Mrs Brijpal Aneja, our Iconic Dance Teacher at MGD .
She joined MGD when I was in my final year 1955. She was a couple of years older then us the final year students . Miss Lata Gupta had retired , she came in as a young , fresh, enthusiastic & innovative dance teacher. We tested her like we do to all new teachers , but she took all our pranks in her stride ! We loved her classes from the word go.
Later she as a part of MGD teachers faculty attended my wedding in 1960 . She is in my wedding photographs.
Then I lost contact with the her as I traversed the globe with my husband who was serving in the Army .
Then at our school’s Golden jubilee celebration we met up again, now as friends. She was centre stage with all the dance events performed by the Guild.
She was a star at our reunions. She brought in so much joy & love . I was hoping she would be with us at this 80th Anniversary celebrations of the School, but almighty willed it otherwise.
Earlier on passing away of her brother , she took charge of the family business of Musical instruments at Dehradun .
She wished to donate some musical instruments to MGD , her second home . School was unable to collect them due to various reasons.
I have been Constantly in touch her .I spoke with her about a couple of weeks ago when she was in Deheradun, not feeling too good. Later spoke with Chunnu & was told she had moved to Delhi with her. I wasn’t able to speak with her as her health had further deteriorated.
Few days later she was no more .
Her loss has been felt by one & all MGDians .
You will always be with us in spirit dear Mrs Aneja .
We will celebrate you at all our reunions .
Farewell dear friend !
Jane H Singh
( batch 1955 )
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Miss Aneja, as I will always remember her was such an important part of our schooling in MGD. Her energy and creativity and multi cultural innovation in performance was unparalleled. Her dance classes were enjoyable refreshing and memorable making every student a performer! Miss Brijpal's stamina was awe inspiring. As we witnessed at our 50th reunion in 2019 she out did any one of us on the dance floor! After her musical brother expired, she took over the renowned family business where the who's who came to buy the best. We were very blessed to have a person like her as a teacher in our lives.
Many of us use her dance moves even today when we dance. Our children would do the same moves making her dance live on for many generations.
Her life was well lived as she gave so much to one and all.
May her soul attain Sadhgati.
Vandana Singh Nadgar
( batch 1969)
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The passing of Mrs Aneja , draws a curtain over a part of our lives too. Her’s was perhaps the most felt presence in school & even afterwards. With her name we can only associate joy , music , rhythm , dance , loads of fun & festivities. Over the years , she taught dance to several thousands perhaps lakhs of students and prepared thousands for formal dance progs . In fact even after retirement , she helped exmgdians of various batches prepare their dances for the alumni functions. She always laughed while teaching. Was so graceful .
I was in touch with her for several years .. after school. Visited her in Dehradun where she stayed with her brother who taught music in Doon school. Post retirement she would ocassionaly teach dance at Doon and other schools.
She lived a full life. She will always be remembered with love and respect . She will liven up the heavens with her dance and infectious smile. Happy dancing Mrs Aneja.
Sunita Bainsla ( batch 1982)
GUILD TODAY
Guild News letter
January 2023
JANUARY 2023
PENNY THOUGHTS
MGD @ 80
Once again it’s that time of the year that brings a new beginning, a new dawn, a new perspective, a time to celebrate with your family and friends, a new resolve to look ahead to a year of happiness and cheer. On behalf of the MGD Girls Guild Executive Committee I wish you all a very happy, healthy & safe 2023.
Eighty years!!! In the life span of an individual, an octageranian it heralds a phase that brings added privileges of more respect, more care, more concern. Especially if you wear a head full of silver hair and walk with an elegant walking stick for support!! Eye sympathy and an instant extend of hands to guide you to a comfortable chair, in a gathering you are very likely to be the oldest person. I speak from experience. What you say is heeded and taken note of and I love it. In respect to an Institution it speaks of prestige, renown and a history to laud and praise. It’s name and fame spread even further, as it’s alumni bring more glory by their varied achievements and success stories holding the School flag high and flying. The prizes and commendations the present students win in the multiple competitions they participate adds to a glorious record.
Today our beloved alma mater stands on this high pedestal. Let us celebrate the hall mark year with elan and true MGDian spirit and style.
Stay Positive, test Negative!! This oxymoronic statement can be achieved in these Corona Times!!
Cheers.
Chandralekha Mathur.
( Nee Sahai -1954 Batch)
CHEIF EDITOR.
MGD GIRLS’ GUILD
The Guild is an umbilical cord that keeps the Alumni connected to the school and each other. It was revived during the Golden Jubilee of the school.
The Executive Committee consists of twelve diligent and dedicated volunteer Alumni. The Principal is De Facto advisor to the Committee. The membership as of now is mandatory, as the funds collected go towards replenishing the corpus. With the interest of the corpus we have been able to achieve the following. Creating and maintaining our Website, Face book, News letter, manufacturing Souvenirs. Creating and time to time updating Guild Digital Directory, published a coffee table book based on the History of MGD, produced a documentary on our founder Rajmata Saheb, the lives that she touched and transformed.
Guild has initiated three Annual Silver medals for student achievers in business studies. It also supports “Umang” – a school for differently abled children, and is now supporting the education of two girls of our staff.
Guild organizes a very popular Annual Dance Nite for the present senior students.
Ongoing expenses are towards the salary of our staff and day to day office expenses.
This year 2023, we are planning a mega reunion of the following batches
2020 - Silver 1995, Ruby 1980, Gold 1970
2021 - Silver 1996, Ruby 1981, Gold 1971
2022 - Silver 1997, Ruby 1982, Gold 1972 &
2023 - Silver 1998, Ruby 1983, Gold 1973.
They have got clubbed due to the covid pandemic but will now be a part of our school’s 80th Anniversary celebrations.
With all good wishes
Jane H.Singh (Batch 1955)
President
MGD Girls’ Guild
BUSY BEES
IPSC Service Project
MGD Girls' School hosted the "Parmartham"- IPSC Service Project from 2nd to 5th November 2022 under the guidance of Maharaja Jai Singh, Chairperson, MGD Girls' School Jaipur.
The four days project, in collaboration with NGOs, was attended by 11 guest IPSC teams and the host team.
The on-campus and off-campus activities were planned around pillars like- Service to Humanity, Service to Nature, Leadership, Nishtha and Sankalp.
In the Closing ceremony, the school presented a cheque to the blind school. The gathering was then addressed by Mr JN Bhargava and Ms Anna. Lastly, all the participants received their certificates from the Principal ma'am and the guests
VIDYAANJALI
Maharani Gayatri Devi Girls' School, Jaipur hosted the first edition of 'Vidyaanjali', the annual Inter-school Liberal Arts cum Literary Fest in memory of our former Chairperson Rani Vidya Devi.
A variety of Performing and Liberal Arts events were:organised like Ramayana Role Play, Fairy Tale Recreation, E-Logo Designing, Board Game Designing, Radio Jockey Competition, Warli Art, Imaginative Composition Making and Hair and Makeup Styling.
.MGD Girls' School were declared the winner of Vidyaanjali 2022, however, the running trophy was passed on to the Runnerup Jayshree Periwal High School as part of school traditions.
IPSC HOCKEY
TOURNAMENT(U-19)
MGD Girls' School, Jaipur hosted the IPSC hockey (U-19) tournament from 27th to 30th September 2022 with nine participating schools.
The most thrilling and exciting final match between MNSS RAI and RKC RAIPUR filled the atmosphere with exuberance.
RKC RAIPUR won the match after free penalty strokes and took home the trophy.
MGD GUILD DANCE FEST
On 15th of September the Hockey Field of MGD Girls' School was the venue for the 'MGD Guild Dance Fest' hosted by MGD Girls' Guild which is an annual opportunity for students from classes 9 to 12 to interact and enjoy with the Guild members. The event started at 6:00 and ended at 10:00. There was a dance competition between all the batches and class 12 was declared the winner for the same. The first 3 positions received momentoes sponsored by our beloved Nirmala jija. The area was jam packed with around 800 beautifully dressed MGDians grooving to the peppy songs playing non
stop.
INTER-HOUSE ATHLETIC MEET
MGD GIRLS' SCHOOL, JAIPUR organised an Inter House Athletic Meet from 16th-18th November 2022. As many as 500 participants and 31 events were a part of the event.
-The Chief Guest for the opening ceremony was Maj Gen KVS Lalotra AVSM, YSM, SM (Retd). In the end prizes were distributed by the Chief Guest and the vote of thanks was presented by the games and sports captain of the school, Swati Singh.
Over All House Positions :-
1st Helen Keller House
2nd Sarojini Naidu House
3rd Madame Curie House
4th Florence Nightingale House
Aparna Khurana nee Sengar
Batch of 1977
MY POETRY WORLD
The training of music at home and in School ( of course MGD ) , poems by world class writers in text books of Hindi and English laid the initial beginning of my interest in Poetry. As a traditional custom in our wedding ceremonies at home we had to write Dohas (four to eight lines in rhyme) on “Teehals” (sets of clothes) which were given as gifts. As a daughter, naturally I had to do that. The functions in School and later in College, so full of music, dance and drama further inspired me to enjoy rhyme and rhythm and foot tapping beats. During my Service career in Rajasthan I further had more than ample opportunity to savour songs, lyrics, poetry and dances, not only of Rajasthan but of other States/UT’s and even other countries.
Somehow this combination of music, dance and poetry motivated me to compose poems, albeit short ones , so as to keep my task within manageable parameters. It began with giving gifts of a set of poems to our boys Rajat and Rakshat in 1991/1992 when they were fourteen and twelve respectively. After a break for sometime, this gift system was fortunately revived. Thus writing poems in English became both a compulsion and a joy. The number of poems is fixed at their age plus one.
I also started writing in Hindi with a few words of Marwari, Urdu and Punjabi thrown in. Some of the poems in Hindi are in the form of lyrics or as they say set in Tarannum.
Mrs. Sheila Gujral, wife of late Prime Minister Shri I. K. Gujral greatly encouraged me to keep on writing and to go into publication. I was introduced to Shri Krishna Srinivas who regularly published my poems in his well known journal Poetry World. This was a great achievement for me because the journal inevitably included poems by A.B. Vajpayee, Abdul Kalam and other top writers.
Writing poems is like sharing your inner self with the world. It is a risk for you may get criticized but at the same time a great joy, as you are able to express and communicate. I enjoy writing on topics like nature, flowers, trees and birds, the changing seasons, experiences of travel, special events and of course views on current affairs, life and living and even administrative issues. It is indeed a creative exercise which I imagine also gives immense satisfaction to all those who read and write poetry.
In this context let me share one recent poetic endeavor.
A Poem
A Poem
is an expression
of thoughts, ideas
plans, hopes and dreams
They come fast
but go quickly as well
so recorded in a few lines
they remain much longer
touching aspects
of beauty and creativity
and filling hearts and minds
with joy and wonder
A poem
so easy to read
and not so difficult to write
in due course becomes
a pleasure and a treasure
Meenakshi Hooja nee Mathur
1968 batch
Composed on 16th November 2022, Wednesday
DAYS OF SCHOOL
Recollections
I remember entering MGD in July 1953. I was six years old and was awed by the huge school specially the Assembly hall with beautiful, sparkling chandeliers. It was raining and I felt shy so I hid behind my mother who was already teaching in the same school. Miss Lutter then called us to her bunglow where we had tea and snacks.
No one who has been taught by Miss Cherian can forget her. She made us so perfect in addition that we were very soon calculating without any aids like counting the small sticks we were given to add & subtract; or our fingers. She was a very strict teacher. She was also my hostel warden or house mistress as was the parlance those days.
I learnt a lot as the days went by. Firstly I learnt to speak & understand the English language. I felt it was a great achievement because when I entered the school I didn’t know either Hindi or English. I had come from a Bangla background. Soon I was doing very well in my English tests. We learnt a lot of games and swimming which I loved.
Dining together was a ritual. We couldn’t enter the dining room for dinner in our sports kit for dinner. I still remember the prayer we sang before sitting down for our meals. The house mistress and another teacher sat on either sides of the long table keeping watch on
Our table manners.
I still remember most of the teachers who taught me. Miss Benjamin was our class teacher in the 5th standard. She also taught us health science and maths. She was a stickler for neatness and tidiness. She became our House mistress too & checked our cupboards regularly.
I could go on and on about the lively learning time we spent in MGD. It’s the very foundation of my life and my future career. Miss Lutter and Miss Emma became the bed rock of my life and so did the education given by my teachers I shall always be beholden to them who have played such an important part in my life.
Ranjana Jaitly nee Mukherji.
Batch of 1961.
Oh Those School Girl Days….
Really what carefree days those were - even though there was strict discipline to be maintained. Though being in the hostel, we still managed to have loads of fun. My personal favourites were Friday nights and Sundays.
Fridays, because we were shown some of the best hindi movies after dinner , in the open area, outside Miss Lutter's office. I remember seeing Haqeeqat, Dosti, Hum Dono and Saat Hindustani. Those were the days of no mobile phones, or even TV, so it was magic, sitting in the open, under the stars, watching transfixed our favourite stars like Dev Anand and Dharamendra on the screen ! Absolutely unforgettable !
Sundays was our day of rest- no early morning PT, so we could sleep late. I still remember Miss Emma's Sunday breakfast of spanish omelettes, stuffed with potatoes along with sauted liver ! What a treat !
We would wash our hair and loll in the sun. I would go to the Rose garden,with a book, rest against a tree, read and watch squirrels frolic. In fact, I remember how we tried to keep one as a pet. Poor thing was kept in a bag, hanging over the bed and fed scraps stolen from the dining room ! Thank God I dont remember how long it survived on all this. And of course Sundays meant the tuck shop ! With the princely sum of Rs.10/- as pocket money, for the whole month, for seniors, we were ofcourse stone broke, within two Ssundays. All of us ran up an account with the dear old Mr. Chelaram ,of which I wonder how many paid up. I will go to my grave, with the guilt of still owing him some hundred rupees or so! My favourite was ice cream with coke, which today is famously called an 'ice cream float'. I think we invented it ! We also invented the now famous Dalgona coffee - how much of it we consumed, is unbelievable! It was our midnight feast- but it never managed to keep us awake.
Of course with all the fun we still managed to study and imbibe the unique culture and traditions of MGD- a wonderful blend of Indian and western. We learnt to wear a saree in class 10, be respectful to our elders, and keep our surroundings spotlessly clean. I will never forget Miss Lutter, bending down to pick up a piece of paper someone had thrown in the corridor and throwing it in the dustbin.
Those were the days, the memories of which still keep us young, fifty years later ! Miss you MGD!
Nandini Sahai nee Thapan
Batch of 1972
I have very fond memories of our school. Going down the memory lane, first person I think of and remember very fondly is our principal Miss Lutter. She was a fine person and took great interest in each of us. After leaving school I happened to meet her after a few years when I came to Jaipur to settle down here. Miss Lutter recognised me immediately and took me on the board of governors of MGD.
I remember the small excursions and picnics, we were taken to from school. Specially the bus journeys together were great fun . We used to sing songs, play "antakshari", and shared all the food we carried from home. The Teacher's Day used to be also enjoyable when the senior girls impersonated our beloved teachers.
I used to get the opportunity to be in the singing group for school functions .The whole experience was very enjoyable specially with Miss Brijpal now Mrs Aneja, making the girls dance so beautifully to her tunes. My greatest joy was when my daughter joined MGD.
Rajshri Sarawgi nee Barjyatya
Batch of 1961
The Cultural Heritage of MGD- "Jijas'
Ra ! Ra! MGD. It matters where you grow up.
It was the unforgettable year of 1975 when I got admitted to the school. I already had my cousins studying there and one can only imagine the joy of a five-year-old when she spots one of them in the corridor or on her way to the assembly. I would just beam with an admirable smile.
The journey with my school began and how over a tenure of twelve years, the written and unwritten rules of MGD shaped my belief, perception, relationships, and attitude to be the wholesome human being I am today. Words are not enough to thank thee! MGD has taught us, to have a magnanimous spirit to put in the best even in the smallest of endeavors undertaken. It has guided us in its physical and emotional safety net to embrace and celebrate learning, fulfillment, and well-being.
We were lucky to have teachers with high professional standards. I remember vividly, in Introductory which is grade one,Ms Cherian would be so particular about book covers and the wooden pencil box. At that time we were so terrified of her but today I thank her for it. It paved a path for orderliness in our primitive years.
My favorite memory is of the school fete in 1976. I was in Transition, grade two. Those days we used to have our school fete opposite the Principal's office. The fete was in its full swing, everyone was having a great time, mostly dancing with gay abandon. I got lost in the loud music and got away from my peer group. I looked everywhere and just could not find my friends. Then, my attention was caught by a few seniors dancing in salwar-kameez, with their dupattas bouncing with the rhythm of the song.I started to sway with their moves. One of the jija's noticed me and pulled me into their group. In seconds I was in the centre , with all of them clapping for me in appreciation. It instantly created a warm bond. I never hesitated to approach my seniors and kind of took pride in calling them jijas. Till date, it continues.
Ranjana Tewari nee Purohit
Batch 1987
New Education Policy
Our unique old Gurukul Pedagogy wrapped in Modern Paper is our New Nep. What was Gurukul education , where children came and learnt Languages , way of living life, skill base education, peer learning, respect and gratitude for what has been bestowed upon and this is exactly what Nep says.
Bridging Modern Educational Learning with Advanced Ancient Vedic wisdom. When we elaborate this we first ENGAGE the child and let the child's thinking from Abstract to Concrete that is from lot to hot to clarify mind. Next We let the child Navigate this is deriving learning outcomes from book experiences to real life experiences. so Nep talks about linking real life with book knowledge to establish the facts.
Thirdly we generate learning outcomes which are visible, shareable and modifiable. Next it talks about to apply knowledge to create a portfolio for every child according to 21st century skills.
Next it talks about assessing the child and last but not the least to plan a improvement plan for the child. this is how New Nep focuses on HOW TO LEARN RATHER THAN WHAT TO LEARN, for example if we wish to teach adjectives to a child we create a mystery story and try to relate book knowledge via real time knowledge by adding suitable adjectives to every character. Another example can be if we wish to teach critical thinking skills to a child we try to ask alternative endings to any story so that the child thinks and comes up with unique ideas with peers, this enables peer learning and we engage the child fruitfully too. Thus learning like this helps to understand the important skills connected to critical and creative thinking, problem solving, collaboration and communication skills to develop 21st century individuals. Overall it makes education INTERACTIVE AND REALSTIC.
Ankur himmatramka nee Jaipuria
Batch of 1992
Ghazal Qadri , Batch of 2013
CONGRATULATIONS
Malashri Lal nee Mukherji batch of 1964.
Prof. Malashri Lal, received the
HH Rajmata Gayatri Devi Award for Women’s Excellence on 22 October 2022 at the Sawai Jaipur Awards ceremony at the City Palace. Author, academic and social worker in Rajasthan and Delhi, Malashri Lal has sixteen books to her credit and is known for leading women’s empowerment activities for four decades. Her academic career has been at the University of Delhi from where she retired as Professor, Department of English, and Dean of Colleges. She continues her volunteer work with the Guild of Service as Convener for Rajasthan, and Secretary General of SANWED.
Proud of Chaitali Panmei batch of 1984 Congratulations !
She was working in Mumbai as Chief Commissioner of Income Tax (Central). Now on promotion as Principal Chief Commissioner posted in Bangalore, in charge of Karnataka & Goa.
Ms Namita Kachhawah Gir from the batch of ‘68 received the `Woman Acharya of the Year’ award for her exceptional work and outstanding contribution in the sector of education at Asia’s biggest Women Dominance Conference, Fest & Awards, featuring the Icons of Asia & Woman. Leaders Forum on December 20th, 2022 at Radisson Blu, New Delhi.
She has 47 years of teaching experience and now has her own school in Shyam Nagar - ‘I Excel High School’ which was earlier known as Pre School.
Congratulations to Mr Bhaskar Chatterjee (husband of late Nisha Chatterjee batch of 1972)
On the birth of grandson Bhrigu on 17th May 2022.
Congratulations to Rajnigandha Shekhawat batch of 1992 on receiving Radiocity Rajasthan Radiance Award for Folk Music.
Congratulations to Dr. Sheenu Jhawar batch of 1990, Director of Apex Hospitals was awarded the “Rajasthan Radiance Award” for Excellence in the category of “Innovation in Telemedicine App” for the year 2022 by Radio City.
Congratulations to Seema Palaria Sharma batch of 1972 on becoming grandmother to a baby boy on 11th January 2023.
Meenu Mathur batch of 1972 on becoming a grandmother to a baby girl on 11th January 2023
CONDOLENCES
Heartfelt Condolences to
Babita Moody, batch of 1983
Sharmilla Galundia, batch of 1985
Rashmi Killa, batch of 1991Agarwal sisters' on the passing away of their mother Smt Manjula Devi Agarwal on 23rd November 2022. May God give solace to the family . May the departed soul attain sadgati. ॐ शान्ति ?
Heartfelt Condolences to Anita Surana batch of 1968. To Shubha Surana on the passing away of her father Shri Vimal Surana on 10th November 2022. May the departed soul attain sadgati. ॐ शान्ति
Heartfelt Condolences to Nirmala Surana Durlabhji batch of 1973 on the passing away of her brother Shri Vimal Surana and to Neha Surana Dhadda batch of 1999,
Nidhi Surana Kothary batch of 1999
on the passing away of their Kakasa on 10th November 2022. May God give solace to the family to bear this loss and may the departed soul attain sadgati. ॐ शान्ति
Heartfelt Condolences to the family of Ms Shyam Wali batch of 1951
who passed away on 16th Sept 2022. May the departed soul attain sadgati. ॐ शान्ति
Heart felt Condolences to Rajni Nagar Shankar batch of 1972 on the passing away of her husband Shri Charan Shankar on14th September 2022. May God give strength to the family to bear this irreparable loss and may the departed soul attain sadgati. ॐ शान्ति
Heartfelt condolences to Daughters Swapna Kulkarni Tyagi Batch of 1981 Sona Jain Tyagi Batch of 1983, Granddaughter Bhagyashree Jain Batch of 2019, Sister Aruna Kalia nee Sharma Batch of 1972 on the passing away of Dr Mrs Shanta Jain on 2nd September 2022.May the departed soul attain sadgati.ॐ शान्ति
Heartfelt condolences to the family of Suniti Shekhwat (daughter inlaw batch of 1980) on the passing away of Ms Chand Kumari Chittora, batch of 1950 on 30th August 2022 .May the departed soul attain sadgati. ॐ शान्ति
Heartfelt Condolences to the family of Durgesh Nandini (Bissau) batch of 1957, who passed away on 29th December 2022.May the departed soul attain sadgati. ॐ शान्ति
EDITORIAL COMMITTEE
Chandralekha Mathur
(Sahai, 1954)
Chief Editor
Editors :
Meenakshi Hooja (Mathur, 1968)
9413337959
Pranati Lunia (Golecha, 1972)
Aparna Khurana (1997)
Ankur Jaipuria (1992)
MGD Girls Guild,
MGD Girls School,
Sawai Ram Singh Road,
Jaipur 302001
Tel: 8905181885
Email: mgdgirlsguildjaipur@gmail.com
Website:
www. mgdgirlsguild.org
It is said that soulful dancing is the poetry by feet . There are many shortcuts to ultimate happiness, and dancing is one of those beautiful ways .
Honouring our school motto " Our utmost for the highest ", and following the tradition , the much - awaited yearly dance extravaganza " MGD Guild Dance Fest " was held on 15 th September, 2022.
Hundreds of lovely girls clad in colourful ethnic dresses performed mesmerising dances on foot tapping music and songs , creating thousands of rainbows on the ground.
A spectacular dance competition was held between 9 th , 10 th , 11 th and 12 th std . 12 th std(2022) was declared as the fair winner by the judges Archana Mankotia ( Principal), Maya Sharma and Meenakshi Rathore.
The programme ended with mouth -watering culinary feast and millions of take home memories.
Dr. Vinita Patni
1983 batch
GUILD TODAY.
AUGUST 2022
PENNY THOUGHTS.
MGD @ 80
August 12, 2022 we usher in the 80th year of the founding of our beloved alma mater.
In these eight decades we have seen a path breaking idea transforming, evolving and flowering into a prestigious temple of learning. As the years rolled by we have witnessed the outcome of dedicated perseverance on a bedrock of fine traditions and abiding values. These fundamental guidelines have given MGD a distinctive ethos, unparalleled and unsurpassed!!
On this landmark occasion we bow in reverence to our founder, Late HH Rajmata Saheba Gayatri Devi ji, our Board of Governors, our Principals, our dedicated Teachers, our Leaders, our Office Staff, our Support Staff, our Parents and all the generations of persons associated with the school. Today we rededicate ourselves towards transmitting this beautiful gift Bigger, Better and more Beautiful than it was transmitted to us… our sacred School Pledge that rings in our hearts always.
Guild Today awakens to a new dawn after two and a half years of enforced hibernation. The ominous announcement on National Television on the 23rd March 2020 of a total Lockdown of the entire Nation swept us all into an unprecedented situation, a sledgehammer blow that knocked out all sanity and rational sense of the populace . It was bewildering and totally disorientating as wave after wave hit the country, from metros to far flung villages, caught unprepared for the devastating COVID-19 pandemic and its lethal side effects. From the burning , smouldering ashes and tragedy the nation is rising phoenix like. One of the many catastrophic fall out of the aftermath has been the loss of two whole years of school time for the young. The pressure of “ON LINE” classes on children and their teachers has taken a heavy toll on growing children and robbed them of the joy of work and play with their peer groups. The uncertainty of date, format and results of entrance tests for professional courses have jeopardised many budding careers.
Let us rise above all these challenges and resolve to regroup, reconnect and revive our reunions.
Happy Eightieth to MGD and all MGDians.
Chandralekha Mathur
( nee Sahai. Batch of 1954)
EDITOR.
The MGD Girls Guild pays their humble and affectionate tribute to the memory of Rani Vidya Devi Ji on her first “Punya tithi” on 20th August 2022.
We are privileged to welcome Maharaj Jai Singh Ji as the Chairperson of the MGD Girls School.
______________________________________________________
BUSY BEES
☆JULY
1. INVESTITURE CEREMONY
Investiture Ceremony July 7, 2022
M.G.D Girls’ School, Jaipur organized the Investiture Ceremony for the newly appointed Student Council for 2022-23 on 7th July 2022.
In an orientation session for the newly appointed Student Council, the Principal reiterated the five qualities that made one a true leader: Honesty, Vision, Teamwork, Growth and learning, and Transformational leadership.
☆JUNE
1. ORIENTATION SESSION FOR NEW ADMISSIONS CLASS XI
2. YOGA DAY MGD Girls’ school, Jaipur celebrated International Day of Yoga on June 21, 2022. The programme was attended by His Highness Maharaj Jai Singh Ji, Members of the Board of Governors, Principal Mrs Archana S Mankotia, Administrative Officer Col SS Sangwan, Staff and students.
3. YOUNG IDEATOR'S CONCLAVE 2022
MGD Girls’ School participated in the Jim Corbett-Pandit Govind Ballabh Pant- F.G. Pearce Memorial Young Ideator’s Conclave hosted by Birla Vidya Mandir, Nainital from 27th to 30th May 2022. 33 Schools from across the country participated in this online event.
4. DAINIK BHASKAR JUNIOR EDITOR 6
Junior Editor-6, a pan India Newspaper Designing competition organized by Dainik Bhaskar in which over 25000 students from across India enthusiastically participated. The participants got a chance to create their own newspaper through a pre-designed broadsheet layout and were required to pen their ideas on different topics such as book reviews, editorials, national and international news, sports, comic strip, start-up idea, advertisements, dream careers and much more.
We are proud to share that Falguni Gupta of class 10 E secured the Second Position (in the Category of classes 9 and 10) and Riddhima Gupta of class 6 F bagged the Third Position (in the category of classes 5 and 6). Both students received Fastrack Smart Watches and Certificates of Achievement.
The Award ceremony was graced by Deepa Malik, Rio Paralympic Silver Medallist, Padmashri, Khel Ratna and Arjuna awardee.
5. SOCIAL SERVICE CAMP
The Indian Women Blog in collaboration with Maharani Gayatri Devi Girls’ School, organized a ten-day Social Service Summer camp ‘Back To School’, from 18th to 27th May 2022, comprising various activities like public speaking, creative writing, environmental craft classes, science activities and sports classes at Triveni Nagar and MGD Girls’ School.
☆MAY
1. Design Thinking Course Session 2
2. CONGRATULATIONS -
MGD is proud of our girls for their commendable achievements -
Aashita Singal ( class 10th ) has completed her first Mountaineer Trek to “Everest Base Camp” 5364 Meters/ 17,600 feet on 10th May 2022. The journey to EBC started on 30th April 2022 and the trek started on 2nd May 2022 and she reached EBC on 10th May 2022.
AKSHITA TEJWANI ( class 10th D) secured the First Position classwise and thus became the National winner of AAROHAN 2022, BITS Pilani among 6000 students pan India going through two rounds of the event.
8. Virtual Exchange Program (MGDVEP)
‘City Through My Lens’
INTERNATIONAL INTELLECTUAL EXCHANGE i-SMSC 2022
Maharani Gayatri Devi Girls’ School has embarked on a yet another novel journey with its second Virtual Exchange Program (MGDVEP). The program is a manifestation of the Principal, Mrs Archana S Mankotia’s vision to help students develop themselves, thus contributing to society from an early age and promoting self-development through a life-changing experience. This program will not only broaden personal perspectives but also will let the students see the world, experience a new culture through an exploration of one’s City, its Architecture, Culture, Cuisine, Language and Tourism related USP.
A group of 30 students from MGD School are participating in this online exchange programme hosted by i-SMSC, SMJK SHING CHUNG, Malaysia under the guidance of the Cultural Coordinator Ms. Cherry Goyal, Senior Faculty Members, Ms. Dipti Mahajan and Ms. Sunita Rathore. Four schools, from Malaysia, Pakistan and India are a part of this programme, connecting via virtual platform, Google Meet. The objective of the project is to give an opportunity to students to communicate, exchange ideas and foster goodwill.
10. MGD Girls' School, Jaipur, in association with Extramarks Counsellors ,conducted the 6 day One- on- One Counselling Sessions for students of class X (2022-2023), from 25th- 30th April 2022. For the boarders, their parents were requested to join through the Zoom link.
11. Heartiest Congratulations to Yashasvi Katta for getting selected in India under 19 women's cricket camp.
Best wishes
☆APRIL
3. Boarders Talent Hunt-
On the eve of April 24th, 2022, MGD Girls' School, Jaipur hosted a Talent Hunt event for the New Boarders of grades I to X, providing them with a platform to showcase their talent in any discipline. As is customary at MGD, the Talent Hunt event welcomed new students into the MGD family. The students not only demonstrated their ability, but they also found inspiration to come forward and demonstrate their latent potential. Students demonstrated various skills such as dance, singing, impersonation, instrument playing, painting exhibitions, and so on. The audience had a great time watching the newcomers execute incredible feats. The evening concluded with the Principal, Mrs. Archana S. Mankotia, congratulating each student on their tremendous courage in participating and warmly welcoming the new entrants to the MGD boarding family
4. The Puneet Sagar Abhiyan,
It Was conducted successfully under the joint aegis of Maharani Gayatri Devi Girls' School and NCC Cadets of Maharani College, Jaipur, on 25 April 2022.
The NCC cadets cleaned the area around Talkatora, performed a street play and encouraged the people present there to use paper, cloth or jute bags instead of plastic bags. They also requested the the people to plant a tree each in their home or in public places like parks and take care of those trees so that we could save our Earth from the impact of Global Warming. They were guided in this endeavor by Lieutenant Deepika Chaudhary and Chief Officer Anjali Sharma.
5. MGD Girls' School, Jaipur , organised a Global University Fair on the 25th April 2022, in collaboration with ICAE, wherein a few universities from India along with some of the top universities abroad visited the school campus. Universities like
Ashoka university
O.P. Jindal Global university,
Plaksha university
Shivnadar university
Flame university, Europe, Switzerland, Australia, USA and many more countries came under one roof to meet 500 students of Maharani Gayatri Devi Girls’ SchoolThe fair gave students a good insight and was very helpful.
8. FUCHSIA 2022 a five day event was organised in the school.
11. Parent Orientation programme: 2022-23
The school organised an orientation programme for the parents of the new students in Prep Section in April, 2022. The parents were welcomed and taken through a brief history of the institution. The vision of the Founder and the expectations of the school from the new MGDians were shared with the parents. The Royal Reformer, a film on HH Rajmata Gayatri Devi Ji Saheba of Jaipur, was shown to the parents. The Orientation was conducted by Ms Priyamvada Rawat.
The Principal, Ms Archana S Mankotia, addressed the parents and pointed out the difference between syllabus and curriculum. She motivated the parents to join the school in its efforts for effective implementation of the curriculum.
The Prep Coordinator, Ms Puri welcomed the parents and shared the experiential learning approach in class transactions. She briefed them about new activities like no bag days, project based assignments etc.
12. *Fare thee well class XII
Farewell to the most amazing and special class ever.
AU REVOIR* .
You have proved your mettle in numerous ways. You rose to the occasion always.
The Farewell for the Batch of 2022 was held on Wednesday, April 13, 2022 in the Main building of the school which was beautifully decorated and lit up.
Students of class 11 welcomed the Jijas of the Batch of 2022. A series of dance performances showcasing the fun of school life were put up by the students of class 11.There were different categories of awards for class 12 including awards like the Mithali Raj of the Batch, the one with a Million-dollar smile and indeed Miss Farewell, Tech- Wiz, Picasso, Life of the Party and so on. The Batch of 2022 also gave dance performances followed by the cake cutting ceremony where the Principal Mrs. Archana S. Mankotia did the honours. The Student Council members along with the teachers were also present for the same.
The air was tinged with emotion and nostalgia as students took photographs around the majestic school building where they had spent their childhood and grown up into well groomed girls.
13. JAIPUR DARSHAN - DAY TOUR FOR BOARDERS
To commemorate the start of the 2022-23 academic year, a day excursion was organised for boarders that was both enjoyable and instructive. A total of 104 students and 5 staff members were present. The students left at 7:30 a.m. in luxury AC buses, with their first stop being Jaipur's iconic Amber Fort, followed by visits to City Palace and Jantar Mantar. They then enjoyed a sumptuous lunch at the well-known Masala Chownk, a one-stop shop for several delicacies. Following lunch, the students walked to another site, Albert Hall, where they marveled at the magnificent display.
As they drove passed Birla Mandir and WTP, the students were filled with awe for these iconic landmarks. Along with the travel organizers, there were three tour guides who assisted the students in understanding the history and significance of each location and monument they visited or passed. At 4:30 p.m., the students returned to their hostels with mementos and souvenirs.
A day well spent.....
16. Kaizen-Personality Development Module
Session-1
I, Me and Myself
Date-8th April 2022
MGD Girls’ School, Jaipur, in continuation to its extraordinary feat under the vision of its Principal, Mrs Archana S Mankotia, initiated Personality Development and Confidence Building Sessions for its students in the boarding house across classes II to XII.
The first session under this series for the Academic year 2022-23 was conducted on 8th April 2022 for all students who’ve joined the boarding this year. This session was conducted by Ms Cherry Goyal, Cultural Coordinator of the school, ELT Expert and Teacher Trainer. The title of the session was “I, Me and Myself”. This session was really interactive, fruitful and efficacious and all the students went back more confident and high-spirited, thanking the Principal, School and Ms Cherry.
17. A career Awareness program was organized for XII class students by NIIT University on the 8th of April, 2022. Nearly 148 girls from Science, Commerce and Humanities participated in it. Information about the different scholarships offered by N U was highlighted . It was an enriching session by Dr. Neha Tiwari.
19. Paradise- A Date With ART !!
An Art Show was put up by the students of the Prep Section of MGD Girls' School. This exhibition was titled," Paradise - is not a place, it is a state of mind." Each work of art by the students proved this adage true by giving the visitors a glimpse of Paradise through their artwork.
The Principal Mrs Archana S Mankotia inaugurated the exhibition in the presence of the Admin Officer , the coordinators , the teachers ,the artists , and parents. The show was curated by the Prep Coordinator Ms Benu Puri.
APARNA KHURANA
Batch of 1997
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“News from MGD Girls’ Guild.
Hi Girls,
Greetings from the Guild Executive Committee.
Covid has given us respite now. Hopefully the situation will remain like this !
Being optimistic the Guild Executive Committee has emerged from hibernation and made plans for the coming year.
This year the only Guild Annual activity will be The Dandiya Nite for senior students of class 9th, 10th, 11th, 12th on 3rd Sept. 2022
Guild members who wish to join are welcome. For any queries contact the Guild office, Ms.Smita # +91 8905181885 during office hours - 9 am to 1 o’ clock
We will be celebrating MGD’s 80th (OAK) anniversary next year i.e.2023
(The first 3 batches are covid casualty).
Following is the proposed plan for the event.
16th Saturday, Dec 2023 - Venue - School - Post lunch - Felicitation of the above batches, followed by Ghoomer by each batch and then dinner in the school.
17th Sunday, Dec 2023 - Morning - visit the school, go down memory lane with your friends meet the Principal and the Teachers.
Afternoon - Polo and High Tea at Rambagh Polo Ground.
Evening - Social get together with spouse / escort - music, dance and dinner at Rambagh Palace.
There is a package deal for all the activities. Final details and cost will be intimated later.
The two days program is organized for all the Alumni.
The Guild Digital Directory - It will be great if all our Alumni are listed in the Directory, by school’s 80th anniversary. (It is essential to be a Guild Member to be in the Directory) For any queries regarding the directory, contact person is
Ms. Sarandha (Batch 1983), Member Guild Executive Committee.
Cell # +91 9116048112 , Email : mgdgirlsguildjaipur@gmail.com
School souvenirs will be on sale on Sunday the 17th.
Look forward to celebrating the 80th anniversary of our school together.
Wish you all the best.
Jane H.Singh (Batch 1955), President, MGD Girls’ Guild
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75 Years of MGD and Golden Jubilee of our 1968 batch
Our batch of 1968 was highly excited to take part in the December 2018 celebrations of 75 years of MGD, which also marked our Golden Jubilee. Thus we prepared actively for the programmes, so caringly scheduled by the School and MGD Girls’ Guild.
Twenty eight of use from different places including nine from abroad, got together on Thursday 20th December 2018 itself . Abanti , Nonika and Suman came from Delhi, Pam, Ritu and Neelima Mehra from Mumbai, Madhuri and Krishna from Kolkata , Deepika from Lucknow, Sunita Lal from Dehradun, Sudha from Udaipur, Mridula and Rupa from Pune. Bharati and Renuka from UK, Jyoti, Shahana, Sunita Chadha, Baljinder and Chitra from the US, Neelima Sapru and Arti from Canada. All except us Jaipurites - Anita, Aruna, Namita, Mickey, Purnima and Meenakshi, checked in at Giri Sadan, a warm and cozy place run by Giri Jija of 1967 batch. All the efforts made for arrangements of travel, lodging showed on our cheerful faces as we came in by flights and road. The greetings were expectedly hyper as many of us were meeting after fifty years.
The evening was a special get-together of our batch at Shikar Bagh of Narayan Niwas, especially taken care of by Namita Kachhawah, with drinks and dinner and all round smiles and chatter in the glittering environment. Inside and outside the building, we had a relaxed time getting to know the latest updates about each other
The next day, 21st Friday was a relaxed morning and some of us went to the Bazaar organised by the Guild at Diggi Palace. For a very tasty, snacky lunch organised by Neelima Mehra, we all got together at the Golf club, laughed and joked and planned out our evening and next two days.
Then we walked over to the Polo ground, met the other MGDians, teachers and watched the well played out Polo match and enjoyed tea and snacks. More hectic activity and excitement lay ahead of us as we headed to DiggiPalace for the evening of Ghoomar Dances done by 7 groups to represent 7 decades. Well, watching our batch girls dance, it did not feel that they were 65 plus and their performance was a show stealer.
The next day 22nd December 2022 Saturday, began in a solemn way with a gathering at the Quiet corner to pay our respects to Miss Lutter our founder Principal to whom we all owe so much. This was followed by the Special Assembly programme in which all of us , as the Golden Jubilee batch dressed in golden hue sarees, went on stage. We were introduced by Abanti, our batch Vice president of School Council after an address by Neelima Sapru, our Head Girl. Vote of thanks by Poornima Patni, Deputy Head Girl of our batch followed. Compering was done by yours truly, Meenakshi Mathur.
We presented a Souvenir book of our batch prepared with a lot of effort put in by Namita , Mickey , Anita , Purnima and, and received momentos from Rani Vidya ji and Jane Jija. It was an ennobling moment. We also gave cheques of a total Rs 1.24 lacs for the School development which was a collection from each of the 28 of us making a donation. An Annual running trophy for the Best all rounder of class X was gifted to our dear Alma mater and small trophies with citation to Miss Brijpal and Miss Nanda, our beloved teachers who were present on the occasion .
Thereafter followed the lunch in the lawns with cake cutting and chatting and an evening of gala dance and dinner at Rambagh. As we were the Golden batch, we decided to have our own dinner at Giri Sadan, which went late into the night with more sharing of experiences.
23 rd December 2022, Sunday was the day for goodbyes and farewells as we set out to catch our flights and take our taxis, packing our suitcases and hearts with the most fond and enjoyable memories.
We are grateful to the School and the Guild, especially Jane Jija for her energetic support and making this get-together truly memorable for us as we continue to meet on whatsapp, web meetings and whenever possible in small groups.
Three Cheers for MGD!!!
Meenakshi Mathur Hooja
1968 batch
Tele 94133795
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FROM GOLDEN GIRLS OF 2022
SMORIES- Stories & memories shared after 3 decades, on the grounds that groomed me.
I took a walk down the memory lane of my life as I stepped on to the stage-
The same stage where I faced the audience first ever, decades ago
It felt so different:
The stride was steady
The butterflies at rest in the belly
The pulse beat at it's own pace
The mic held like the pencil then
With the comfort of the eraser in my pockets
It felt like home, and each one like family
Welcoming opens arms, to hold tight and tap my back
The words spilled from my heart and touched those around
The childhood hostel pranks
The craving for food
The yearning for love
The first crush
The tomboy transitioned into lady, with her own constants
Getting back to square one
Half a century down the life lane, feels like I just began the walk. Once again, child like I took a walk down the memory lane of my life.
Anupama Agarwal Bajaj
Batch of 1989
Reminiscing School days with a smile
2022 is the Golden Anniversary year for the girls who passed out of our Alma Mater in 1972. Yes, we are the Golden Girls.
Is it really 50 years?????? We have grown from giggling school girls to doting grandmothers, but the heart easily transforms into the heart of a school girl when we reflect on our school days with a smile.
Sam Bellow, the famous writer, has rightly said,” No school without spectacular eccentrics and crazy hearts is worth attending.” And we did enjoy every moment, each one of us with a particular eccentricity and craziness.
What we remember the most are the memories we created with everyone associated with the school, be it friends, teachers, and many others. So many memories, sweet, bitte embarrassing. Yet the best are those that bring a smile to your face.
Mr. Rendall, our Physics teacher in ISC, soft-spoken & gentle, a retired professor from BITS Pilani, how difficult it must have been for him to teach a group of girls certainly not interested in the subject. We had managed to remove the R from his nameplate outside the Physics Lab and it read Mr endall (end-all). He coaxed and cajoled, treated us to tea/coffee and biscuits probably with the hope that it would draw us to the class, but that was not to be. Playing truant in his class we considered our birthright. Many of us left our exam copies completely blank. I can never forget his telling us with exasperation,“ Girls, sprinkle a few drops of ink on your copies but don’t leave them blank.”Dear Sir, we may have forgotten Physics, but you will always be remembered with fondness. For those who might not know, his daughter is the wife of the famousVishwa Mohan Bhatt, the legendary Hindustani classical music instrumentalist who plays the Mohan Veena.
Which Science student does not remember the Chemistry teacher Ms. H. Gupta aka Mercury because of her initials Hg, the chemical symbol of the element? Another sweet and gentle teacher. Once a day scholar brought fresh cucumbers from her farm for the class. I remember the lab assistant, Mr. Ram Lal, saying, “ Kuchh Sodium Chloride (the chemical name for salt) laoon? A true Chemistry class with Hg and NaCl.
The memories will never end.
Kiran Bist
Batch of 1972
I count myself lucky
I count myself lucky and fortunate to have studied in the prestigious M.G.D ... a school steeped in tradition and good values.The Principal Miss Lutter's advise for women " to never be without a needle and thread", would hardly go down well perhaps with the present generation of girls , but has served masny of us well.
School life was comfortable ,stable yet exciting with good friends and dedicated teachers.... my favourite being Ms Nanda and Ms Mehta. But my most memorable year (1977 to 1978) was when I came back toMGD to teach grade 4 (P2) . I even got to direct a play which won 1st prize !.
I went around showing off to everyone as to how I was so swiftly hired by Miss Lutter and was offered a monthly salary of Rs 500 /.
My mother ran a printing business so I got to wear a new cotton saree every second day except that the whole school stared at my chunky sandals, as I often walked to school from my home which was quite a distance away!
All in all I can say that this was an immensely satisfying time in my life till the wedding bells rang and I had to leave Jaipur. 50 years have gone by since the batch of 1972 graduated.Time flies but MGD lives on and stands rock solid with wonderful traditions and adoring students
Kumkum Sen nee Singha (Batch of 1972)
'Shakti'- a short poem written to honor my Alma mater.
M.G.D made us realize how to find our true self and follow our dreams. 'OUR UTMOST FOR THE HIGHEST '
A Good tiding
In the newspapers
in the whatsapp
messages telephone
or on emails
invariably there is
a good tiding
that makes my day
Checking in an encyclopedia
dictionary , or doing a
simple Google search ,
also brings joy for
information and knowledge
are empowering
as they often say
Watching a song or scene
on You tube or
other websites brings out
creativity and innovation ,
and achievements of others
not surprisingly
add to my own !
Meenakshi Hooja (Nee mathur1968 batch)
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CONGRATULATIONS
Saroj Kumari (Cookie) batch of 1958 and her husband Lt Gen DP Singh who celebrated their 50th Wedding Anniversary on 8 th February 2022.
Their daughter Dipti kumari is from batch 1990 .
Sadia Moyeen batch of 86 who is blessed with a grand child on 9th February 2022
Sarandha Singh Batch of 1983 on becoming a grandmother on 11th February 2022
Surekha Mimani nee Kotari batch of 1986 on becoming a grandmother in January 2022.
Sharmila Galundia batch of 1986 on her daughter's marriage on 18th February 2022.
Sonakshi Mittal batch of 2013 on her marriage to Priyansh Chordia son of Supriya Poonglia Chordia batch of 1981 on 18th February 2022.
Anupama Agarwal Bajaj batch of 1989 for her daughter Chaitali getting married to Keshav on 21st February 2022.
Shabnam Kumari batch of 1986 on the marriage of her daughter on 21st February 2022.
Panchami Manoo Ukil batch of 1983On receiving the FICCI flo Award in the field of Environment & Conservation from Hon'ble Governor Prof. Ganeshi Lal ji at the 2nd Flo Odisha Women's Awards on 7th March 2022
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CONDOLENCES
Vandana Mehta batch of 1986 on the sad demise of her father Shri Mahendra Singh Mehta on 10th February 2022. May the departed soul attain sadgati
Heartfelt Condolences on passing away of
Mrs Sumedha Durlabhji on 16th February 2022 to
Daughter- Manisha Bafna (1988)
Sister in law- Nirmala Durlabhji (1973)
Sister in law - Asha Mehta (1959)
Sister in law- Anita Surana (1968)
May God give strength to the family to bear this irreparable loss and may the soul attain sadgati. ॐशान्ति
Heartfelt Condolences to Vidyut Sukhadia Sheth batch of 1990 on the demise of her father in law on 24th February 2022. May God give strength to the family and may the departed soul attain sadgati. ॐशान्ति
Heartfelt Condolences to Sunita Bainsla batch of 1982 on the passing away of her fatherCol. Kirodi Singh Bainsla on 31st March 2022. May the departed soul attain sadgati. ॐशान्ति
Heartfelt Condolences to Sujata Behani Baheti batch of 1983 who lost her father Shri Jagdish Prasad Behani on 18th March 2022. May the departed soul attain sadgati. ॐशान्ति
Heartfelt condolences toPranati (Golecha) Lunia batch of 1972 and family on the passing away of her son Kartikeya Lunia on 2nd May 2022.May God give strength to the family to bear this irreparable loss and grant sadgati to the departed soul .ॐशान्ति
Heartfelt Condolences to
Tara Datta batch of 1970
Kumkum Datta batch of 1972
Neena Datta batch of 1977
On the passing away of their mother
Mrs Nanni Datta on 14th May 2022.May God give strength to the family to bear this irreparable loss. May the departed soul attain sadgati.
ॐशान्ति
Heartfelt condolences to
Alpana Yadav batch 1986
on the passing away of her husband
Shri Vikas yadav on 11th July 2022. May God give strength to the family to bear this irreparable loss. May the departed soul attain sadgati. ॐशान्ति
Heartfelt condolences to
Maji Saheba Gulab Kumari Rohet (Dundlod) on the sad demise of her son Thakur Ranvijai Singh Rohet on 18th June 2022. May God give strength to the family to bear this irreparable loss. May the departed soul attain sadgati. ॐशान्ति
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EDITORIAL COMMITTEE
Chandralekha Mathur (Sahai, 1954) Editor
Meenakshi Hooja (Mathur, 1968)
Pranati Lunia (Golecha, 1972)
Aparna Khurana (1997)
______________________________________________________
MGD Girls Guild,
MGD Girls School,
Sawai Ram Singh Road,
Jaipur 302001
Tel: 9116652651
M: 8905181885
Email: mgdgirlsguildjaipur@gmail.com
Website: mgdgirlsguild.org
Sharmila Barua, Head Girl Batch of 1981, and Captain of the school hockey team, did her graduation in Law but spent the initial years of her adult life as an Air Force wife, married to a fighter pilot, and mother of a daughter. During this time she experimented with the social development sector. Her life took an unfortunate turn when, in 1997, she lost her husband in an aircraft accident.
Having received this blow from life she got down to the task of sorting out life for herself and her fast growing child. She established an IPR law firm and a Knowledge Process Out sourcing Company in Delhi.
She shifted gears once again and today she is busy holding multi faceted portfolios, including Independent Directorship of a Public Ltd Company, consulting director of a charitable trust engaged in health care and medical education, as also Trustee on several other trusts engaged in vocational training and skill development. Besides this she finds time for running her home in Goa.
Born in November 1956, I was the youngest member of MGD’s 1971 batch—and to everyone’s surprise, especially my own, the topper that year, not only at MGD but in the state of Rajasthan. This outcome gave me the confidence to pursue my passion for literature in college, leading to an MA in English at Delhi University (1977). In 1976 I married Vinay Dharwadker (1971 batch, St. Xavier’s, Jaipur), and after teaching for four years at Hindu College, left for the US in 1981 for a PhD in English. Having taught at various US universities since 1987, I am currently Professor of English and Theatre Studies at the University of Wisconsin-Madison, with British, postcolonial, and modern Indian theatre as my main areas of specialization. I have two children—Aneesha, an architect based in Chicago, and Sachin, a filmmaker based in Los Angeles—and two adorable grandsons, Kabir and Kieran O’Shea, the loves of my life!
Archana Singh (Candy) joined MGD in 1968 in Introductory, and passed out in in 1980 (Sarojini Naidu - Orange House). Daughter of late Th. Bhim Singhji Mandawa. Youngest of four sisters (all ex-MGDians). Masters in English Literature (University of Rajasthan, 1984). Married to an Indian Army officer Brig. Karan Singh Rathore (17 Poona Horse, Armoured Corps). In the span of the last 30 years, have been involved in various welfare and organizational activities of the Indian Army alongwith running our farmhouse Sri Niwas Countryhouse as a BNB for international visitors. Have also worked with an events company as a Destination Wedding Planner and organizing theatre and plays in Jaipur. Currently overseeing the production of my daughter’s brand TOKREE based at Jaipur. Also pursuing my passion of revival of old leheriya and bandhani designs of yester years.
Mrs Mankotia, Jane Jija, Members of the guild, Col Sangwan, Teachers,
MGD’ians and our dear Jijas of the Golden and Ruby batches.
Jijas, I hope we can be as young at heart as you all when we come back for
our Golden and Ruby reunion.
It’s an extremely emotional moment to be back in school and for us to see
our teachers who have taken out time to be here for this assembly. Thank you
so much, it means a lot to us. Your teaching, guidance and advice was
instrumental in making us the women we are today.
It makes our silver jubilee celebration even more special as it coincides with
the birth centenary of our dear founder Rajmata Saheba Gayatri Devi. We
were fortunate to have had the opportunity to interact very closely with her
during the school’s golden jubilee celebration in our final year.
MGD gave us great teachers and mentors. It also gave us a home, a place
where we were happy and comfortable, a place that did its best to point us in
the right direction on our journey to adulthood. The varied skills we learnt
here, through less-than-traditional means, have held us in good stead
throughout our lives. Brushing, bathing, and looking somewhat presentable,
in the two minutes between waking up and the bell ringing, taught us to
multitask; finishing prep in one hour and still doing well in our exams, taught
us time management; the delicate task of negotiating between seniors and
friends was a lesson in diplomacy and handling cheeky juniors, was where
most of our corporate bosses, got their first training in delegating work!
Just being here, brings back so many memories.. the crazy times we had, the
fun, the laughter, tears.. the more than occasional fights and making up. This
is a time for us to relive old memories, revive old friendships and
acknowledge afresh, how MGD lives on in each of us as we go on about our
lives. This reunion has been a wonderful opportunity for us to reconnect with
the girls who have shaped our world and held a special place in our hearts
,despite the distance of 25 years and many, many miles.
To mark this homecoming, we’d like to present a little something, as a sign
of our gratitude. We have contributed 5 lacs towards construction of
washrooms for the girls. We hope to continue being involved in the welfare
of the school, that we have received so much from.
I say it with great pride that my batchmates have been successful in a wide
range of careers from being in the corporate field in finance, HR, IT, media ..
to artists, designers, entrepreneurs; from published authors to making their
mark at the UN and world bank; from successful homemakers to teachers,
doctors, CA, lawyers .. they are bringing glory to the MGD name, in their
own unique way.
REUNION ASSEMBLY - HEAD GIRL 1969
Good morning Rani Sahiba , Our Principal Mrs Mankotia , Jane jija
and my fellow MGDians.
The graduating batches of 50 th , 40 th and 25 th have assembled here today
to celebrate our shared history of this great institute and the birth
Centenary of our founder Maharani Gayatri Devi’s.
We the class of ‘69,remember with nostalgia our days spent here as we
roamed the corridors and hallways of this beloved school and learnt to
love it as our own.
Fifty years ago , we bid good bye to our classmates to venture out into
this world to find our destinies after receiving the most amazing
education from caring and qualified teachers led by a world class
founding principal. MGD molded us to who we are today. These
strengths have stayed with us and we have cherished them where ever
life has taken us .The fact that we are gathered here today to celebrate
for our reunions is a testimony to our love and gratitude for MGD.
Great institutes not only impart sound quality education they also build
character so that we go out into this world as responsible and good
human beings. Miss Lutter our founding principal used to say
“Ambassadors of our school and country ‘’
As we look back to our years since we finished from MGD we foundly
remember the days spent learning , singing, dancing and playing sports.
All of these envisaged in the dream of our beloved founder Maharani
Gayatri Devi to help meet the challenges life.
Some of us started our education here in 1 st or 2 nd Grades. This was the
only place we knew and it was our second home.
Between dormitories, classes, the Dining Hall and sports fields, we
learnt to absorb whatever came our way and we also made lifelong
friends.
Somewhere in between marching into assembly on Colonel Bogey
march , early morning PT and reciting our school prayers we grew up to
become M.G.Dians in the true sense of the word.
Many a times we remember the mischief we got into and the
punishments we were given. It was like the end of the world to us then,
but now it brings a smile to our lips and warmth in our hearts.
Today some of us has reached the peak of our careers as Doctors ,
Bureaucrats, Scientists, Teachers, Social Workers and successful
Entrepreneurs and of course the most important tasks of being
Mothers. MGD gave us direction and tools to meet our goals with
humility and grace.
You, the coming generation will face many challenges.
For our young MGDians,
As soldies of the climate crisis, you will lead your peers in bringing
much needed changes in attitude and life styles that will impact this
world at large. You will find innovative ways to solve this your
generation’s greatest challenges.
I conclude by wishing you all Good luck in whatever path you peruse
and to my dear class of 1969 I wish you all a wonderful and memorable
reunion.
A word about Purna who will be doing the honors of introducing our
class.
Purna , was one of the earliest hosteliers from our class. One could say
she is a total product of MGD in talent and sprit.
Dr.Purna Sharma is a well acclaimed Radiologist at an Atlanta Georgia
hospital specializing in breast imaging and intervention.
Very humble and down to earth she always had a sense of purpose
from the time we have known her . Her elephant memory and ability to
recall details are simply amazing. Would you believe it, she is able to
remember Kathak dance “bols’ sung by Mrs Aneja from the 1960s !
Saturday 31st August 2019
We had our Guild's AGM on 31st Aug 19.Our President Jane .H.SIngh Jija welcomed all the Mgdians and guests present and informed everyone about the guild activities which is going on and the forthcoming events.
The guilds directory is ready and is now visible on our website to only those who are the members of the guild and have logged in.
After Jane Jija ,our Principal Ms Archana S Mankotia also gave a short speech and informed about the excellent results of 10th and 12th classes.She also informed about lot of exciting and new extra caricullar activities introduced in the school.
Our Chief Guest was an Ex Mgdian AGM Dr Aruna Sharma( batch 1996).She is a junior scientific officer-Raj Pollution Control Board .She made us aware of the situation that might arise for the future generations if the pollution of gases ,plastics,household garbage etc is not controlled in time.She also gave us information on sustainable living with a presentation.
This informative meeting came to an end with the sumptuous MGD High Tea.Everyone parted to meet soon on 5th Oct 19 on Dandiya Night.
Hope to see you all too!!!!!!!
Our 25th Reunion
There was a sense of elation as I walked in my coral Leheriya saree through the path to the Quiet Corner. It had been a long journey to get there.
The excitement started building up a year before our 25th year reunion in MGD. It was going to be the 75th year at MGD, even more special! What will we wear for our felicitation assembly, where will we stay, what will we do when we meet? Hundreds of questions were asked and answered over Whatsapp groups across time zones and cities. Committees were formed, Excel sheets pored over, details discussed over months, as the days to the reunion drew near.
I had a sinking feeling in the pit of my stomach for weeks, as I realised I might not be able to make it. A month before it had seemed even more unlikely because of work commitments. How can you not come? I was asked repeatedly. And I agreed. How could I not be there? Fast forward to a week before. Everyone from Delhi had booked their flight tickets. I was still on the fence. Four days before the D-day, I finally booked my ticket, although on a separate flight. I would wing it somehow, I decided.
At the security gate while boarding the flight to Jaipur, I noticed a group of smart ladies chatting excitedly. Of course they were MGDians! As I introduced myself and chatted with the Jijas, I felt better. I was feeling a bit miffed at being all alone, away from my batch mates. They were sending all these pictures on Whatsapp at the other airport, while I was going through a bout of FOMO. As we took our seats on the aircraft, I saw some more familiar faces and said hello. The MGDians had taken over! I didn’t feel alone anymore. The countdown to the reunion had truly begun.
I checked into the hotel where we were staying and walked to the floor where most of our rooms were. The corridor was reminiscent of the sounds of our hostel. Whoops of joy and excited chattering greeted me as I tried hard to talk to everyone all at once!
Our reunion kicked off with our very own Batch party that night. Some of us were meeting after 25 years but it seemed like only yesterday when we left school teary eyed with promises to be in touch forever. We laughed, sang along to favourite songs and danced the night away.
The next few days were like a rollercoaster as the events of the 75th celebration started. The Polo match brought back memories of the time when we attended Polo as schoolgirls when Prince Charles and Princess Diana had visited. We were in our traditional best at the Sundowner as we watched the graceful Ghoomar performance of the decades and danced to the tunes of the DJ.
We were a sea of coral and pink at our felicitation assembly in school. I was amazed at our batch turnout. Everywhere I looked I saw coral that day. The Golden girls (as we called them), the 50 year batch jijas, were the very picture of elegance in their gold and maroon outfits. It was wonderful to meet with our beloved teachers and catch up with them after the assembly.
The Gala dinner was the grand end to a memorable few days. For most of us it was bittersweet as we were leaving the next morning. We had revisited our childhood together and now we would be going back into the real world. After the dinner, we didn’t want it to end – chatting away till the early hours of the morning in one of the hotel rooms.
As all good things come to an end, so did the MGD 75th celebration. I brought back with me some wonderful memories- old stories that I had forgotten about, reconnected with old but never forgotten friends. What stood out for me, was the indomitable spirit and zest of the Jijas and my batch mates. Age is definitely just a number as far as Mgdians are concerned!
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