Mrs. Ormilla Advani [ex-teacher BCS] passed on

Mrs. Ormilla Advani
28th June 1927 ~ 7th September 2020

Passed away at Gurgaon 7th September 2020
Prayer meet details will be shared shortly by the family.

11 thoughts on “Mrs. Ormilla Advani [ex-teacher BCS] passed on

  1. Deepak Kumar Thakur

    Dear Fellow Cottonians,
    It is really sad to learn of the passing awaý of one of my favourite teachers in BCS.
    Much has already been said by Vijay Khurana & Vivek Bhasin & I wouldn’t want to repeat what they have already said, but I would reiterate what they have expressed about Mrs. & Mr. Advani.
    May you rest in eternal peace Ma’am. You were my first teacher in School when I joined BCS in Transition. Thank you very much for all the things that you taught me so kindly & patiently.
    Deepest condolences to Nita & Anil & their respective families for courage to bear this loss.
    Deepak Thakur Rivaz 1964-1973.

  2. N.K.Akers

    Sentiments so beautifully expressed by Vijay and Vivek and to which we can only say we were very fortunate where that chapter of our lives had
    teachers like that who built strong foundations for us in those formative years.

    Memories of Mrs. Advani are of a kind, and gentle lady. An image of quiet elegance.

    May God bless Mrs.Ormilla Advani’s soul and give Anil and Nita and family courage and strength.

    Akers

    1. Preet Uberoi

      Its indeed very upsetting when one loses someone close. May the lord rest her humble soul in peace.

  3. Vijay Khurana

    Dear All,

    Early yesterday morning, Anil Advani called to inform me about the passing away of his mother. Sadness overwhelmed me. She was my teacher. Here was a person who represented one of the last links to a generation of our parents. She was, however, very special and was one of those who had an impact on me at age 8. Those memories last forever.

    Mrs Ormilla Advani, was one of the most dignified, balanced, warm and graceful women I have ever met. I can see her walking down the corridor from the Staff Common Room or taking that curved path on her way to her home near the School Gate with a bunch of papers in the crook of her arm. She wore beautiful starched saris and pink, I think, was her favourite colour.

    My earliest memories of Mrs Advani go back to the year 1955 when she taught me Nature Study. Imagine the wonder of seeing a plant grow in an empty jam bottle filled with water. She had us place a seed in the jar and we watched, every day, that seed break open and the plant emerge, bit by bit, day after day. We take that process for granted today but imagine the absorbing sight for an 8 year old to understanding the first lessons of Nature. It was a little boy peeping, wide eyed into the bigger world around him. Fascinated. That is when I learnt greater meaning of the words, “root”, “stem”, “leaf”, “flower” and their respective functions in the process as it evolved. That plant aroused our interest. Its preservation and upkeep kept us engrossed for several weeks. Mrs Advani planted the first sparks of curiosity about Nature and its surroundings. She did it in practical terms and the explanations that followed were easy because they were plausible. I had actually seen it happen!!

    I first heard the words “Jawala Mukhi” from her lips. It was one of our earliest gas discoveries in the Himalayan Foreland Basin. She instilled that first bit of patriotic fervour and pride with the details of that discovery.

    She taught us Hindi as well. As a teacher she held our attention because she articulated in a simple, direct, and credible manner. Most of all she was empathetic. She left a deep and abiding impression and if English was the language we always spoke, Mrs Advani ignited that attention for Hindi. I wish she had continued beyond the early years of my exposure to that language. The words, their meanings and the stories she taught are the ones I still remember best. Indelible.

    She taught me the first lessons of the story of the Ramayana. Those basic aspects of the epic remain deeply etched in my mind with such depth and strength that all other aspects of the story appear as mere embellishments. It is natural for any central plot to hold your attention but this one is deeply and firmly embedded in my mind. Whenever I think of it, it takes me back to Mrs Advani in that class retailing it while holding us engrossed with rapt attention.

    Mrs Advani drew the first Diwali card with a little diya on the blackboard which we copied and sent to our parents. I knew my mother retained that first Diwali card and it still exists in my collection of papers. Mrs Advani explained its significance as well. Whenever I now draw a diya, I instinctively replicate that first representation from what I saw on that black board. It still looks good and it sparkles !!

    Mrs Advani was the youngest in a family for five sisters and a brother. This was a long lived family and Mrs Advani was the last surviving member of her family and that of her husband, Mr Arjun Advani. She was a Soorma girl from a Sikh family who married a man she fell in love with. The couple spent 26 years at BCS and then another 26 years running a school in Chota Simla which they sold some years ago. They were educationist to the core, he with the business acumen and she with compassion, warmth and the most wonderful teacher.

    I last met Mr & Mrs Advani when I visited their home on a trip to Simla about three years before the Sesquicentennial 2009 celebrations. They were welcoming and it is always nice to be recognised by teachers who have seen hundreds of students go through their hands. We chatted and we exchanged stories but not for a moment were either of them willing to comment of any story that held any hint of gossip. They were circumspect and discreet. Even if the time limitation for the Official Secrets Act had stood exhausted, they remained tight lipped. They retained confidences. Discretion always and never did they encourage a poor word for anyone.

    Mrs Advani’s hospitality was proverbial. She offered me tea and pakoras that afternoon. I loved the fare. “Do you want more?” she enquired. When you are served the best pakoras ever made you never say “No”. She promptly went back to the kitchen and came back with another plateful. It was then that I noticed that she had no servant help that day. She had extended herself cutting the vegetables, making the batter and frying those pakoras. She was always willing to commit herself and reach out to you. She did care and it showed. It was palpable and it was obvious. My regret stems from the inability to reciprocate in equal measure.

    She was a mother to so many of us and she was special to the boys of Curzon House when Mr Advani became their House Master. They complemented each other. Those boys who were under their charge remember those years as being exceptional and enjoyable.

    BCS lives not its outstanding building structures but in the teachers and the students who occupied it. Mrs Advani and others like her made that difference. They represent the last threads of times that will never be forgotten by most of us. Good Bye, Mrs Advani.

    Our deepest and sincere condolences to Nita and Anil and their respective families. She left behind some beautiful memories and those we will cherish for the rest of our lives.

    God bless.

    Warmly

    Vijay



  4. Dinesh Sud

    I had a long association with her and Mr. Advani during School and after.. It is a big personal loss to me and to the many students and staff who had the good fortune to work with her. My best wishes to Anil and Nita and prayers for her soul to rest in peace.

    1. Preet Uberoi

      I was one of the lucky ones who used to go to Anils house,and his mother used to give us cookies. Such a loving motherly figure she was for me.
      Anil,please accept my heartfelt condolences,.your parents were indeed grms.

  5. Manmohan Singh, Curzon House, 1958-1964

    t was sad to know the demise of Mrs Advani and I was lucky to go through a period when she was my Hindi teacher and Mr Advani our House Master.It was 1958-59 and as a child I unknowingly got great security from them.

    I remembered the warmth and the individual attention that was paid whenever we were invited in the spider cottage for a evening Tea.Mr and Mrs Advani played a great role in our growth and will be always remembered deeply and fondly.

    My heartfelt condolences to Anil Advani and the family.

  6. Vivek Bhasin

    Mrs Advani – my Nature Study Ma’am in KG & Transition..

    Good Evening Ma’am.

    You may not be in our worldly midsts Ma’am, but still, you will be with us.. your young lads from Bishop Cotton School..

    You were pretty, petite, dainty, elegant and so very complete in your demeanour, your superb etiquette and your gentle yet coaxing voice. I was but a young lad of five when i first saw you walking in for your Nature Study class.. those days Transition Classroom was directly above the porch .. the room that stood between the two flight of stairs going up to the dorms..

    You gave me a small cup, a few green lentils and a small fluff of cotton wool. I was to wet the wool inside the little cup, then place the lentils over the cotton and leave it carefully by the window.. a few days later I saw little sprouts!… hurrying I found you in the corridor excitedly giving you the good news! It was a miracle for me Ma’am…. it was you who first led us boys for a Nature Study walk to Council Rock and on the path showed us ferns, moss and even a four leaf clover..! The Grand Chestnut Tree at our School Gate spreading its leafy branches over your cottage ..And much more.

    If it wasn’t for you Ma’am I must believe the green cover we still have from First Bridge to School, Knollswood to Chipu’s kitchen on the shortcut, would not have been there today.

    Although the years and decades past as I earned my life sailing the seas, battling storms and finding residences in Costa Rica, England, Sweden and Mashobra I hereto strongly believe my love for nature along with the other boys was instilled in us by you Ma’am. Even when I go on treks, hikes and walk along the Klara river in Karlstad Sweden hearing the wind whistling through pines, the rush of water and the clouds sailing up there, I have often thought of you Ma’am.

    May your soul always be there protecting us, your children who were Blessed to have received life’s most important lesson..Protect and Enjoy Nature’s Goodness🙏🙏

    Thank You Ma’am..from the bottom of my heart🙏🙏

    Vivek Bhasin
    Lefroy 1961-1970

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