Mela 2006

The auction of a bat used by the "Little Master" in one of his Test appearances was the highlight of Woodstock School's annual Mela last Saturday (29th April). Actor and Woodstock alumnus Tom Alter, auctioneer, invited Indian one-day specialist Nikhil Chopra, who has played with Tendulkar, to join him on stage and talk about the quality of the batsman Tom described as one of the all-time greats.

Tom Alter is himself a keen cricketer, and it was obvious that he enjoyed this chance to auction such a special item. The bat was bought for Rs. 1 lakh by Gurinder Singh, the husband of a former student, Sonia Virik, Class of '92. Resident in the US, he wanted it for his three-year-old son. Growing up in the US, where cricket is not well known, he maybe needs it as a talisman to keep him on the right track!

The money paid for this and the other items in the auction will go towards the provision of scholarships for students who would not otherwise be able to attend Woodstock. The school's scholarship programme currently funds some 90 of the school's 470 students, and is offered to families who are serving India and South Asian in NGOs and other forms of public service.

Overall the 2006 Mela was one of the most successful of recent years, with NGOs from as far away as Delhi and Lucknow bringing their goods for sale, and with a variety of entertainment in the form of Indian music and dance by the Woodstock students.