Town Higher Secondary School, Kumbakonam, has come a long way in imparting quality education to students in and around the temple town.
Started in 1864 by M. Martin, a retired head constable, the renowned institution has completed 150 years of glorious service.
One of the few oldest schools in Tamil Nadu, the institution has produced some illustrious alumni, including mathematician Srinivasa Ramanujan, founder of The Hindu Kasturi Ranga Iyengar, former union finance minister T.T.Krishnamachari, renowned historian Sadhasiva Pandarathar, mridangam vidwan Padma Vibhushan Umayalpuram K.Sivaraman, former chairman of City Union Bank Ltd, Kumbakonam, V.Narayanan, medical expert S. Rangachari, Managing Director of Standard Motors J. Gopalakrishnan, founder Chairman of HCL Technologies Shiv Nadar, retired chief engineer Rao Bahadur L.Venkatakrishna Iyer, former ministers V.V.Swaminathan, and S.R.Radha, and former Deputy Speaker of Lok Sabha G.Lakshmanan.
Thambusamy Udayar, a philanthropist, had donated five acres of land for the construction of school buildings. Buildings added one by one still retain their old world charm.
From its humble beginning the school now boasts student strength of 3,243, said R.Visvanathan, former headmaster of the school and co-ordinator of the 150th year celebration committee.
N.Kamakoti, Managing Director of City Union Bank Ltd, Kumbakonam, who is also an alumnus of the school, said that he was the third-generation student of the school in his family.
His grandfather G.Vaidyanatha Iyer, and father V.Narayanan, Chairman of the City Union Bank, were also students of the school. “The school transformed me into a good citizen, able administrator, and manager,” Mr.Kamakodi said with a sense of gratitude. R.Sethuraman, a resident of Kumbakonam and Vice-Chancellor, SASTRA University, said that this old institution was the pride of the town. Centenary of the school was celebrated on September 21, 1964.
The then Governor of Tamil Nadu Jayasama Raja Wodayar took part in the celebrations. Now, on January 29, K.Rosaiah, Governor of Tamil Nadu, and G.K.Vasan, Union Minister for Shipping, would take part in the sesquicentennial celebrations.
