Nayana J C

Daijiworld Media Network – Bantwal (NJC)

Bantwal, Jun 30: The classrooms are still strong, the blackboards remain dark with the marks of countless lessons, the auditorium still stands proudly, and the flagpole continues to rise high. But the voices that once filled the corridors have disappeared.

For the past several years, there has been no ringing of the school bell, no children’s laughter, no teachers walking through the campus, and no parents waiting with pride. The only thing that remains today is silence and thousands of memories.

This is the story of the Sri Chandranatha Swamy Aided Higher Primary School near Moolarapattana in Arala village of Bantwal taluk, a historic institution established in 1909 that served as a beacon of education for generations.

The school was started by Gummanna Shetty with a dream that children in rural areas should have access to education. Later, his son Dharmapala Shetty continued the mission and helped the institution grow. For nearly 110 years, the school continued to shape the lives of thousands of students before circumstances forced it to close.

During the pre-independence era, there were very few schools in the surrounding villages. Students travelled several kilometres from places like Vamadapadavu, Kuriyala, Koila, Rai, Kuppepadavu, and Mijar to study here.

The school was popularly known as a 'Chhatra School' because it also provided shelter for children who came from distant villages. Students stayed here, studied, and received an opportunity that was rare in rural areas at that time.

Long before government programmes introduced midday meals, this school had already followed a similar tradition. Children who travelled from far away were served meals like rice porridge and chutney, recalled local resident Dombayya Arala.

The school was not just a place of learning but a home that supported children and helped build their future.

The historic building, built in a traditional style, remains strong even today. Although the upper floor was removed recently to avoid safety issues, the structure has been carefully maintained. Local people, organisations, and former students have contributed efforts to preserve the memories attached to the institution.

The management has decided to protect the school as it stands, ensuring that the story of a place that transformed thousands of lives does not disappear.

As new schools opened around Moolarapattana over the years, the number of students at the century-old institution gradually declined. With fewer students, the government was unable to continue appointing teachers, leading to the unavoidable closure of the school.

Today, although the classrooms are empty, the walls still carry the stories of generations who learned, grew, and dreamed within them.

The school may have lost its children, but it continues to live on — as a monument of education, dedication, and memories.