Old students, achievers felicitated

Mysuru: “The reign of Mummadi  Krishnaraja Wadiyar was not only the most difficult but also the most enlightening. As a five-year-old he was coronated as the Maharaja of Mysore and his adoptive mother Maharani Lakshmi Ammani Devi played a great role in his life. She and Dewan Purnaiah helped in the reign till he attained majority,” said MLA L. Nagendra.

He was speaking after inaugurating the birth anniversary of Mummadi Krishnaraja Wadiyar and founder’s day celebrations organised by the Maharaja’s High School and Pre-University College Alumni Association in association with Oriental Research Institute (ORI), University of Mysore and Ursu Maha Mandali at the Sri Nalwadi Krishnaraja Wadiyar auditorium in the School premises here this morning.

He said that the School which was started in 1833 by Mummadi as Raja Free School had completed 185 years and every student must learn to respect the school and teachers of this premier institution with a historic past.

“Only if the students are disciplined and educated can they come up in life. When my father went to admit me to a private school, they insisted that I should be put in LKG. He just walked out and admitted me in a Government School in first standard. I was very mischievous but I still recall the teachers who taught me,” he said.

One of the old students B.R. Srihari, Correspondent, Star of Mysore, replying to the felicitation, reminisced his student days nearly 70 years ago in the school and said that those days there was fourth and fifth form before entering SSLC.

He remembered his English teacher Syed Ibrahim and Maths teacher M.R. Seetharam and said that the Yuvaraja’s College was called the First Grade College, where he pursued his college education.

Another student S.V. Gowdappa, President, Elder Citizen Council Trust, who was also honoured, announced a contribution of Rs.2,500 to the topper in SSLC and even Srihari followed with the same amount.

Meritorious students Bharath, Nandakrishna and a few others were felicitated with Pratibha Puraskar.

Alumni Association President B.S. Sridhara Raj Urs, ORI Deputy Director Ramapriya, Principal Siddaraju, Vice-Principal Mahesh, Ursu Mahamandal Secretary Y.M. Kiran and others were present.