The Fine Print Issue One, January 2015 | Page 6

THE COOKIE JAR EPC brings you the latest from Pilani’s very own. A section by you, for you. Not necessarily about you, however. Having been regaled with countless accounts of the mela in the previous semester, we were determined not to miss it this time around. Instinctively curious about what is the unique je ne sais quoi about this congregation that attracts hordes of BITSians and Pilani residents alike, we stepped into the grounds, taking up the matter for ourselves. As expected, the group made a beeline for the Columbus ride. As the ship gradually climbed higher swinging back and forth, the realisation of it being controlled manually alternately by an operator and his kid added a certainly unforeseen thrill to one’s experience in the contraption. Looking out for the clock tower from the highest point, not to mention laughing at the people screaming while slyly holding on to your seat so hard that your fingers turned white, it was no wonder it left people unwilling to get down once the ride was over. p e r fo r ma nc e , dancing to the music as we were narrated about the miracle about to unfold. Midway through her dance, she turned into a snake - which might have borne a slight resemblance to an image projected onto a screen which acted as a veil, but accounts vary as supporters continue to stand by the transformation. The incessant talk of the mela however, was attributed to the 'Melting Woman Aurat Bani Naagin'. Having been referred to by many, and now slightly less The 'Breakdance' left many a neck sore and the young lad switching carts while reliable, people as a show that you cannot afford to miss, we went in with high riding the rickety Ferris wheel turned quite a few heads. Having had our fill of hopes. As the lady, who appeared to be more than a little tires, began her cotton candy and bhel, we walked our slightly dizzy selves back to the campus, hoping to make the mela a tradition for every semester. Few campuses in our country can boast of a 60 year old saga as ours. To pay tribute to the same, we debut a new series of articles in this issue, chronicling periodic sketches of some wizened residents of Pilani. In the process, we’ll debunk some myths and cement a few others. Enter the VK Rediwale. “Please call me Nagarji. Everyone calls me that. I have no surname.” BITS, from Nagarji’s father, who worked in G.D Birla’s