Perhaps the most pivotal part of our institute’s legacy is how it constantly reinvents itself, keeping up and often staying one step ahead of the ever-changing research and corporate landscape. But some legends, frozen in time, continue to find their place in every student’s hearts. This holds especially true for residents of Vishwakarma Bhawan, home to the oldest redi on campus– Nagar Ji Ki Redi. For this edition of The Fine Print, the English Press Club (EPC) sat down with Nagar Ji on a lazy Sunday afternoon to learn more about him and his personal life, as well as the secret behind being in business for decades on end.
As two cups of piping-hot tea arrived, Nagar Ji started off by introducing himself. His pride in his family was quite evident as he spoke at length about his wife, children, and grandchildren. While most of them now lived elsewhere in pursuit of higher education, Nagar Ji and his wife continued to reside in Pilani, which had been home to generations of their family over the last century. Tracing back his roots, he recalled that his ancestors initially worked for the Birla family, tending their gardens and working in their schools and colleges.
The VK redi, a relic of the past, was now operated by Nagar Ji and Pawan Ji. While Pawan Ji now handled most of its day-to-day operations, Nagar Ji continued to contribute and work with the same vigilance as Pawan Ji. The duo had been the apple of students’ eyes for decades. A testament to this is that alumni visiting campus always take their time out to stop by Nagar Ji’s redi and have a chat with them.
As the conversation continued, he reminisced about the BITS Pilani of the past. Vijay’s in C’not Place was initially jointly operated by Nagar Ji and his brothers, Mahavir Saini and Ramjilal. He recalled that before ANC, FM and all the other eateries on campus came up, C’not used to experience high footfall almost every single day, since students who missed meals in the mess had no other option but to eat at these restaurants or at the redis. While the campus itself had changed a lot over the years, Nagar Ji still believed that, at its core, BITS Pilani was the same as it had been decades ago. This feeling was quite evident as he remarked, ‘Sab mere family jaise lagte hai, ghar jaise hi.’ (Everyone here is family, just like home)
The COVID-19 pandemic defined the early part of the decade. While for students it meant staying at home and attending online lectures, for on-campus business owners like Nagar Ji, it meant losing their livelihood. He began by saying that some alumni provided monetary help during this rough period to help sustain household expenses, while BITSAA provided rations to all redi owners. The pandemic’s effects were not limited to just the lockdown period. As students returned to campus, it took time for business to come back to pre-pandemic levels. While it has been many years, Nagar Ji believes that his redi’s footfall hasn’t recovered to this day. He was of the opinion that one major contributing factor was the introduction of UPI. Elaborating on this, he mentioned that earlier, an ‘account system’ used to be followed, wherein students would settle their accounts with him at the end of the month. However, after the introduction of UPI, this system ceased to exist. This quick payment method had led to him losing his loyal customers to competitors.
The joint’s menu used to be significantly different earlier than it is today. Items such as Kela Rabdi, Gulab Jamun Rabdi, and Mango Shake were once hot sellers. Over time, demand shifted to newer offerings such as Papdi Chaat, sandwiches and varieties of Maggi, among others, due to which these legacy food items were phased out of the menu.
During our conversation, a student approached Pawan Ji and asked for a single glass of milk to use for his protein shake. While most owners would refuse such a demand, Nagar Ji gladly obliged, offering to fill up his shaker with fresh milk for whatever amount of money he was willing to part with, an apt example of his character and perhaps also the big secret behind his success over the years.
Nagar Ji further appreciated the grandeur of Oasis and BOSM, the annual cultural and sports fests, respectively. He believed that although more outstation participants took part in these fests earlier, they are still fun and he hopes to someday be able to go to the Main Auditorium to witness some of the events during Oasis live.
In his message for students– past and present–he urged them to eat freely, study well and be happy wherever they ended up. He was also grateful for all the love and fame that the community had given him. His final thought was just as passionate as Nagar Ji himself– ‘Wherever you are, make BITS proud.’ With that, he signed off, for it was now rush hour and time for business as usual.