Report & Pics: Shekar Ajekar
Daijiworld Media Network – Udupi
Udupi, Apr 19: Udupi zilla panchayat higher primary school Ajekar will be celebrating its centenary year on Saturday April 19 and Sunday April 20. The Ajekar govt school's centenary celebrations will be graced by well-known film actor Ravichandran.
The school is presently situated near Ajekar Church. Earlier it was located right in the middle of Ajekar city. It was way back in the year 1908, a visionary called Shirva Abraham Menezes who started a classroom in a small thatched premises. A few years down the line in the year 1925, he donated that land for building a school, which then the villagers there utilized for building a strong tiled school.
Even today one can see the school building in the heart of the city, in which 'Anganavadi' school is being run. By and by in a few years down the line, the school got promoted to a higher primary school and Panduranga Kini who is well known as 'Devmaastru' came there as a headmaster. He made a tremendous contribution to education out here. It was Sundaranayak of Ajekar who donated 3 acres of land to that school. The school was upgraded as higher primary board model school in the year 1969.
To commomerate the centenary of the first school set up 1908 celebrations, the Ajekar School Committee has utilized a sum of Rs 20 lac towards the said programme and various works undertaken. Sports ground with 200 metre race track, sports stage, modern kitchen, drinking water facilities, welcome arc are some of the major works completed by the committee under the leadership of entrepreneurs like Shivaram G Shetty and Deviprasad Shetty.
Famous cine actor Ravichandran, 'Encounter specialist' Dayanayak, educationist Dr Mohan Alva, Dr M R Shetty, Prakash Shetty, Deviprasad Shetty, Shivaram G Shetty are all expected to be present during the celebrations to add flavour to the event. Udupi ZP member Dr Santhosh Kumar Shetty on his part has sanctioned more than Rs 1 lac towards the work undertaken by the school towards the centenary celebrations.