Manmohan Singh and P. Chidambaram

The 150th-year celebrations of St Xavier’s Calcutta will culminate in a grand five-day finale starting January 16, when Prime Minister Manmohan Singh keeps a tryst with the Park Street campus.

The grand finale includes a multi-religious prayer, holy mass and a musical extravaganza with the college’s valedictory function also thrown in. The two alumni associations, ALSOC and SXCAA, are partners in the programmes.

The sesquicentenary celebrations had been flagged off on January 21, 2009 by chief minister Buddhadeb Bhattacharjee — after the PM had to pull out on “health grounds” — who will attend Saturday’s function too.

“From the present students of the school and college to the two alumni associations, the mood is upbeat everywhere. We are all excited about the Prime Minister’s visit and the five-day celebrations,” said Fr George Ponodath, the rector of the institution and the convener of the organising committee for the programmes.

Father Felix Raj, principal of the college, said the presence of the Prime Minister made the “entire country” a part of Xavier’s celebrations. “We are also very happy that Union home minister P. Chidambaram would grace our valedictory function on January 17,” he added.

January 16 is earmarked for the Prime Minister’s visit and the day after for the college valediction, followed by a multi-religious prayer meet and a holy mass by Telesphore Cardinal Toppo, the Archbishop of Ranchi. Then, a cultural programme presented by school and college students.

The final evening, January 20, will host a performance by sarod siblings Amaan and Ayaan Ali Khan before Rock On, featuring brothers Sandeep and Sanjeev Vyas, takes the stage, followed by a grand dinner.

“The children of the school are practising hard for the cultural programme,” said Father Sebastian James, prefect of the school’s senior section.

According to Noomi Mehta, the honorary secretary of ALSOC, the old boys’ club “has resolved to raise Rs 10 crore so that there is no gestation period between conceiving an activity for the school and actually starting it”.

A spokesperson for SXCAA said that the association was “grateful” that the college authorities gave its members “the space within the family” to serve the alma mater and give back to the institution and to society.