T.S.DUFFERIN EX-CADETS BATCH OF 1961-63
REUNION AT KODAIKANAL, T.N. FEBRUARY 20TH TO 24TH 2025
2024 Was the first year that had a mid-annual reunion at HASSAN (CHIKMAGALUR), Karnataka during the month of September. I did not attend it but I did get inputs from some of the participants, which indicated that the new concept of two reunions in the same calendar year is a workable one. As soon as that got done our tried and tested Shashi Shantagiri – not to be left twiddling his thumbs – got into the act of putting together the next reunion, after deciding that the second half of February 2025 would be a good time for its occurrence. In retrospect, he made a correct choice of the last week of the same month and got the ball rolling. Dates were fixed from the 20th till the 24th OF Feb. 2025. Before the end of Nov. 2024 Shashi had made his reconnaissance and made his choice, after a detailed assessment of 12 possible places for the venue.
That done, the nitty gritty of arranging the comings, goings, as well as setting up the extra-curricular activities to be held were gotten through in good time. Most of the group were coming via Madurai, the most convenient airport in the region. Taxis were arranged as per individual requirements and all the fine tuning done by Shaila and Shashi – all spic and span!
On our first day which also included our journeys to Kodai, most of the group were operating at a lower voltage than normal – odd hours for reporting at the airport for the flight to Madurai, direct for some but with indirect flight connections for the others. Shabnum and I had to get to the Delhi airport at 0300 to get the morning Indigo flight to Madurai. After that the car journey of nearly four hours had us a bit ragged at the edges by the time we docked in at the JC Residency.
After checking in the party started with a bang at Shashi’s Private Club, where the goodies had been lying in wait for us – all chilled and very readily available. As the members kept trickling in, the party got noisier and before we could get really boisterous – it was time for lunch!
Personally, I liked the system followed by the resort for all meals that we had during our stay. There was a main dining hall with a buffet laid out for all meals, all very clean and hygienic with a fair amount of elasticity in timings.
For the rest of the afternoon was siesta time ending with a cup of tea and biscuits before getting togged up for the evening. Our room was big enough with a day room and attached Bathroom. Since winter was still very much there we had adequate arrangements to keep us from freezing – no fans, except for one exhaust fan to dry the bathroom. Weather was sunny with the occasional cloud flitting by, but the strong breeze in the evenings was a fore to reckon with.
We got ready for the evening’s get together in the open courtyard at the lower end of the compound. This was a quiet occasion, lubricated by the good old comforts of the sailor’s profession. We sat in a large ring around a blazing fire which added to the joy of meeting friends after a year’s gap for those who had not attended the mid-annual reunion in September.
On the second day, the 21st. a group went out sightseeing in town. It was a sunny, crisp windy day good for a morning outing in a hill town. Those that stayed back took it easy until lunch time. We gathered for the mid day drink at Shashi’s Club.
The rest of the afternoon was easy. Evening’s gathering at the open courtyard, which had a fire laid out for us, was the same as the previous day. There was recorded music on hand and the bar to keep our spirits high. Nothing special planned for the evening so we just had a good time together before finally breaking for dinner in the common dining hall.
On the 22nd. The third day of our stay, all the ladies got together and played indoor games while the gents looked after themselves . In the evening, we got together again, this time to pay our customary homage to those of our batch who had gone before us. Sad to say, there were a few additions to the list. Ladies also joined us in the lighting of candles in the memories of our absent comrades. We really appreciate their help. We sang the Dufferin Song to conclude the ritual. Old sailors never die, they just sail away! Dinner followed at the dining hall.
On the 23rd We assembled after breakfast to go en masse to the Tamara Hotel, a beautiful 5 Star place set on one of the hilltops in Kodaikanal. Said to be the property of Shri M.K.Narayana Murthy, one of the co-founders of Infosys. Beautifully developed version of the Kodaikanal Club with lots of reminders of the British Raj. Lunch was an indoor-outdoor affair, with the food served indoors. A sumptuous spread in all departments. The choice of outdoor/indoor meal was left to the guests.
There was a very well equipped playground for the children who made the most of what was available. Satnam’s twin grandsons were a delight to watch. The children had a grand time on the trampoline, whilst the elders did their own acts on the swings – evidence of those is in the photographic records of this reunion. All in all a memorable occasion.
As the evening came on, a three piece band, with a Lady Crooner and a lead Male singer/guitarist, got going. Tonight’s culinary specialities were a turkey roast and a barbecue. Most of the people got into the act, singing with and dancing to the music. An unfortunate mishap was Cathy Gonsalves’ fall whilst dancing to “Hava Nageela”. Unfortunately, she injured a wrist, which later on, has been diagnosed as a case of fracture. We all wish that she has a painless and quick recovery. Other acts were Soman Mani, doing the KATHAK DANCE AND SANAT’S PUPIL NISHIKANT on the mouth harmonica, the children sang songs and Ravi Deshpande’s grand daughter impressed us with gymnastics. Sanat’s guests also did their bit in keeping u entertained.
The mood was sombre as we prepared for our departures on the 24th morning and said our farewells to our batchmates and their guests. To sum it up, Shashi Shantagiri did his best, with due diligence when setting up the reunion, making good choices when it came to settling the finances as well as choosing a good venue for our event. I, on behalf of all the delegates and their guests, would like to thank him and Shaila for their unstinting dedication to the aim of giving us good value for money and so many happy memories.
I would now like to dwell on the important takeaways of this reunion. To the best of my knowledge, all of us enjoyed getting together for a well planned and organized holiday. The venue suited our free and easy style of coalescing and reliving our old camaraderie. We also had the company of non-shippies, children included, who were there in larger numbers than ever before. I think that they were an extremely important part of our get together.
Shashi has already got his sights on the next mid annual reunion which might be organized in Aug./September 2025.
