renaissance' where most of the lectures are held
Inside the Academic block. Lecture halls on both sides. The small water fall in the centre was named ' Viagra Falls' by we the students.
The backside of Academic block - place where the mess boys used to play cricket/soccer
Our dear Jha Ji - just behind the Academic block, the venue for a quick frooti or pattice or sandwich in the evenings or just in between lectures. One of our finance professors used this example at identifying good businesses. Jha Ji's business had one of the highest possible RoI, but it lacked scale, so he would say you need to identify business which have a high RoI but also the possibility of being able to deploy more and more capital and relatively high incremental RoI. If you get that, you have a multi-bagger in your hands!
Two photos (one from beside the road, one from top of Acad block) of the back road connecting the Academic block to the main reception - this road is beautiful, if only I had a girlfriend to walk alongside with!
Backside of the NMP hostel (Nalanda) taken from the top of Academic block
Our (in!?)famous golf course - which we saw seldom being used. There was a proposal at one time discussed within the student council to get a coach to teach golf - vehemently opposed by me. Some would like to jog or in winters study in the sun. The foreign students who would come here on exchange program would want to sunbathe here - if there were girls, then many guys would use the road alongside for their 'travelling' purpose!
Takshila - this was a new construction during our time (in fact construction started and completed during our stay). Meant to be the mess for participants at the Executive or Management development programs. It was simply amazing from inside (compared to our mess of course - we got to see it from inside during our placements). And of course another statue in front. The small hump in the lawn that you see just before the staue is titled 'Camels hump' - do not know the reason.
Takshila during night - an amazing sight!
The site of midnight badmintion/tennis/box cricket matches
The main reception, this is typically the place where guests/companies would come for their formal purposes - lectures, programs, placements etc. We had a gate near our hostel for our daily use.
The statue of Buddha inside the main reception - our director is quite fond of such statues! We also have a statue of Swami Vivekanand near the library
The computer centre - the venue for last minute rush during project submission deadlines and also the venue for 'surprise' quizzes by one Prof. B.S.Sahay!
The library - aptly names 'Gyan grih' or house of knowledge translated. A place I seldom visited - really! And of course another staue. Swami Vivekanand this time.
Nescafe - our daily 'Maggi' venue. I do not think cumulatively from now now till end of my life I will eat more Maggi than what I ate in my two years there. This place was most occupied busy post midnights - especially if it was someone's birthday. Just on the left of this we had our canteen where we got decent Sanwiches and Paratha's and of course for the smoking public their supply of cigarettes. Both places would be open till about 3am.
The only disturbing part of Nescafe was that it always would be manned by children - under 14 years of age at times. Many of us were fond of this one child who had come from Nepal here and used to slog for almost 18 hours a day for a paltry sum of 30-50 rupees a day with no schooling. Always thought we ought to have done something for these kids (we would of course give them some woollen clothes during winters) - but never actually took the initative. Sometime later that kid disappeared - never got to know where he went, guess somewhere similar to this - he continues to slog with no education far away from his parents. Life is unfair.
Our play ground - place for cricket and football matches. And of course the yoga classes during induction - who can forget that!
Our main hostel - aptly titled 'Change Masters' Our director would often refer to his students as 'Change Masters' who would go out into the corporate battle field and be masters at handling, initiating 'change'.
Inside our hostel - clothes being dried, it was tough in winters. But a hot water shower at 2 am and then sleep was my normal routine. Me being very fond of sleep, would inevitably miss the 8.30 class and at times even the 12.00 class. Distinctly remember missing a 12.00 class of CRM (Customer Relationship Management) and losing a quiz which the Prof would not allow me to rewrite inspite of such pretty ingenuous excuses. Scored a B in that paper - my worst showing of all papers.
My room, as usual in complete mess. I used to occupy the nearside and my room partner the far side. His side of the room was markedly better kept than mine - always!
It gets very foggy here during winter. These photos were taken at 9.30 in the morning and you can hardly see a thing. Distinctly remember when we were in our first year and we had reached our first break and almost every body was heading home. It was 24th Dec and everyone travelling by plane ended up spending their Christmas eve in a 5 star hotel as all flights were cancelled. I was in Centaur and that was my first visit to a 5 star hotel!
Our mess on 1st floor and ground floor. The food actually was not that bad - but eating same thing almost everyday or every third day does bring boredom.
The 'pigeon' holes - every person had his own box where he got quiz papers, notices, anwer scripts, grades etc. Similarly every prof has one where we submit our project reports etc.
Down town gurgaon from top of Academic block
A truly beautiful place isn't it - the campus?
Regards
