Basel Evangelical Mission Parsi High School, Thalassery

Basel Evangelical Mission Parsi High School, Thalassery
Location
Thalassery, Kerala
India
Information
Type Aided High School
Established March 1, 1856
Sports Cricket
Affiliation State Council Educational Research and Training (SCERT), Kerala

Basel Evangelical Mission Parsi (BEMP) School, Thalassery, India, started a century-and-a-half ago with 74 students. Thalassery was once an important trading centre of the East India Company and the British administrative headquarters of the erstwhile Malabar district. The school has 1150 students.

History

In 1856 the school was started as Basel German Mission School. It was later re-christened BEMP School as a mark of respect to Kaikose Ruderasha, a Parsi philanthropist who donated funds for the development of the school. The school, managed by the North Kerala Diocese of the Church of South India, was upgraded to a high school by Rev. C. Mueller who came here to assist German missionary Hermann Gundert.

The present building of the school, located in the centre of the town, was built in 1903. The spacious hall of the building, roof made of huge wooden beams, and old-style roof tiles add to its heritage value.

Those who taught at the school included Dr. Gundert, who compiled the first Malayalam dictionary, and Keeleri Kunhikannan, who served as gymnastic instructor at the school and was considered the father of the Indian circus.

Translator and author Thatha Kanaran who translated the works Walter Scott and Samuel Johnson served as the school headmaster. English scholar R. Mukunda Mallar worked as teacher at the school.

Notable alumni

See also

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