Cochin Gujarati School in Mattanchery is 100 years young!

KOCHI: Ninty four-year-old Dharamshi Sahaganlal Jasapra could barely control his tears as he recalled his school days at the Cochin Gujarati School in Mattanchery. "We were taught Gujarati alphabets orally. There were no desks and we used to huddle on a bench together. The classrooms all bore a common message 'keep smiling and stay happy'," said the nonagenarian as he took a stroll down memory lane. Jasapra, who later went on to become a successful oil and groceries merchant at Mattanchery, remembers those days with clarity. 

The school, which celebrates its 100 years next week, has produced over thousands of merchants, doctors and chartered accountants over the years. Most of them, especially from the older generation, preferred to stay back and live in Kerala. The others went back to their home town, choosing to live a life among their community. 

"We are all third and fourth generation members of the community who decided to make Kerala our home. A few students who passed out in the recent decades, however, preferred to work abroad or in other cities. This is probably why we have fewer Gujarati students enrolling to the institution these days," said Bharat Khona, convenor, Cochin Gujarati Mahajan. 

The school has always focused on treating birds and animals with care. The Panjira Pole (cow shelter) established for the protection of the cows was the first activity undertaken by the Mahajan where the school is located. Though the shelter, which is over 100 years old, has shrunk in size, it still stands tall, with two to three cows. Pigeon coops continue to be a prominent part of the school.

Though the Mahajan started a coaching centre in 1904 to teach Gujarati girls to read and write, it soon elevated into a regular school emphasising on general education. In 1957, it was granted recognition by the government and the school was converted into a government-aided school. In 1962, the school was accorded sanction to start a UP division in English medium, while the high school section began in 1962. At present, there are over 2,500 students and 115 teachers and staff under the Mahajan.