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| The first Tika Vidhya Ashram, school named after my grandmother |
The school next door to our estate at Kiran Bhawan was for the children of ordinary folks in our neighbourhood whilst we, more privileged ones, were sent to English medium boarding schools in the Indian hill stations or, later, to Godavari in the south-east corner of the Kathmandu valley. When I was growing up, the school next door represented to me the "outside" world while I was "inside". I had to be careful whilst having any kind of intercourse with those kids and my minders constantly remained vigilant. A selected few, vetted by them for family fealty, would be allowed in to play with me. In the semi-feudal state Nepal was in when I was a kid this kind of selective inclusiveness was an everyday affair.
The same school has been a subject of disgruntlement with us family members as the land that houses it at today's prices would be worth over a million United States Dollars. At hindsight it would be dishonest to say that I wholly agreed with the wisdom of my father in donating the land to the community to open a school. True, when he did it, the land was not worth as much but for us family members today it represents a fortune we lost out on. The school was opened in 1951 A.D. as Tika Vidhya Ashram, Tika being my grandmother's name, after my father General Kiran Shumsher JB Rana was elevated to the rank of Commander-in-Chief of the Nepal Army following the revolution of 1951 A.D. In 1963 A.D. my father got Queen Ratna of Nepal to donate, I remember, Nepalese Rupees 12,000.00, a princely sum in those days, to the school trust for its upkeep.
Recently a leading member of our travel trade fraternity, during a conversation on the prevailing tourism woes of Nepal, suddenly digressed and transported me back to those days when he was a kid studying at Tika Vidhya Ashram. He told me that like thousands of others he is eternally grateful to the benefactor who gave those children the opportunity to an education in the only school in their own neighbourhood at a time when a second was unavailable. Today the school doubles up as the voting booth during elections in Sanepa.
Things fall into its perspective now. The fortune we lost out on perhaps would have been squandered away by us, granted we had to forego the opportunity to zoom about in fancy cars serving no useful purpose, possibly even we might have utilized the property in some profitable venture, but for thousands who have studied there and matriculated from Tika Vidhya Ashram a small contribution made by my father a long time ago has made such a big difference in their lives.
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| Tika Vidhya Ashram in the recent past |
Recently a leading member of our travel trade fraternity, during a conversation on the prevailing tourism woes of Nepal, suddenly digressed and transported me back to those days when he was a kid studying at Tika Vidhya Ashram. He told me that like thousands of others he is eternally grateful to the benefactor who gave those children the opportunity to an education in the only school in their own neighbourhood at a time when a second was unavailable. Today the school doubles up as the voting booth during elections in Sanepa.
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On the 10th of June 2026 Tika Vidyashram Secondary School celebrated its 75th
Anniversary. To commemorate this historic
milestone, the school installed a statue of my grandmother on the school
grounds. We were deeply honored to welcome the Honorable Minister of Education
and Sports, Sasmit Pokharel, as our chief guest to preside over the ceremony.
This celebration stands as a poignant reminder of a modern Nepal that continues
to honor and reflect upon the rich heritage left behind by our forebears for
posterity.
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| Statue of my grandmother Rani Tika Rajya Luxmi Rana, Sahili Rani of Maharajah Juddha Shumsher J. B. Rana, Prime Minister of Nepal 1933 - 1946 A.D. |
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| Education & Sports Minister Sasmit Pokhrel handing me a commemorative plaque on the occasion |
I lived at Kiran Bhawan when my father, Jim Stone, managed the ropeway project. I knew Om & Prashidha, and met Gen Kiran. I think I played with one of his sons, when I was about 11-12 (1960-61).
ReplyDeleteThanks for posting your memories. It would be good to get your story on your sojourn in Nepal. I remember your father vaguely as I was quite young. The boy you played with is indeed Pramode. He met with a fatal car accident in 1988 and is survived by his son and his family. They live in USA.
DeleteI think the name of the boy I played with was Promode.
ReplyDelete