My First School

Some places and institutions carry a very special place in our hearts. Not because they are special rather you have memories linked with them. It’s hard to believe it’s been forty years being at my first school. Yes, this is my first school as a toddler from the 80s. I have feeble memories when I recollect my school days here. Most prominently the lunch time - this was the most important event everyday. Mrs. Kulkarni or “Kulkarni Teacher” as everyone called her shouted aloud before the recess. Her loud voice still rings the bell in my ears when she said -

Nalanda Bal Vihar, Kalyan (East) in 2005

“सर्वांनी डब्बे आणलेत का?” Which meant has everyone got their tiffin boxes? This was the question probably everyone waited to hear each day.

“मग खावा”, she used to order lovingly asking us to go ahead and eat. 

I remember few kids willingly or unwillingly used to forget their boxes. Kulkarni Teacher ensured each kid ate during the lunch break. She inculcated the habit of sharing food with each other. Esp. with the ones who had no lunch boxes. 

I do not remember what I learnt at this school clearly. However, eating and opening my lunch boxes has been a prominent memory. Nalanda Baal Vihar is the name of this school located on the way towards our the then home in Kalyan, East - a suburb of Mumbai. I studied here, or probably ate lunch boxes here for an year before I was enrolled at the National English School in Kalyan.

The picture was shot during my visit to Kalyan trying to quench my nostalgia in 2006.