Memories, Marvels & Mridang

Geetanjali Hostel vibrantly abodes budding aspirations by the day and merry chitter chatter by the night. It provides residents a constantly evolving environment honing their interpersonal skills through a string of events placed round the year.

The year round enthusiasm culminates into Mridang – the annual cultural festival conducted during the months of February- March. While I am writing this down, my mind is occupied gazing at the images of  yesteryear. The hair-raising year of 2020 made us all rethink about the stark realities of life. While everyone bore their share of brunt in different forms, it was particularly difficult for places like hostels and rental accommodations.

While many of them shut down completely, Geetanjali held its ground through strong, timely and effective decisions by the administration and amicable co-operation by the residents. The ride of 2020 might be downhill in many ways but took all of us on an uphill journey of emotions. As the Photos application of Google helps us revisit memories in chronologically arranged folders of images, our minds work a little better they accommodate emotions too! While I am thinking this through, I am reminded of them all, the laughter , the sleepless but exciting nights, the chatter during the preparation days , putting bead by bead in our string.  Yes, this and a lot more is captured in my mind’s February 2020 folder. It was the time our hostel was busy prepping for Mridang.

With uncertainty, creeping in minds, we had no clue about the fruits of the seeds we were busy sowing. The conviction of  residents and the warden was still undeterred as a little ray of hope was as comforting as bountiful sunshine. Expectant of conducting it in the pursuit of time and within the safety protocol, we worked but things couldn’t work and may be for the best. All the enthusiasm,  nervousness, thrill, fun, hues of preparation ended up in boxes instead of meeting their magnanimous display on the stage in our backyard.

And when I say ‘boxes’ they are cartons neatly placed in the Girls Common Room and they are those invisible ones in our hearts. The former ones accommodating embellishments of creativity and the latter ones embodiments of bliss and contentment. We were not saddened to not be able to perform as we adore the preparation days. Its somewhere in the air that blows in Geetanjali which taught us to cherish the journey even if the destination perishes! It worked for us; It shall work for life as well.

In Hopes for brighter tomorrows! 

In the world; for everyone

In Geetanjali Hostel; for us, for our Mridang!