1st February 2009 - The Scindia School

Fort FablesPadmasarovarOur favourite swimming pool, Padmasarovar, was inaugrated by the Maharaja of Dholpur andwas named after Maharaja Jiwaji Rao’s eldest daughter, Padmaraje. The pool was, hence, madeoperational in November, 1944. Do you know how the early Scindia school boys used to learnswimming and enjoy themselves in water?Prior to the opening of the pool, the Scindia school boys used to go for a swim to the Rani Taal,a kund used for water harvesting. However, due to the uncontrolled and relatively unhygienicconditions at the taal, it was not considered to be the best option for swimming. Nature also proveda spoilsport at times as inclement weather like rain, lightning and thunder often dashed the hopesof the students.On the occasion of the annual sports, drama and musical social gathering of the School inNovember 1940, Maharaja Jiwaji Rao announced a gift of Rs. 25,000/- to build a swimming pool. Itwas expected to play an important part in the development of water sports. After the announcementof the construction of the pool, the students eagerly awaited its opening and the time when theycould make adequate use of the facility. As per the April issue of the 1942 Review, the originalplan itself specified that there should be green tiles on the floor of the pool, a good diving board,changing rooms and everything else that a first class swimming pool should have.The Padmasarovar has hosted numerous swimming competitions and also produced greatswimmers and diving champions who have romped home with many trophies for the school. Oneof the most keenly contested sports trophies in the school is the Murad Ali trophy for swimming.It was instituted in memory of an avid swimmer, Murad Ali (Ja ’41). He is said to be a swimmingfanatic who, even in the delirium of fever, used to talk about swimming in the Rani Taal!The Padmasarovar has also been the venue of many midnight swimming parties. Quite a few oldboys recount with great glee their escapades in the pool. Shravan Lakhotia (Rn ’80) recalls how in1977 their entire batch went swimming in the big pool after the night roll call and still managedto escape being caught. In a similar vein, John Singh (Sh ’55) says that the most daring thing thathe did while in school was to jump from the top of the diving board into a full swimming pool atnight. With a mix of pride and nostalgia he reminisces that none of the Jayajians dared to do it butwatched him just the same and kept the secret. Even after so many years John refuses to divulge thenames of the two other boys who were with him on that full moon night!The achievements of the budding swimmers and such interesting anecdotes vest the Padmasarovarwith a special aura. However it is sincerely hoped that such stories will not germinate new ideas inthe minds of the young budding swimmers of the current classes!The Scindia SchoolThe Fort, Gwalior - 474008.MP, INDIA.Telephone : +91-751-2480750Fax : +91-751-2480650E-mail : office@scindia.eduWebsite : www.scindia.edu