Around Varanasi in Assi Days – By Raja Venkateswara (Published by Rupa Publications India

Pack your bags, grab your campus map, and catch a nostalgic express train back to the high-velocity, hilariously chaotic world of Indian engineering colleges in the early 1990s. Written with brilliant comedic timing and sharp cultural observation by Raja Venkateswara, Around Varanasi in Assi Days is a laugh-out-loud coming-of-age novel that perfectly captures the intense pressures, legendary hostel bonds, and unforgettable madness of campus life. For anyone who has ever survived a grueling entrance exam, navigated the bizarre unwritten rules of student dorms, or struggled to find their own voice, this heartwarming book serves as a comforting, hilarious time machine.

The story drops us into the worn-out sneakers of Raja—a deeply relatable, intensely self-doubting teenager with a pronounced stammer and an absolute magnet for awkward situations. When Raja unexpectedly aces the notoriously brutal IIT joint entrance examination, his quiet world is flipped completely upside down. He is abruptly uprooted from his comforting routines and thrown headfirst into the legendary Banaras Institute of Technology (BIT). Set against the timeless, spiritual charm of Varanasi's ghats and the vibrant, bustling artistic energy of nearby Calcutta, the novel chronicles Raja’s bumpy transformation from a naive, stuttering bundle of raw nerves into a confident, eloquent young man ready to face the world.

Moving far past a simple trip down memory lane, Around Varanasi in Assi Days is an affectionate, witty exploration of the unique subculture of Indian engineering hostels. Venkateswara populates Raja's new world with a colorful cast of eccentric seniors, intense roommates, and campus legends, turning the grueling four-year academic marathon into a vibrant, multi-layered adventure: