All is well at Rancho’s school
Come September 24, Phunsukh Wangdu’s school, immortalised in the film 3 Idiots, will be celebrating its 10th anniversary
It is one year since the devastating flash flood in Leh struck Rancho’s school in Ladakh. But in less than a year as popular actor Aamir Khan said, “All iz well” with the school. It was Aamir Khan who made this school popular through his film 3 Idiots, in which he plays the lovable character Rancho aka Phunsukh Wangdu.
Even though the school was hit by the flash floods on the intervening night of August 5 and 6, the structure remained intact, but the doors and windows were damaged and there was slush inside the classes. Fortunately, all the students and the hostels are doing fine.
Aamir Khan was bowled over by the school when he first visited it in 2008. “What a wonderful school! The kids seem very happy, and such a great location. Keep up the good work,” he wrote in the Visitors’ Diary of the school.
In the film, Rancho’s school is a science school of which Wangdu (Aamir) is the principal.
In reality, it is the Druk White Lotus School located in Shey (ancient capital of Ladakh), close to Leh, the capital of Ladakh, surrounded by the imposing Himalayan mountains and the Sindhu river. It is not just another school, but an exemplary one.
Ever since the film was shot in this location, Aamir Khan has developed a special bond with this school, the students and the people associated with it.
He even rushed to the school when it was hit by the flash floods and ensured that “All iz well” with the school. The students assured him that “All iz well” by singing the song, although much damage was caused to the school buildings due to the floods. Capitalising on its popularity there is also a ‘Rancho Coffee Shop’ in the school premises.
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Come September 24, Rancho’s school will be celebrating its 10th anniversary. For it was on this day that the school was established in 2001 with just 88 students. Locally, the school is also known as Druk Padma Karpo Institute. ‘Druk’ is dragon, ‘Padma’ is lotus and ‘Karpo’ is white in the Ladakhi language.
The school was inspired by the 12th Gyalwang Drukpa, the spiritual head of the 800 year old Drukpa (dragon) lineage. It is named after Mipham Pema Karpo (1527-1592), who is revered as a great scholar.
“There are 619 students of which 281 are residential students from remote areas of Ladakh. Sixty-eight students are orphans of the Leh flood tragedy, while the rest are day scholars,” says Prasad Eledath, Principal of the school.
Hostel facilities allow children from Ladakh’s interior areas to attend the school and a programme of sponsorship makes sure the poorest are not excluded. It is managed by the Druk Pema Karpo Educational Society and funded by international aid.
Prasad Eledath, the real man behind the fictional Phunsukh Wangdu, is a science teacher.
Prasad has a Master’s in Education from University of Sussex in the UK and has turned down lucrative job offers to do something for the people of Ladakh. “The school follows the Jammu and Kashmir syllabus. The students learn English, Hindi, science, creative arts and sports. They also learn the Ladakhi language using Bothi script which is also used for the Tibetan language. The school’s mission is to provide an effective modern education while maintaining the traditional culture of the Ladakh region. Besides, the students also team work and presentation skills through formal and co-curricular activities,” says Eledath.
The school has won numerous awards for its architecture, including the best green architecture award, the most environment-friendly building and also the best architecture design award.
Gyalwang Drukpa, the spiritual head of the Ladakhi people, has plans to open more such schools in the Himalayan region. A branch school opened in Khachhey in April 2010.
