The occasion was Reunion of 1989 batch of students of Kendriya Vidyalaya Khamaria. It is 25 years since we passed Class XII and incidentally it is also the golden jubilee of Kendriya Vidyalaya Sangathan. In fact, it was all out students' efforts, but the interesting part was that our former class-teacher H K Sanhotra, who is currently a Deputy Commissioner of KVS, based in Bhopal, attended it. More than a dozen students of our class – some with families – made it to the Reunion – and dispersed with a promise to do it again when we complete 30 years of schooling – in 2019.

The only common factor: We all miss Jabalpur.

The days in Jabalpur and out schooling in KVK is still afresh in our minds.

Over these 25 years – Jabalpur has changed, a lot, but in many respects, it still remains the same. Definitely, there is a boom in real estate, big hotels have come up, new companies have set up bases, but still lot more needs to be done – as part of employment generation.

Jabalpur is known for its picturesque marble rock formations – Bhedaghat - on the banks of the Narmada. Because it is the army headquarters of five states (Madhya Pradesh, Chhattisgarh, Odisha, Bihar and Jharkhand), one sixth of the city is occupied by the Indian Army.

Jabalpur is also the birthplace of Maharishi Mahesh Yogi and Osho Rajneesh. Several important federal and state institutions are located in Jabalpur, including the Government NSCB Medical College Hospital, the premier technology institute Jabalpur Engineering College; the Indian Institute of Information Technology, Design and Manufacturing, Jabalpur; the Madhya Pradesh High Court; four Ordnance Factories of the gigantic Ordnance Factories Board; the Madhya Pradesh Electricity Board, the Tropical Forest Research Institute, and the zonal headquarters of the West Central Railway.

Jabalpur is also referred to as Sanskar Dhani or the cultural capital of Madhya Pradesh, while Bhopal is Raj Dhani or political capital and Indore is Vanijya Dhani or economic capital. The reason for being called Sanskar Dhani is because many culture connoisseurs have had long term and significant associations with the city.

The topography of Jabalpur provides a picturesque setting for movies .The hills of Jabalpur, with varied mineral content are a popular destination for Geologists and Archaeologists. The city is surrounded by low, rocky, and barren hillocks. The main water reservoirs of Khandari and Pariyat are located to the north-east direction of the city. Water is also drawn from Narmada River.

Facts / Did you know?

The original settlement in this area was ancient Tripuri and the rulers of this city, the Hayahaya, are mentioned in the Mahabharata. It passed successively into Mauryan and then Gupta control until, in 875 AD, it was taken by the Kalchuri rulers. In the 13th century it was overrun by the Gonds and by the early 16th century it had become the powerful state of Gondwana. Though besieged by Mughal armies from time to time, Gondwana survived until 1789 when it was conquered by the Marathas. Their rule was unpopular, due largely to the increased activities of the thuggees who were ritual murderers and bandits. The Marathas were defeated in 1817 and the thuggees subdued by the British who developed the town in the mid-19th century.

Snooker was born here!

The game of snooker was conceived in Jabalpur. The origins of the game of snooker are generally regarded as being in the latter half of the 19th century. Billiards had been a popular activity amongst British army officers stationed in India who took the idea from the Indian game carrom, and variations on the more traditional billiard games were devised. One variation was to add coloured balls in addition to the reds and black which were used for pyramid pool and life pool. This gave birth to the game of snooker. It is generally accepted that a Colonel Sir Neville Chamberlain (no relation to the World War II Prime Minister) conceived the game in the British Army Officer's Mess in Jubbulpore, India, in 1875.