Aligarh : Walking in the AMU

Our large university campuses have a beauty, a feel of their own. Having savoured the environs of the Maharaja Sayajirao University, the Banaras Hindu University, the Allahabad University and the Forest Research Institute I was keen to put in time - doing nothing in particular - at the Aligarh Muslim University. Finally was able to visit Aligarh and walk the campus.

The campus is open, treed and neat. The buildings it houses are inviting. Many of these buildings are old, some have the exposed brick exteriors and most seem to have windows which had us pause our walk and re-look.

Jarokhas made for stories!

Next to the very graceful jaali, the air-conditioner looks very much out of place!

The art gallery is clean and spacious. Some of the paintings displayed were - to put simply - exceptional. Next to the art gallery sits a canteen - the late morning winter sun lent it a special feel. Just outside the art gallery sits an art installation made with used glass bottles. Inside a spiral stair-case appears like an art installation itself.

On the first glance I wondered if it had a small swing inside!

Are the windows lending beauty to the staircase or is it the other way round?

Besides the art gallery the campus boasts of a museum of its own. A museum which, besides else, also told me that the word 'buck' is used for 'money' as, at some point of time, it was buck (deer) skin that was used at 'currency'. Wonder why I never thought of this! The library too has a museum of its own. The treasures here include farmaans issued by Mughal emperors and a Quran written on deer skin!

What all M F Hussain did in one lifetime! and how!

Nassim Nicholas Taleb stands out in this particular section as one enters the library!

The mosques.

And, the serenity.