Video Shows IIT Kharagpur Professor Hosting Students, Serving Them Lunch On His Birthday

A heartwarming video from IIT Kharagpur has gone viral, capturing a birthday celebration that's winning the internet for all the right reasons. Professor Aurobinda Routray, who was celebrating his birthday, marked the occasion not in a lecture hall but in a garden surrounded by his students. The celebration is being hailed as a beautiful example of a healthy mentor-student relationship that extends beyond textbooks and classrooms.

The viral clip shows the professor cutting a chocolate cake as students gather around, cheering and clapping.

Instead of being served, the professor took it upon himself to host and personally served food to his students and even handed out cutlery. The meal featured a generous spread, including pasta, ice cream, pooris, rice, dal, and a variety of curries, with students seen enjoying the feast together outdoors.

Shared by a student-run Instagram account, the video quickly gained traction, with internet users praising the professor's humility and warmth. "Your professor invited you for his birthday," read the text insert on the video.

Watch the video here:

Many users commented on his approachable nature, contrasting it with their own academic experiences, while some former students recalled their time under his mentorship, describing him as friendly and responsive.

One user wrote, "Awww, this is so cute."

Another commented, "I was selected for a summer internship under him. He's a very friendly person and always replies to mail."

"The legend of AR, sir…Very down-to-earth person… Hope to meet you, sir, once again on the campus," said the third while a fourth added, "Damn, this reel unlocked a memory from college days. Routray sir invited us to his place when I was doing a project under him."

A fifth person said, "Please go to my HOD's feed."