A hostel around a pond

This is a picture of the water pond at the Men's hostel, Christian Medial college,Vellore, on the occasion of the hostel day celebration in 2007. 

Anna and I have been to the Men's hostel on  few occasions, when Arpit and Anandit were residents in the hostel. When the alumni return to the college for the Alumni week end, I have seen former men's hostel residents return to the hostel and stay around the pond and even jump into it, if the water was clean enough.

The water pond located in the expanse of the courtyard of the hostel is place where several hostel events take place. After a week of initiation, the fresh students were ducked to become eligible residents of the hostel. When there were happy occasions, such as house parties, birthday parties, block parties, class parties, governing board parties, etc.  the party often ended with friends ducking each other with force or by consent in this pond. It was around the pond, friends would gather around for social chats late night. There were occasions, when the mischievous behaviour of students were punished with ducking. Sometimes students ended their quarrels by having a common ducking session. The stories about this pond are diverse and  humorous to listen to.

It was on the pond, a temporary structure to convey the theme of each Hostel day was usually erected. This used to be the highlight of every year as many men students would  spend several nights for couple of weeks, preparing parts of this structure, without leaking out the theme or the design of the structure to the women students, who normally spy on them to take away the element of surprise. There are several more happy memories, students would have of the  events that took place around this pond. 

Even for a one time visitor, the pond is a special place as the Edward Gault drive way, named after the professor of Pathology and the warden of the Men's hostel, who took the lead to construct the hostel, is circling around the pond. The hostel itself has been a happy home for generations of men students; and it would have been less than that,  had it not been for the pond.

For Men's students at CMC, Vellore, this pond was a meeting place. It is a pity, that,  it is becoming less of it now, as many students are driven by the internet world. 

A medical student needs to be a well rounded social being if he wants to be a holistic physician later !

M.C.Mathew(text and photo)