165-year-old Hardwicke School gets a new coat of paint

• Established in 1854 as ‘Raja School’ by Christian Missionaries
• Poet Laureate Kuvempu penned his first English poem in this institution

Mysuru: One of the oldest Schools in Mysuru, the Hardwicke School, is sporting a new look. Renovation work and painting work, which was undertaken recently, is complete now, thanks to Local Area Development Fund granted by former MLA M.K. Somashekar for the year 2011-12 and 2012-13.

Called as Raja School in earlier times, Hardwicke School which is celebrating its 165th anniversary this year, was established in 1854 by Christian Missionaries. The School was initially functioning at a private space near Gandhi Square and in 1930 was shifted to its current location.

A number of well-known personalities have studied in this School. To name a few, noted Kannada Film Director Puttanna Kanagal, eminent Kannada author A.N. Murthy Rao, pioneer of journalism M. Venkatakrishnaiah, who was popularly and affectionately called as Thathaiah are alumni of this School. Rashtrakavi Kuvempu too was a student of Hardwicke School. It was during this period that Kuvempu penned his first poem in English.

The Hardwicke School, under the administration of CSI Karnataka Southern Diocese Education Society, is a Government-aided institution. The English medium school from pre-school to high school is completing four decades now while the PU College is functioning from the last two decades and Degree College from the last one decade.

“Most of our students are from socially and financially backward families. Around 260 students are getting education here from 1st standard to 10th standard and we have both Kannada medium and English medium. The School is functioning in a 5-acre land having 24 class rooms and two auditoriums,” said Hardwicke High School Head Master Gurubhaktaiah.

Martyr Ramaswamy too studied in this School

Ramaswamy, who participated in the protest holding a national flag during Mysore Chalo Movement was a student of Hardwicke School. On that fateful day, Sept. 13, 1947, that youngster was shot on his chest because of which he died on the spot.  Hence that JLB Road junction has been named after him as ‘Ramaswamy Circle’ with a memorial plaque by MCC.