Alumni meet as St Paul’s turns 150 - 250 ex-students expected to attend event

St Paul’s School. Picture by Suman Tamang

St Paul’s School. Picture by Suman Tamang

St Paul’s School. Picture by Suman Tamang

Vivek Chhetri, TT, Darjeeling, Oct. 22: St Paul’s School in Darjeeling is planning an international alumni meeting from October 30 for three days to mark the 150th year of the institution in the hills.

Around 250 ex-students from around the world are expected to gather.

Bishop George Edward Lynch Cotton had moved St Paul’s School from Calcutta to Darjeeling in 1864. Now after 150 years, St Paul’s School and Old Paulites — the alumni of the school — are preparing to celebrate “Paulite Forever”, a global get together of all Old Paulites, not only to express their gratitude towards the school, but also to reaffirm that Darjeeling is still a distinguished educational hub in India.

Rev. Joy Halder, the rector, today said: “Old Paulities from (the batch of) 1954 onwards will be coming back to St Paul’s for Paulite Forever. During the three-day gathering, starting from October 30.

Paulites from North America, Europe, Thailand, Nepal, Bangladesh, Bhutan and the rest of the country will be visiting the school.”

St Paul’s School was founded in Calcutta in 1823 by John William Ricketts and named The Parental Academic Institution.

It was housed in various locations in Park Street and in Chowringhee, roughly where the Indian Museum in Calcutta now stands.

In 1864, Bishop George Edward Lynch Cotton moved the school to Jalapahar hill in Darjeeling. At an altitude of nearly 7,500 feet, St Paul’s became a public school at the highest altitude in the world then.

Cotton is also the founder of the Bishop Cotton School in Shimla.

“Paulite Forever is also an attempt to reaffirm that Darjeeling is still an education hub of India,” said Rev Halder.

The Church’s religious affiliation lies with the Church of North India.

Before St Paul’s was established, the Loreto nuns had set up Loreto Convent in October 10, 1846.

Asked if the recent political agitation had hampered students’ inflow, an administrative official of the school said that the effect “was not as bad as we had thought.”

St Paul’s has 480 boys on its roll at present.

During the three days of celebration, the school team will play a cricket match with a combined team of Old Paulites from Bangladesh and Calcutta.

“The school will also stage a musical Joseph And His Amazing Technicolour Dream Coat. The junior boys will also stage a play, Alladin,” said Rev Halder.

Events like flower arranging competition for the wives of OP’s, squash and football matches along with photography and art and craft exhibition will also be held.

A well know theatre personality, Prannay Gupta, who is also an Old Paulite will also be staging an award winning play From Kabir to Kavi during the celebration.

A number of Bollywood films like Do Anjanne, Mera Naam Joker, Chor aur Chandni, Main Hoon Na and Barfi! have been shot at St Paul’s .