New Delhi, Feb 15 (PTI) From a humble beginning in 1899 at the historic Kinari Bazar to becoming one of the most sought-after colleges in the country, Delhi’s Hindu College has lived up to its motto — “steered by the past, moulding the future”.
The college, which owes its formation to the country’s freedom movement, completed 124 years on Wednesday.
At its 124th Founder’s 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 upcoming year. The event was attended by India’s G-20 Sherpa Amitabh Kant as the chief guest.
The new college logo features the tagline of “steered by the past, moulding 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 prominently displayed on all letterheads, websites and office stationery from Wednesday.
On the occasion, a college anthem was released. It has been composed by a former faculty member and alumnus Dr. Harish Naval.
The song is a heartfelt tribute to the college and its legacy and will be played at future college events.
In addition, there were previews of two upcoming publications — “Viraasat”, a coffee table book tracing the history of Hindu College, and “Sansmarono Mein Hindu”, an anthology of historical anecdotes and photos about the college. These publications will be a valuable resource for anyone interested in the college’s rich legacy.
The college also announced the launch of a dedicated alumni portal, which will help alumni stay connected with the college and with each other.
The portal promises a host of new features, including a unique alumni mapping feature, and will be an invaluable resource for the college’s vast network of alumni.
During his address, Kant mentioned decade-old friendly contests between Hindu College and St Stephen’s College located across the road.
“I am truly delighted to be in the college I was a frequent visitor to when I studied at St Stephen’s College. I have to say Hindu College has excelled…Hindu has done much better than St Stephen’s if we see the ranking. It has emerged as a centre of intellectual and political debate,” Kant said.
Kant’s remarks received loud cheers from the students and faculty members.
Hindu College Principal Anju Srivastava said, “On behalf of the entire Hindu College fraternity, I extend a very warm welcome to you all to the 124th Founder’s Day celebrations of the college.” The college was founded by Krishna Dassji Gurwale in the historic Kinari Bazar (Chandni Chowk) in 1899, with prominent Delhi citizens as trustees.
In 1908, the college shifted to a building donated by Rai Bahadur Sultan Singh in Kashmiri Gate, and a hostel was added. From its inception, the college remained deeply connected to the national movement for independence — some Governing Body members and trustees are directly involved in the Swadeshi and Boycott movements.
Earlier affiliated with Panjab University, the college became affiliated with Delhi University in 1922.
The idea of the college was born from the Indian movement for independence, which was growing in strength as the nineteenth century drew to a close, an official said.
The college moved to its current location in 1953. The 25-acre campus houses classrooms, laboratories, a library, playing fields, a sports pavilion, a seminar hall, an auditorium, computer rooms, a canteen and halls of residence.
Today, its brick-red facade framed by wide lawns and flowerbeds is among the enduring and iconic images of Delhi as a centre of education. PTI VA SMN
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