St.Xaviers Patna - Old Boys Reunion - Day 2

The party at Chanakya on Day One ended pretty close to midnight and by the time most of us got to our homes/hotel rooms it was close to 1.00 am. So it was decided we deserved to sleep till late on Sunday morning have a leisurely break fast and then meet up at St.Xavier's School around 11.00 am. The entry into our school after a gap of 48 long years was nostalgic and my mind was filled with so many fond memories.We old boys were all wearing our blue striped school ties and we felt so proud of this.
We took a tour of the school campus around the old school buildings, to the hand ball courts,  the old auditorium, swimming pool,  basketball & tennis courts. Alas some of the important landmarks like the huge tamarind tree and the shuffle boards had vanished.The aviary which used to house little birds and small pet animals had also been dismantled. The swimming pool was in a state of disuse and the tennis court in a poor state of maintenance. A new additional block has been constructed opposite to the old blocks basically with an idea of expanding and adding more students.The school had over the years also switched syllabus from Senior Cambridge to Matriculation. Also the exclusive boys school had now become co-ed.
Once every one arrived we started the days proceedings with light refreshments - the traditional bun,butter,chops & chips accompanied by soft drinks and beer/vodka/gin etc. The camaraderie,fellowship and the bonhomie continued to overflow.We had a super entertainment session involving both men and ladies. Men were asked to pick up folded slips of paper from a basket and then they had to do what ever was written in the slips - stand one one leg for one minute, bleat, moo, meow, cluck, bark,dance,hum a tune till it was identified,sing a song,jump, skip,propose to a girl at a date.......The list went on. Surprisingly some of the men were a bit shy to perform and the women had a jolly good time.Next we had a musical session of Antakshari, Here the men scored heavily. Majority of the old Bollywood numbers were belted out by Vinay Sinha who is gifted with a wonderful melodious voice. Binny Kocchar too sportingly contributed to many songs.Then it was time for lunch. The Chinese menu of noodles,rice,sweet & sour vegetables,garlic chicken was delicious.The lunch concluded with mouth watering gajar ka halwa and yummy kulfi/ice cream. After lunch we walked through the polished corridors of the school, went into our old classrooms,trekked upstairs to see the dorm, barged in to the Principals Office...........................

Amarendra & G.P.Singh posing in front of the school gate

We enter St.Xaviers. I ( Ramanathan) am entering the portals of the school after 48 years. It was nostalgic and I was flooded with many fond memories.

The main school block was unchanged - the Tamarind tree had disappeared & so were the shuffling boards.

Posing in front of the swimming pool Left to Right: Ramanathan, Abhai Choudhary,G.P.Singh,Vinay Sinha,Chandrasekhar,Prashant Dutt & Rai Shivaji Nath.

Looks like exam time with the invigilators providing extra sheets.

Beans

Buns

Chips

Chops

Relaxed and having a Teta a tete ! The ladies provided the entertainment - the men danced to their tunes.Some stood on one leg, others bleated like lambs and clucked like hens. Some were asked to hum tunes while others danced. In the end there was an entertaining Antakshari - where Vinay Sinha took the strangle hold belting out old tunes in quick succession.

Enjoying the meal of Butter,Bread, Beans,Chops & Chips. There was plenty of Beer & Vodka also going around.

The Stair case leading to the first floor - where the dorm was situated.

The corridor with mirror finish polished marble floor on the ground floor. The classrooms & the furniture were virtually unchanged. This was a trip down the memory lane.

The majestic main entrance doors with stained glass clicked from the inside.

Ramanathan & Rai Shivaji Nath posing with the Vice Principal.

The School Motto - The plaque was in the Principals room.

The water taps and cement trough remained unchanged

This awesome B & W was found hanging outside the Principals Office. The Rev.Father Murphy (our Principal during the 60's) shaking hands with the then Governor of Bihar Dr.Zakir Husain.