I believe our itinerary for the REUNION starts from (what used to be) the 'middle school' - whose Gate was then bang opposite my own house; which house, dad had named "Sukh Sagar".
The next picture is of the 'romantic' road that started at the bottom of the St Aloysius School on the Karangalpady side and climbed in a gradual gradient up to the Western spur end of the Ediya Hill where stood the Mangalore District and the Lower Courts. 
The five pictures (above two and three more below this write-up) are of the 2nd PUC College Block and the Loyola Hall, where the Boarding House and it's grounds used to be.
The first one just below, is the Sacred Heart Hostel where I stayed when I did my PUC in 1960-61.
Couldn't help click for the next picture, the mango beside the coconut tree - purely for nostalgic reasons. I used to be a tree climber, a talent put to good use in them days to deprive the priests' refectory and kitchen of their annual supply of tender mangoes or even ripe mangoes. And as luck had it, I was once nabbed red-handed when still on this tree when the Boarding House Director's car passed by, while returning from somewhere - in consequence, me having to kneel in punishment on the bench at the base of this tree from morn till evening for a full day for all the passer-by and the players on the grounds to see and jeer....
Another one with great memories - the footpath that linked the "middle-school" with the High School (from just above the middle school Headmaster's office, to the western Courts side end) of the St Aloysius' campus where the 'grotto' was. I believe that path has become quite a "lovers' lane" now!
The School management has done well to display this "Guide Map" of the school and college complex with all their different Blocks, Halls, Labs, Grounds, and Departments listed beautifully. This picture was clicked by me just below Our Lady's Grotto at the western end of the "no-throughfare" road that emerges out of St Aloysius into the Courts Complex.
The steps leading up to the grotto... With three views of the Grotto itself herebelow...
Most pictures of the St Aloysius' buildings, you will find, are clicked from the Chapel end. I have clicked these from the Grottto end - mainly because our own passing out VI-E classroom was beside this very ground seen in these two photographs; on which was also our school assembly held each morning. How can I forget Victor Currie as the School leader standing there beside the Ashoka three-lion Stambh, before we all dispersed to our respective classrooms for the days routine!
The St Aloysius' multi-purpose main Hall, where as children we had opportunity to see the best of films from the English Classics screened, attended many a school socials and functions - starting with the royal breakfast served to us toddlers after receiving our First Holy Communion; and as grown-up High School Seniors participated in elocution/ debates... and acted in theatre on its beautiful little stage!
The then so called "Red Building" beside and perpendicular to the Hall continues to sport red colour for its exterior even now - but houses St Aloysius Museum now... unlike the upstairs then used for the School Band (in which I played Brass instruments for seven long years); and the downstairs then for the School Printing Press, as also for all our Engineering Optionals practicals Workshops (for blacksmithy, carpentry, electrical wiring, fitting, and what have you... ! )
I found the hill-side behind the Grotto - through which the 'romantic' footpath connecting the middle and the senior sections traverses - has been converted by the St Aloysius Management into a Bi-diversity Park which they have named as Al-Vana. Very environment oriented, and impressive indeed!
1 comment:
Very interesting walk thru memory lane.
Raphael MJ
Post a Comment