Skylab is more or less the same.
Students mill about in small groups, and snack on items
from the now substantial menu. Kapoorji no longer graces
Skylab itself. It is instead run by Pappu, who is now
married and sports a respectable french beard.
The beard, however, does nothing to hide the Kapoor
clan's distinctive incisors.
Notice the new memorial to GD at the back. It's a little too large, in my view, and sticks out sorely. I wish they'd shown a little more restraint in size and more innovation in design.
Here's something new. I don't recall anyone owning
a suit in my time. Yet here's a whole group of students,
fully suited, taking pictures of themselves. Apparently,
they are organizers of Apogee, the academic festival
held each March. Apogee (or Academic Week) was started
in 1984, if I remember correctly. It is now a
signature event on campus, equal in stature if not
extramural attendance, to Oasis.
Sridhar and I fondly recall the many winter days
spent entirely at Skylab. The pond beyond is still
stocked with fish, possibly descendants of the ones
we saw.
Here's a view of the desert beyond campus. There are
now some houses on the horizon. Apparently, some
developer has built houses (not pictured here)
for retired faculty. Ever wonder what faculty do
after retiring? Either they head back to family,
in whichever part of India, or they stay in Pilani
outside campus. I felt a twinge of sadness at hearing
this. Imagine living your life here and facing the
prospect of settling in a new environment, most
probably more expensive, noisy and polluted.
The only alternative, continuing in Pilani,
seems equally depressing, being reminded every
day that you are an outsider after retirement.
Here are some pictures of the left side on the museum.
The nice open space has been invaded by Birla's old
DC-3. I'm not sure this was a good idea.
