From a humble beginning in 1899 in the historic Kinari Bazaar to becoming one of the most sought after colleges in the country, The Hindu College of Delhi has lived up to its motto – “Driven by the past, Molds the future”.
This college, associated with the country’s freedom movement, completed 124 years on Wednesday.
On its 124th Foundation Day, the college under the University of Delhi launched a new logo, “Kulgeet” (college anthem) and an alumni website.
The college also announced plans for the coming year. India’s G-20 Sherpa Amitabh Kant participated in the event as the chief guest.
The new college logo carries the tagline “Driven by the past, Shaping the future”. It combines a sketch of the original college structure with some new campus infrastructure, reflecting the college’s rich history and its commitment to innovation and progress.
The logo will be displayed prominently on all letterheads, websites and office stationery from Wednesday.
The college anthem was released on this occasion. It is composed by Dr. Harish Naval, a former faculty member and alumnus.
The song is a moving tribute to the college and its legacy and will be played at future college events.
In addition, there were also previews of two upcoming publications – “Virasat”, a coffee table book tracing the history of Hindu College, and “Samsmarono Mein Hindu”, an anthology of historical anecdotes and photographs about the college. These publications will be a valuable resource for anyone interested in the rich heritage of the College.
The college also announced the launch of a dedicated alumni portal, which will help alumni stay connected with the college and each other.
The portal promises many new features, including a unique alumni mapping feature, and will be an invaluable resource for the college’s vast network of alumni.
Kant, during his address, referred to the decades-old friendly rivalry between Hindu College and St. Stephen’s College, located across the road.
“When I studied in St.Stephens college I was really happy to come to the college. I must say Hindu college has performed excellently… If we see the ranking Hindu college has performed much better than St.Stephens It has emerged as the center of intellectual and political debate,” Kant said.
Kant’s remarks were warmly received by the students and faculty members.
Anju Srivastava, Principal of Hindu College, said, “On behalf of the entire Hindu College fraternity, I extend a hearty welcome to all of you on the 124th Foundation Day celebrations of the college.” The college was established by Krishna Dasji Gurwale in 1899 at the historic Kinari Bazaar (Chandni Chowk), with prominent citizens of Delhi as trustees.
In 1908, the college shifted to a building donated by Rai Bahadur Sultan Singh at Kashmere Gate, and a hostel was added. From its inception, the college remained deeply involved with the national movement for independence – with some governing body members and trustees being directly involved in the Swadeshi and Boycott movements.
Earlier affiliated to Punjab University, the college became affiliated to Delhi University in 1922.
One authority said that the idea of the college was born out of the Indian movement for independence, which was gaining strength as the nineteenth century drew to a close.
The college moved to its present location in 1953. The 25-acre campus houses classrooms, laboratories, a library, playgrounds, a sports pavilion, a seminar hall, an auditorium, computer rooms, a canteen and halls of residence.
Today, its brick-red façade with elaborate lawns and flower beds is one of the enduring and iconic images of Delhi as a center of education.
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(This story has not been edited by News18 staff and is published from a syndicated news agency feed)