Hello! I am one of the lucky few to have slipped into a B-school without clearing any exams; without poring over books or taking those dreadful mock tests. I did not have to shell out money for my stay here in a small town of Jamshedpur. In fact I have subverted the paradigm, that there is no such thing as a free lunch — I get fed every day for free.
XLRI has been my home ever since I can remember and I am the best source of information for everything and anything that goes around here. If you are still scratching your head, wondering who I am, let me enlighten you — I am the turtle in the pond in front of Bishu Da. Yes, the same turtle who has to hide every time a birthday is in progress, because some fat guy is dunked into the pond, disturbing the otherwise calm water. Apart from that life is good. In fact XLRI has a lot to offer. The famous and oft repeated phrases ‘XLCulture’ and ‘XlMeriJaan’ are not simply the catchy marketing phrases. It is a part of something more. Let me give you a glimpse into our small world of XLRI, where everybody knows everybody on campus.
XLRI's very own Master Oogway (the turtle version).
XL Culture
XL culture or XL bonding is what makes XLRI stand out from other B-schools. A small batch size ensures that everybody knows everybody else. Seniors are regularly seen helping out juniors, even before their own exams. The solidarity that the senior batch shows during the summer placements and support they give to the juniors during the final placements is deeply ingrained in XLRI. The undercurrent of upholding a three-batch culture runs among students. But more than that, it is the feeling of oneness and the sense of cooperation that binds the entire XLRI community. XL culture goes beyond students, faculty and staff. It’s something that can only be experienced, not explained.
Gluttons and garam parathas
If you are hungry in the wee hours or after a midnight study session, Bishu Da is the go-to place. What really endears Bishu Da to the crowd is the ambience of the shop. No glitzy interiors, no dim lighting, no fancy service counters. A Spartan shop that is low on frills but loaded with legacy.
Here, you don’t need to worry about your dressing sense or appearance (you can look like you just walked out of a coal mine and got assaulted by aliens, and still not be judged); it does not matter whether you got a bad grade or had a fight with your girlfriend; whether you have cash in your wallet or appetite for anything; this is the place to unwind. Although he has a diverse repertoire of culinary creations, his parathas are to kill for.
The other legendary eating joint is Dadus. Even though Dadu passed away in 1993, the shop is still popular in the campus. Even now, students love gorging on the samosas given there. Though he is not physically present anymore,Dadu’s reference comes up again and again.
The crooners
It’s not all academics at XL; Bodhi Tree, the XL band, has produced many songs which have touched the hearts of millions. In fact, XL Ki Kudiyan is one of the most famous songs in management and engineering colleges! Other popular numbers include GMD and XL Meri Jaan . The Bodhi Tree is the official campus band of XLRI — probably the only Indian B-school to have one and inarguably, the most well-known campus band in India. These crooners jam late into the night and disturb my sleep, but, like everyone else on campus, I am a fan of their compositions.
Cool committees
Thanks to the magnanimity and wanderlust of the Tata family, Jamshedpur is lucky to be home to some of the most daring and adventure loving employees of the Tata Steel Adventure foundation. XLRI, thankfully, collaborates with TSAF and has a wide gamut of adventure activities lined up throughout the year.
The Outbound, one of the most memorable experiences of students’ Jamshedpur stint, is a three-day stay at a TSAF camp, replete with all kinds of adventure activities. For a place that is as happening as a Doordarshan show on a Monday morning, the only adrenaline rush in the place is the adventure activities that are organised from time to time.
But this is not all.
The calendar is always interspersed with cool activities like paintball, sports wall climbing, indoor rock climbing, go karting and shooting. The Dalma Hills and Dimna lake in the vicinity provide for weekend Dalma Treks and Water sports. This band of merry men that call themselves XLANC (XL Adventure and Nature Club) organise rifle shooting and archery competitions. Then there are lake cleaning drives and fun events like body zorbing and go karting.
The legendary Maxi Fair is a one-of-a-kind marketing fest that is a unique experiment in disguised market research. The brainchild of Dr Sharad Sarin, today Maxi Fair is the stuff of B-school folklore. MAXI, the marketing guys on campus, are unique in terms of the events they organise. From Inter Section leagues and quirky AdTwist campaigns, to the Circus Maximus event, MAXI adds flavour to the otherwise mundane world of business suits and boring excel sheets.
XL-IIMC
This is a legendary event. The sports meet that is eagerly looked forward to, from students of both institutions. It was because students of the two schools felt the need for an interaction, a lasting relationship that would facilitate exchange of ideas and thoughts and also to have some fun that this fierce competition came into being. XL life is never complete without being a part of XL-IIMC, in whatever capacity.
SportsCom, one of the most tight knit committees on campus, is responsible for this one of a kind event. What is unique is that while the players and spectators are at each other’s jugulars on field, they are best friends off it. I have seen it with my own very eyes, sitting by the pond. At the onset of winter, every XLer who is a member of the sporting contingent, starts training diligently. The only thing that XLer plays for is pride.
I guess my life has been pretty exciting in the pond. I am at peace just before the morning rays hit the campus, when everybody is either asleep or just beginning to stir from their slumber. I climb up and sit by the pond’s edge and ruminate. It has been kind to me, it has been my home.
After all I can proudly say — XL Meri Jaan.