I became engrossed in his tale and I learnt of many things which previously I wasn’t aware of
I had started my college at Symbiosis Centre of Mass Communication in the first week of July, 2015 and I was both nervous and excited. I had no idea what to expect and how my life at SCMC would be. Turns out it was going to be an enjoyable and memorable experience. I got used to the timetable and the classes pretty soon and made a lot of new friends. I was also excited with the number of field trips and study tours the college had in store for us. Just two weeks into college and I was pleasantly surprised to find out that we were going on a field trip to the Bhaja Caves for history, which had become one of my favourite courses because of the way Sagar Sir taught it!
Bhaja caves are a set of rock cut caves dating to the 2nd century BC near Lonavala. These are National monuments protected by The Archaeological Survey of India. These caves, located on a hilltop are accessible by steps. They were built by the Hinayana sect of Buddhism so that travelling monks going towards the South could find a decent place to rest as well as meditate.
I was extremely excited that day because even though I lived in Pune I had never visited those caves and they promised to tell me a rich story about an era bygone! When we went to the caves, it was drizzling. The pathways were fairly slippery but when we reached the caves, what we saw was worth all the trouble we had taken in climbing! There was a large chamber called the Chaityagriha or the prayer hall with a stupa on one end of it. We were seated in this prayer hall and Sagar Sir started narrating about Buddhism and what significance the caves played in the history of Buddhism. I became engrossed in his tale and I learnt of many things which previously I wasn’t aware of. That day, not only did I experience knowledge in a creative way but also an unimaginable amount of fun. It was one of the most memorable experiences of my life. Little did I know that I was going to have many other such experiences over the years to come in SCMC. Little did I know how much every field trip, study tour, screening or lecture would contribute to my existing knowledge and add to it in ways I had never thought were possible. And for that, I will forever be thankful to my college, Symbiosis Centre of Media and Communication.
Article By – Parul Pawaskar (Batch 2018)
Photograph by – Nayanika Mukherjee (Batch 2019)
