The peepul tree education in Narnaul

In the 70s, transition from school to college for me was quite a shock. We entered college immediately after matriculation and enrolled in the Prep year, supposed to be a precursor to the three-year BA. I studied in Government College, Narnaul, a small town in the back of beyond in Mahendragarh, Haryana.

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Entering college at 14, I was both bewildered and delighted by the freedom it brought. For the first time there was no uniform. I could wear any clothes that appealed to me, and which necessitated my parents replenishing my wardrobe.

The college canteen was our favourite hangout. Tea and samosas did not cost much. You could treat 3-4 friends for just one rupee!

Though the college had a sprawling campus but the number of classrooms was never adequate for the ever-increasing number of students, especially for those from the humanities section.

Right at the beginning, one of the professors told us that some of the classes will be held near the UPT and the UNT. After a dramatic pause, he explained their full form — UPT meant under the peepul tree and UNT was under the neem tree. There were guffaws of laughter all around.

We really loved our classes under the UPT and the UNT, particularly during the monsoon. Because rains meant more canteen time and gup-shup over chai-samosa.

Whenever old college friends gather, reminiscences about classes under the UPT and the UNT always bring smiles, and fond memories of those carefree days.

Somesh Goyal, New Delhi