WHAT DO SAID bin Taimur, the 13th Sultan of Muscat and Oman, and Maharaja Sir Churachand Singh of Manipur have in common? They have in common the same circumstance that Raja Hari Singh of Kashmir and Maharajkumar of Vizianagaram share with actor Tinnu Anand and Jaswant Singh, the former Union minister.
They all studied at Mayo College, Ajmer.
The idea of setting up this institution for the aristocracy was mooted by Lord Mayo, viceroy of India, in 1870. It was envisioned to be the Eton of India, to impart British style public-school education in sync with Indian culture. The proposal found ready support of the royal families of Rajputana—several of them contributed to an endowment fund. Some 88 acres of the British Residency was increased to 167 acres for establishing the school. Many princely families built boarding houses for students from their states when the school opened in 1875. Construction of the main building of the school began in 1877 and was completed in 1885. The magnificent building, made of unpolished white marble, is one of the finest examples of Indo-Saracenic architecture in the country.
Mayo College is celebrating 150 years this year. The first student—H.H. Maharaja Mangal Singh of Alwar—arrived at the school gates in October 1875 on the back of an elephant, accompanied by 300 retainers and a menagerie of tigers, camels and horses. Other princes and nobles of Rajputana arrived with their retinues, with one of the more impressive arrivals being Maharao of Kota—he came with 200 followers and had a village constructed to house them.
This unique institution remained the preserve of the scions of royal families and the privileged, with the number of students seldom exceeding one hundred. From 1875 to 1931, the management of the school was under the government, with successive viceroys functioning as president of the general council of Mayo College. Thereafter, the general council came to be headed by the ruling princes of Rajasthan. Mayo College became a member of the Indian Public Schools’ Conference and threw open its gates for all without distinction in 1942. Even then, it continued to be perceived as a school for the nobility and the privileged.
It was only in the years after independence that Mayo College evolved as an exceptional public school under the leadership of J.T.M. Gibson. Often referred to as the ‘Indian Englishman’, he reached India in 1937 and initially taught at Doon School. He took over as principal of Mayo in 1953, and after retiring in 1969, he continued to live in Ajmer till he passed away in 1994. In the 16 years that Gibson was principal, he transformed a “princes’ school” into one of the finest public schools. Admissions picked up dramatically and there were major additions to the school infrastructure. Mayo came to be known for its superb scholastic, sports and extra-curricular facilities, and for providing a liberal and diverse environment for students. The Mayo education ensured that the students developed the spirit of inquiry and strived for excellence. Courage, fair-play, humility, sensitivity and fellowship became ingrained in every student.
Gibson was followed by a procession of capable principals, each of them eminent educationists and administrators. The school has also been fortunate to attract gifted teachers; many of whom have later carried the fine traditions of Mayo College to other institutions. The dedicated staff of Mayo have ensured that the school continued its pursuit of excellence and prepared its students for leadership roles while inculcating values and developing character.
Mayo College had a college section for many years before independence, but it has remained a school thereafter. It is affiliated to the Cambridge Assessment International Education and the Central Board of Secondary Education. It has maintained the highest scholastic standards and Mayo students have performed creditably in board examinations.
Besides cricket, football, hockey, tennis and squash, shooting has remained a major sport. The school has two beautiful swimming pools that have produced many champions. And it boasts a scenic nine-hole golf course which was built in 2005. There is a dedicated coaching facility and a driving range for empowering golf prodigies. A delightful spinoff has been optimisation of water harvesting on the campus, leading to sustainable ground water management.
In princely times, the school was a nursery for horse polo. Though horse riding was discontinued after independence, it was revived in 1993 with ten horses. Today, Mayo has more than 60 horses and polo has again found a nurturing environment.
There is also vast choice of extra-curricular activities ranging from aero-modelling and astronomy to woodwork and yoga. The boys learn music, either as a subject or a hobby. An Artificial Intelligence and robotics lab helps boys explore new frontiers.
In 1987, the foundation was laid for the Mayo College Girls’ School. This project has blossomed into an outstanding residential school for girls, with facilities rivalling those of the boys’ school. Students of Mayo Girls’ have started making their mark, shining in diverse fields and shattering the glass ceiling as a matter of routine.
In recent years, Mayo College and Mayo Girls’ School have been rated as among the very best residential schools in India. Mayo alumni have distinguished themselves in different domains, whether in the civil services, armed forces, medicine, the performing arts, commerce and industry.
The serene campus of Mayo College today represents the best of tradition and modernity. Hundreds of peafowl on the campus strut freely across the acres of lawns and playing fields.
Sometimes one can see a magnificent peacock, framed against the school temple, languidly make way for an electric golf cart to pass by. And in that moment, one realises that while it is rooted in rich history and traditions, Mayo College is vibrantly contemporary.
As Saurav Sinha, principal of Mayo College, says, “While legacies remain constant, their contexts change. As a cradle of leadership, Mayo is always introspecting as how the concept of leadership evolves with the times. Now, more than ever before, we need leaders who are capable of thinking of others before themselves, able to set examples of sacrifice that others may emulate, and willing to define success by what they can give rather than what they can take from society. For this, we emphasise character building and a spirit of service. A certain frugality in lifestyle restrains our boys from a sense of entitlement, and provides the training to them for the crucial need of the hour, the courage to voice their opinions and dissent in a respectful and effective manner.
The author studied in Mayo College from 1958 to 1966.