a student town so rich and vibrant in culture that it’s like living in a world of its own.
A town so small, yet so vast that it has everything a student would need to survive thrive.
It is not just a town though, it’s a feeling, an emotion, a camaraderie that you cherish for the rest of your life.
There are things that you experience in Manipal that only the “Manipalites” can every truly grasp or understand the meaning of.
Shared experiences of the weather and the fungus blight that threaten to ruin a perfectly good day.
Stories of the people that leave a lasting impact, giving you that tiny little piece of home when you’re at your lowest.
The beauty of the sky, the sun or the moon, seen from every corner of this place, leaving you mesmerized and with that sense of tranquility that you crave.
Here’s a list of a few things that prove you’ve lived in Manipal for quite some time now and also that you’ve survived this place and everything it’s thrown at you:
You’ve stolen borrowed an umbrella from outside your lecture hall (Interact) because you definitely needed it more and knew that the other person would understand and do the same in your position.
After running faster than if you were being chased by a rabid dog, you’ve made it to class sweating and panting only for the biometric to close before recognising your fingerprint.
With one corner of your eye on the dreary professor, you’ve executed the finest of reflexes for your practical buddy whose hammer strikes 10cm far too distant from where it’s supposed to.
You’ve gotten the genius business idea to market your Guyton as a much better and safer alternative to sleeping pills due to its miraculous ability to put you to sleep anytime, anywhere.
You’ve had your hopes of being a model student dashed when you decided to relinquish the standard textbook in favour of that one book that all your seniors swore by.
You’ve run your own 25 din paisa double scheme when you’ve scammed your juniors into buying a boneset because it’s a “very essential tool” for studying anatomy.
Holding your breath, you’ve crossed the threshold of the library with the utmost caution, so as to not tip off the guard about the precious food you’re trying to sneak in inside.
You’ve swam, boated, fought your way to class when it was pouring, and then turned into a popsicle after sitting in the AC for 5 minutes.
When hunger chose the completely wrong time to strike, you’ve used all your haggling and persuasion skills to get even one person to part with that invaluable packet of Maggi during exam season.
You’ve had a friend be the white knight for you when they came to your hostel room with guns slippers blazing just to kill that huge cockroach/ spider near your bed.
You’ve wanted to burn down your room after finding everything covered in fungus; but then calmed down and just given every single piece of clothing for laundry.
You’ve gone to the Beach/ DeeTee/ Baba’s Point, on days when your head felt heavy and nothing else could begin to lighten your mood.
After pulling an all-nighter for that dreaded exam you didn’t study for, you’ve gone to Diga Diga or the Tiger Circle bus stand at 6 in the morning for that magical cup of coffee/ tea that would help you finish the rest of the syllabus.
We couldn’t find an auto, the auto broke down, there was a fire near the club, the club and surrounding areas all burned down… are among the utterly outrageous excuses that you’ve given to the security guard just so they won’t put a late entry when you were only 15 5 minutes past curfew.
These in no way cover everything that make you true Manipalites…
However, you should’ve done atleast 5 to truly be able to call this town your home.
Written by Navya Behrani for MTTN
Edited by Sidhant Tomar for MTTN
Featured image by Ishaa Gupta
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