The Legacy Of Oldest Co-Ed School In The Country, Sanawar

Burrowed up in the nature's wide embrace, the Lawrence School has sure become famous with the Sanawar hill upon which it stands. And the heritage school has made some world leaders, businessmen, actors, distinguished army officers as its alumni. The 139-acre campus is full of greenery, has grand stone buildings with large Georgian windows, two cannons and a 'buggy' harken to the colonial times it was built in. The oldest building in the campus is 167-year old chapel with its exquisite stained glass windows.

The school was established in 1847 by Sir Henry Lawrence and his wife Honoria. He wanted to open an asylum for orphans of British soldiers so as to protect them from the tropical climate and barrack life. The school is known for its military training and was therefore, renamed Lawrence Royal Military School in 1920. The school is also said to be home to some ghosts and some of them are believed to be old Sanawarians. Some of the famous ghost stories are that of headless chowkidar and ghost haunting the swimming pool. Some of the notable alumni of Lawrence school includes J & K CM Omar Abdullah, Maneka Gandhi, Ness Wadia, Sanjay Dutt, Saif Ali Khan and Pooja Bedi.

Sanawar shares a sports rivalry with the all-boys school Bishop Cotton School. Be it any game, soccer, cricket or basketball, these schools just never lose their enthusiasm when it comes to their rivalry games.

By: Neha Maheshwari

Content: https://www.hindustantimes.com/punjab/legacy-of-sanawar-the-oldest-co-ed-boarding-school-in-the-country/story-floiE5ZZKbtC7av9grmZSN.html