1. The Watsa Stadium
If you think Watsa is a place only for running enthusiasts and people who love to exercise, you are missing out on a lot of fun experiences. Want to go for an early morning jog? Want to have a random afternoon breakdown session? Want inspiration for art and poetry? Want to catch a beautiful sunset while enjoying some me-time musings? Some lovely evening walks with friends/partner? A night stargazing spell? You name it and Watsa is the answer. Time seems to freeze when you enter Watsa by the pretty bridge with overhanging boughs. The deer by the greens, an airplane and flocks of birds overhead, people lost in their worlds paint a pretty picture, and make Watsa, not a mere stadium but a beautiful circle of solace. Music in ears, lazing on the stands, gazing at the vast expanse of green and blue down and up, seems to slow down life by the tracks of Watsa and provides a little respite from the endless races we run every day.
The mornings and evenings are favourable for extroverts, with many people milling around, some for leisure, some for exercise. For introverts, odd hours in the afternoon serve the purpose, when the empty stadium is a picture of peace (in the company of deer and the occasional monkey, of course). Nighttime Watsa is an eerie place, but a haven for those who love to stare at stars for hours (if you are single, I strongly suggest you avoid this place during 10 pm-12 am. Also, beware of the watchmen always!). Nevertheless, Watsa is an endearing place at all times of the day and all seasons of the year (if you don’t mind the rains, that is), and an avenue to amazing memories!
2. Die Bushaltstelle
This weird-sounding word is a German translation for ‘the bus stops’. Perhaps one of the most exciting places on campus is its bus stops. For the onlookers, it is just a small bench platform to wait (mostly bored) for the bus. But it is so much more than that.
For starters, it is a go-to place for raucous friend groups to spend quality time. Whether it is friendly banter, energetic political and academic arguments or intimate conversations, the bus stops can be likened to perfect places to chill. Some of the most memorable times are spent with friends here. The insti bus stops are witness to many amazing stories and heartfelt convos shared between friends. It is a quick shelter from the rain and the sun, a spot to strike up conversations with strangers while you kill time waiting for the (always) slightly late bus, and of course, also a popular place for couples to hang out at night.
But most importantly, it is a place where routine life comes to a standstill and the world races past. Deer munching on grass and crossing the road, cycles rushing by, acquaintances calling out to you and a playful cat meandering at your feet. All the people with their own lives, whims and quirks passing along, while you observe everything from an aloof window. When alumni visit the campus, they get respite at the bus stops, catching up with their old lives and all the years that passed by, while trying to fit into the shells of their lives at IITM.
Couples in love, laughing, chattering friends, busy residents, a quiet someone lost in their musings, the insti bus stops have seen it all, being stoic witnesses to thousands that have stopped, waited and passed through.
Edited by Amirtha Varshini V C
Article 19 