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In pictures: St Paul’s School, Darjeeling, alumni celebrate annual OPA dinner

The Royal Calcutta Golf Club played host to the occasion, with 150 Paulites in attendance

Debrup Chaudhuri Published 13.02.25, 03:17 PM
On February 7, the Old Paulite Association (OPA) — the alumni body of St. Paul’s School in Darjeeling — held its annual OPA Dinner for 2025 at the Royal Calcutta Golf Club (RCGC) in Tollygunge. The night was filled with nostalgia as Old Paulities gathered and shared their school memories, with batches across decades reuniting. A total of 150 Paulites attended the formal dinner and some were accompanied by their spouses
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On February 7, the Old Paulite Association (OPA) — the alumni body of St. Paul’s School in Darjeeling — held its annual OPA Dinner for 2025 at the Royal Calcutta Golf Club (RCGC) in Tollygunge. The night was filled with nostalgia as Old Paulities gathered and shared their school memories, with batches across decades reuniting. A total of 150 Paulites attended the formal dinner and some were accompanied by their spouses

Photos: Soumyajit Dey
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Peter Lepcha, rector of St Paul’s Darjeeling, spoke to the gathering at large, expressing his gratitude to the OPA executive committee for organising the event. Speaking to My Kolkata, Lepcha said: “We are renovating and updating the school’s facilities and the alumni have always been forthcoming with their support. The admission numbers are looking upwards. The demand for education is always there and St. Paul's is the first choice for people, especially in this part of the world.”
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Peter Lepcha, rector of St Paul’s Darjeeling, spoke to the gathering at large, expressing his gratitude to the OPA executive committee for organising the event. Speaking to My Kolkata, Lepcha said: “We are renovating and updating the school’s facilities and the alumni have always been forthcoming with their support. The admission numbers are looking upwards. The demand for education is always there and St. Paul's is the first choice for people, especially in this part of the world.”

The old boys of St. Paul’s remembered many things from their school days, including the school song. All the Paulites rose to their feet and sang the school song without missing a beat, bringing back the emotions they felt while singing it at school events
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The old boys of St. Paul’s remembered many things from their school days, including the school song. All the Paulites rose to their feet and sang the school song without missing a beat, bringing back the emotions they felt while singing it at school events

“I believe these gatherings are more than just social events, they are a way to strengthen the bonds that tie us together as Paulites. ‘Celebrating Friendships’ was the perfect theme for this dinner because it reflects the spirit of camaraderie and shared history that makes our community special. These reunions allow us to reconnect, welcome new faces, and ensure that the OPA remains a vibrant and supportive network for all,” said Rohan Ghosh, the secretary of the OPA executive committee
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“I believe these gatherings are more than just social events, they are a way to strengthen the bonds that tie us together as Paulites. ‘Celebrating Friendships’ was the perfect theme for this dinner because it reflects the spirit of camaraderie and shared history that makes our community special. These reunions allow us to reconnect, welcome new faces, and ensure that the OPA remains a vibrant and supportive network for all,” said Rohan Ghosh, the secretary of the OPA executive committee

The spouses, too, had a merry time as they took to the floor, shaking a leg to the groovy music performed by Mantasha and Birdie Jordan, vocalists from The B minor Project
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The spouses, too, had a merry time as they took to the floor, shaking a leg to the groovy music performed by Mantasha and Birdie Jordan, vocalists from The B minor Project

St. Paul’s has a legacy of over 200 years and the alumni, too, have their traditions that have been passed down through the generations, like the OPA Kolkata Cricket team. The team travels to school for an annual cricket match against present students and also plays tournaments in Kolkata every year
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St. Paul’s has a legacy of over 200 years and the alumni, too, have their traditions that have been passed down through the generations, like the OPA Kolkata Cricket team. The team travels to school for an annual cricket match against present students and also plays tournaments in Kolkata every year

Each attendee at the dinner entered with a coupon, whose numbers were used for a lucky draw at the end of the night. Chhitiz Jaiswal, a chartered accountant, who graduated from the school in 2004, won the biggest hamper. There were a total of nine winners at the lucky draw. The oldest and youngest Old Paulites present, Abhijit Basu and Wangchuk Lachungpa, respectively, also won special gifts
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Each attendee at the dinner entered with a coupon, whose numbers were used for a lucky draw at the end of the night. Chhitiz Jaiswal, a chartered accountant, who graduated from the school in 2004, won the biggest hamper. There were a total of nine winners at the lucky draw. The oldest and youngest Old Paulites present, Abhijit Basu and Wangchuk Lachungpa, respectively, also won special gifts

Abhijit Basu from the batch of 1967, R. Janakiram from 1968 and Amitava Datta, Suvankar Banerji, Rakesh Casyab and Sunil Gandhi from the batch of 1969 made up the list of the oldest Paulites in the house while the youngest Paulites were from the batches of 2018 and 2019. Pictured (L-R) are Adnan Khan, Wangchuk Lachungpa, Ayaskanta Dey and his wife Sneha Roy, Agniv Das and Satyam Bhimsaria. The youngsters spent the night talking to the other Old Paulites with most discussions centred on how things have changed at St Paul’s over time
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Abhijit Basu from the batch of 1967, R. Janakiram from 1968 and Amitava Datta, Suvankar Banerji, Rakesh Casyab and Sunil Gandhi from the batch of 1969 made up the list of the oldest Paulites in the house while the youngest Paulites were from the batches of 2018 and 2019. Pictured (L-R) are Adnan Khan, Wangchuk Lachungpa, Ayaskanta Dey and his wife Sneha Roy, Agniv Das and Satyam Bhimsaria. The youngsters spent the night talking to the other Old Paulites with most discussions centred on how things have changed at St Paul’s over time

RELATED TOPICS

Alumni Association Alumni Event St. Paul's Boarding School Royal Calcutta Golf Club (RCGC)
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