Ajmer’s Mayo College celebrates 150th year, a celebration of educational legacy

Jaipur: Mayo College, Ajmer, known as the Eton of the East, is celebrating its 150th anniversary this year. The college opened in 1875, and Maharaja Mangal Singh of Alwar was its first student.

Surprisingly, Singh entered the school campus aboard a decorated elephant, accompanied by a royal entourage, including trumpeters, drummers, camel and horse riders, and 500 servants, 12 elephants, and 600 horses.

In fact, princes from various Rajputana states, in addition to Alwar, visited the college as students and built magnificent buildings that still stand today and tell the story of India’s power at that time. In fact, it was in 1869 that Lieutenant Colonel F.K.M. Walter proposed establishing a specialized institution for the complete education of young princes from the subcontinent.

A year later, Viceroy Lord Mayo transformed this idea into a grand “Raj Kumar College” in Ajmer—an elite school designed to educate the heirs of royal families. However, the Viceroy’s dream never came to fruition, as he was assassinated by Afghan prisoner Sher Ali Afridi on February 8, 1872, while on an official visit to the Andaman Islands in Port Blair. Despite his death, the project moved forward. Mayo College began operations in 1875.

Speaking to IANS, Dr. Mohit Mohan Mathur, head of the History Department, said that after the 1857 rebellion, the British realized the importance of the Indian princely states. Mayo College was created to instill in their heirs a blend of Indian and Western values ​​so that they would support British rule. The result was an elite school that produced future rulers, military leaders, diplomats, and politicians.

The foundation stone of this elite school’s iconic main building was laid on January 5, 1878, and it was completed in 1885 at a cost of ₹3.28 lakh—all funded by royal family donors.

Meanwhile, school principal Saurav Sinha told IANS, “We wouldn’t call this 150-year-old school elite, but exclusive, because it maintains its rich legacy while keeping pace with modern trends. This school has a soul where education and tradition merge. Students from all over learn to celebrate every festival, ensuring they learn to respect different cultures.”

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 Mant’s Indo-Saracenic design—a striking combination of Mughal, Indian, and European elements—was finally chosen. Interestingly, the building appears different from each side when viewed from the center, a unique feature that earned this design a place in the British Museum.

Today, the campus houses a polo ground, a golf course, a museum, an amphitheater, and magnificent boarding houses named after princely states. A highlight is a large “On Air of India” map from 1936, depicting the entire subcontinent, including present-day Pakistan and Bangladesh. Mayo College has a rare school museum, containing over 9,000 items received as gifts—none were purchased.

The museum’s in-charge, Dr. Kanika Mandal, displays small royal paintings, old coins and currency, manuscripts including the Persian Anwar-e-Sohaili, a weapons gallery, 240 types of bird eggs, sculptures, and unique crafts. Among its treasures is a silver and ivory crayon (a spade-like tool) that was used to lay the college’s foundation stone in 1878 and later used to construct four major buildings.

Mayo College has also taught royalty from outside India. In addition to Indian princes, Sultan Sayyid bin Taimur of Oman studied here in 1922. His nephew, Sayyid Fahir bin Taimur Al Said, who studied here from 1941-47 and later became Deputy Prime Minister of Oman, helped build Oman House and its guest house during his visit in 1985.

The school is known as the Eton of the East. In fact, Lord Lytton, Viceroy of India, summed up the spirit of the institution during the annual Prize Day on December 5, 1879: “Ajmer is the Eton of India, and you are the Eton boys of India,” he said.

Mayo General Council President, HH Gaj Singh of Jodhpur, says, “The average age of an institution is decreasing—from 64 years for Fortune 500 companies to 14 years. It is very rare for a school to survive for 150 years. Mayo has survived through holistic education, institutional renewal, and stakeholder inclusion. This anniversary is a promise to every Mayo stakeholder to be a good ancestor—by contributing time, talent, and money to strengthen the school for generations to come.”

Its alumni include well-known names like author Vikram Chandra, former diplomat Harsh Vardhan Shringla, and commentator Charu Sharma.

Gaj Singh says, “At Mayo’s 50th anniversary, Chief Guest Lord Irwin suggested that “success in the examination room has its value, but it is not, and should never be, the sole, or indeed, primary objective that those responsible for the college should focus on.” “At our 100th anniversary, Chief Guest Lord Irwin said, “Success in the examination room has its value, but it is not, and should never be, the sole, or indeed, primary objective that the college should focus on.”