Jamshedpur, Jan. 23: Childhood memories of days spent at the steel city and moments with friends flashed across the mind of Mumbai-based education strategist Amar Phadnis as he set foot on the Tatanagar Railway Station.

It took 25 years for this ex-Loyolean to return to his hometown. Homecoming was an emotion-filled occasion for Phadnis. The first thing he did after landing in the city was to visit his school to get a feel of the campus. Though it took a while for him to recognise his old house situated at 1,Falgu Road in Northern Town, he found nothing much has changed in his school.

Catching up with old friends was also on the cards and together they walked down memory lane. He finds the city more or less the same way he had last seen it.

?I don?t have enough words to express my feelings. It is a nostalgic moment for me. The world around us has changed but I am happy to see the greenery and cleanliness of Jamshedpur still the same as it was when I used to stay in the city,? Phadnis told The Telegraph at United Club.

?People are still warm and the quality of life is much higher than any other city in the country,? Phadnis said.

Phadnis left the city for Mumbai in 1979 after his father retired from Tata Steel. Prior to this, he graduated from Sydnahm College and later did chartered accountancy. An alumni of Loyola School of the 1970 batch, Phadnis now works in an multinational education consultancy company in Mumbai.

He enjoys a high-profile job and leads a comfortable life but still misses the quality of life in his hometown.

Phadnis, the head of strategy planning at Britt Worldwide, a US-based education consultancy company, said, the rising traffic in the city has become a matter of concern. He added that lack of an airport was another major reason why many of the alumni still hold back coming for a visit to the city.

?There are a number of people settled in Mumbai and Pune who belong to the city and wish to come back but as most of them are in high posts in various companies they find it difficult to take out time and travel by train,? he said.

Remincing his days at Loyola School, he said the quality of education imparted at the school was one of the best in the country. ?I would like to bring back my children and wife to the city so that they can see the place where we grew up,? said Phadnis.

He added that he owed a lot to his school. ?It was because of the quality education we received at Loyola that we lead a successful life now,? said Phadnis.

?I visited my school and sat in the class where once I took lessons. I was happy to notice that everything thing was the same at my school,? he said. He said though he misses the days spent in school Loyoleans in Mumbai were active enough to fill the void.

They are always in touch with each other. The Loyola alumni chapter holds meeting every week.

Phadnis has decided to return with the fresh memories of the city and share it with other alumni looking forward to visit their hometown in near future.