Manish Kumar
Post News Network
Bhubaneswar, March 1: Youth is that time of life when one wants to enjoy and experience. Students, needless to say, form the backbone of this community comprising young adults. In the last two decades, the city has transformed itself into a hub of opportunities, where many students and youths from different parts of the country throng to either continue their higher studies or pursue their career in some reputed firms. The advent of some reputed educational institutions and the emergence of some reputed IT companies have only widened the arena.
Most of the youths from either the city and or outside, however, seldom miss out on the scope of hanging out at their chosen spots in the city to liven up their leisure time. They meet up with their friends there to either unwind or discuss ‘matters of concern’, which may range from studies to assignments to issues ‘very personal’.
OrissaPost went around the town talking to students, both boys and girls, to find out where they love to spend their leisure time. The staple zones such as the Inox, the shopping malls, the local tea stalls are there. But the most amazing of the hangout zones, other than the run-of-the-mill ones just mentioned, believe us or not, turned out to be places close to one’s college!
Deshant Mishra, a BTech student from KIIT said, “Me and my friends love to squeeze out some time from our regular schedule for some tea of coffee. Every day around 6pm our friend group, comprising around 10 people, flocks to the local bakery shop next to our university campus. Even I have observed that like us many KIITians have made that bakery shop their favourite hangout spot. We love to have tea, somebody likes to have some biscuits, somebody prefers soft drinks and everything is available nearby. This gives the joint a brownie point”
Priyanka Behera, a student of Orissa University of Agriculture and Technology (OUAT) and her friends spend their evenings near the girl’s hostel. “Evening is the time when majority of the students head to some hangout joints to spend some quality time with friends.
“We have our girl’s hostel near Gopabandhu Chakk and many street food vendors flock to the Chakk during evening to cater to the demands of students. A lot of food ranging from tea, chaat, gol gappa and dosa are served to the students who love to spend time there.
“Even the street from Gopabandu Chakk to OUAT campus is often crowded with vendors to cater to the needs of students,” Priyanka said.
Priya Swain, an under-graduate student of RD Women’s College, and her friends prefer the nearest Big Bazaar to while away their evenings. “For us the closest point where we as a group can meet and relax is the Big Bazaar mall in Satyanagar. The arrangement for sitting makes the point most happening. Some of us regularly go there to talk, have tea and shop without worrying about our safety. As this place is situated at the heart of the city, good connectivity to the joint and easy availability of street food there attract us the most.”
Pradeep Mohanty, a student doing his masters in political science from Utkal University, however, hates the area around his seat of learning as a place where he and his friends may unwind. “For us the area near Vani Vihar is not very happening. We often avoid the spot. We choose to either go to the Big Bazaar mall area for a good time or sometimes we opt for area near Inox. Many people who’re crazy about movies love to visit the place and we also get some joints there to sip on tea or coffee and chat for hours. Apart from time pass, we visit the mall for window shopping too.”
