Jaipur, Nov 23 : Mayo College in Ajmer, called as Eton of the East, is celebrating its 150th anniversary this year. The College opened in 1875 with Maharaja Mangal Singh of Alwar as its first student.

Surprisingly, Singh entered the school premises with a royal cavalcade on a caparisoned elephant with a procession of trumpeters, bearers, camels, and aides on horseback and had a team of 500 servants, 12 elephants, and 600 horses.

In fact, besides Alwar, princes from different Rajputana kingdoms came and built lavish buildings during their stay as students here, which still can be seen standing tall, speaking stories of mighty might of India in those times. Basically, it was in 1869, when Lt. Col. F.K.M. Walter proposed establishing a special institution for the all-round education of the subcontinentâ??s young princes.

A year later, Viceroy Lord Mayo refined this vision into the idea of a grand â??Raj Kumar Collegeâ?? in Ajmerâ??an elite school designed to educate the heirs of princely families. But the Viceroy never saw his dream take shape as he was assassinated in Port Blair on February 8, 1872, by Afghan prisoner Sher Ali Afridi during an official visit to the Andaman Islands. Despite his death, the project moved forward. Mayo College began operating in 1875.

Dr Mohit Mohan Mathur, Head of the History Department, speaking to IANS, said that after the 1857 rebellion, the British realised the value of Indian princely states as allies. Mayo College was created to educate their heirs in a blend of Indian and Western values so that they would support British governance. The result was an elite school that produced future rulers, military leaders, diplomats, and politicians.

The foundation stone of the elite school's iconic Main Building was laid on January 5, 1878, and completed in 1885 at a cost of Rs 3.28 lakhâ??entirely funded by royal family donors.

Meanwhile, school principal Saurav Sinha told IANS, â??We would rather call this 150-year-old school as exclusive and not elite, as it has been maintaining its rich legacy while moving forward with modern trends. This school has a soul where education and traditions meet. Students from all parts learn to celebrate each festival, which ensures they learn to respect cultures across."

The school showcases a masterpiece of Indo-Saracenic Architecture. Several designs were submitted for the college building, ranging from Greek to Kolhapur styles.

Later, Major Charles Mantâ??s Indo-Saracenic designâ??an elegant combination of Mughal, Indian, and European elementsâ??was finally chosen. Interestingly, the building appears different from each side when viewed from the centre, a unique feature that earned the design a place in the British Museum.

The campus today includes a polo ground, golf course, museum, amphitheatre, and lavish boarding houses named after princely states. One striking feature is a massive 1936 â??On Air of Indiaâ?? map depicting the entire subcontinent, including present-day Pakistan and Bangladesh. Mayo College hosts a rare school museum with over 9,000 gifted itemsâ??no item was purchased.

The museum in charge, Dr Kanika Mandal, highlights miniature royal paintings, ancient coins and currencies, manuscripts including the Persian Anwar-i-Sohaili, an arms gallery, 240 varieties of bird eggs, sculptures, and unique craft items. Among its prized possessions is a silver-and-ivory crayon (hoe-like tool) used to lay the foundation stone of the college in 1878 and later used in constructing four major buildings.

Mayo College has educated royalty from beyond India. Besides Indian princes, Sayyid bin Taimur, the Sultan of Oman, studied here in 1922. His nephew, Sayyid Fahir bin Taimur Al Said, who studied here from 1941-47 and later became Omanâ??s Deputy Prime Minister, helped construct Oman House and its guest house during a visit in 1985.

The school has been branded as Eton of the East. Actually, Lord Lytton, Viceroy of India, captured the institutionâ??s spirit during the Annual Prize Day on December 5, 1879: â??Ajmer is Indiaâ??s Eton, and you are Indiaâ??s Eton boys,â?? he said.

HH Gaj Singh of Jodhpur, President of the Mayo General Council, says, â??The average lifespan of institutions is shrinkingâ??from 64 years to 14 years for Fortune 500 companies. Itâ??s rare for a school to survive 150 years. Mayo has endured because of holistic education, institutional renewal, and stakeholder inclusion. This anniversary is a pledge for every Mayo stakeholder to be a good ancestorâ??by giving time, talent, and treasure to strengthen the school for future generations.â??

Among its alumni are celebrated names such as author Vikram Chandra, former diplomat Harsh Vardhan Shringla and commentator Charu Sharma.

Gaj Singh says, â??On Mayoâ??s 50th anniversary, Chief Guest Lord Irwin suggested â??success in the examination room has its value but it is not and should never be the sole or, indeed, the main aim to which those responsible for the college ought to direct their attentionâ??. â??On our 100th anniversary, Chief Guest, the then Prime Minister Indira Gandhi, suggested, â??Real achievement is not counted in terms of rank or wealth but comes from the pursuit of excellence.

â??For our 150th anniversary in November, the General Council wanted a powerful role model for our students and chose public-spirited entrepreneur Nandan Nilekani as our Chief guest. He not only co-created our software revolution - India now exports more software than Saudi Arabia does oil - but also donated hundreds of crores to his alma mater and revolutionised society by providing our citizens with Aadhaar.â??

On its 150th anniversary, there will be a four-day event from November 27-30, which will feature a special assembly, art exhibitions, the inauguration of the Kapuriah Centre of Excellence for AI and Robotics, the Harvard vs Mayo polo match, curated fashion show, a vintage car show and live performances by Sonu Nigam, Salman Ali and Euphoria, among others.

As part of the celebrations, the main Prize Giving ceremony will be held on November 29. Nilekani will attend the event as the Chief Guest and inspire the students with his presence.

Gaj Singh says, â??A school like Mayo will never move the needle on a population scale for India, but it is a lighthouse of holistic education, excellence, and resilience.â??

/IANS