Just in good faith…

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Majestic Mayo

Among my myriad explorations as a traveler, I would, for the longest period, dig on this one trip I took; The Mayo College, Ajmer. The reason for my visit added even more thrill to the experience. C-R-I-C-K-E-T!!

Yup… a couple of games at the Mayo College ground…. It sounded like such a dream being there. I have never been an “A” student or very brilliant at academics. In fact, I never liked going to school or gain what they call a “formal education”. i mostly grew up outside the classroom. (not that i feel boastfully proud about it today). As a matter of fact i used to find it difficult relating to those top rankers. I wondered what is it that they do? How can they manage to finish their exam papers in time? How can someone be so occupied ’studying’??

This was the premature feeling.

The mature feeling was, “Oh so this guy is gonna be the corporate kinda guy earning a good package with a SETTLED life with an English speaking wife!!” And then at Mayo, I was exposed to these completely different ‘type’ of students. Who were not just rankers, but were confident, groomed, classy students and wore the blue/maroon blazers and belonged to individual houses in their schools.

I flew down from Mumbai to Jaipur and from Jaipur we drove down to Ajmer, a distance of two and a half hours. Noteworthy was ‘The Jaipur airport’ that turned out to be very contemporary and international in its architecture.

I reached there on Friday evening and was taken to a cozy guest house-Oman house. Complete with two balconies, the accommodation was extremely pleasant but the courtesy and service made you feel like a Maharaja of yester years. There were neem trees half hanging into my balcony shooting a whiff of fresh air when I opened the doors to the balcony early in the morning, reminding me of the authentic small town early mornings. Fresh and Oxygenated! I missed Shweta then, she loves balconies and the open spaces and the lovely view only made me miss her even more.

As the dawn broke and matured into a day, the sunlight added an extra glow to the heritage structures and highlighted the clean courtyards and landscapes surroundings this beautiful campus. These structures and monument dated back to the 19^th century and it defines the beauty and the class of mayo.

 

The Grand Mayo University spans over 350 acres and flaunts 22 huge green grounds for sports and outdoor activities for the students. The activities ranged from horse riding, polo, golf course, swimming, hockey, shooting, cricket, football.

The highlight however, was the warm hospitality I received. The staff and students made me feel extremely comfortable and at home. The morning tea was dot on time. The breakfast Poushtic, the lunch lavish and a hearty cocktail followed by a grand dinner. It was truly a table set for a king.

Over my stay, I interacted with a lot of students and tried to relate my childhood to theirs. I gained a lot in terms of different perspectives and got some very valuable insights of the youth. I have always loved bright students, and these students were among the most disciplined and obedient I have seen.

We played three cricket matches in all; one with students, one with staff and one with Mayo’s sister concer. The matchers were one tougher than the other, we ended up winning all the three matches…. Yes, we did win the matches but it was these students, the teachers and the staff who finally won our hearts with their warm hospitality;

While driving back to Jaipur I reflected over my stay and my life. I wished I could have been part of an educational institute like Mayo – of such an exquisite campus. The discipline and regimented environment hones a boy into a definite youth of substance. My awe of those typical [type] of students transformed into immense respect for the ‘School’. Dreams are dreams, wishes are wishes…as the driver pulled up at the airport entrance I did a quick reality check.

As for my journey from a boy to man..

I think I pretty much got by…

Love

Manav