Nestled among century-old trees in the heart of Bengaluru reflecting the colonial architectural style and colours is the campus of Central College, one of Bengaluru’s oldest educational institutions, which now houses the Bengaluru City University. The college was established in 1875 and has now stepped into its 150th year.
A walk on the green and red campus in the present day is a blend of history and the modern times. While retaining the Gothic architecture of the 19th century, the campus has undergone restoration and renovation in the last three years at a cost of ₹155 crore.
“Many parts of the campus were in an almost dilapidated condition and even entering certain parts of the library had become difficult. We took it up as a mission to bring the campus back to its glory and completed the renovation work in three years. We have ensured that the campus retains its originality by sourcing materials like pure sand which was used when it was first constructed,” explained Lingaraja Gandhi, Vice-Chancellor, Bengaluru City University.
The administrative block, economics department, physics department, the library, and Senate Hall are some of the structures that have undergone restoration.
Beginnings in a shed
While the Jnana Jyothi campus now sprawls across 43 acres on either sides of the Palace Road, its beginnings were in a shed in 1858 as ‘Bangalore High School.’ The clock tower in the Central Block of the campus, which has now become synonymous with Central College, was built in 1860 during the tenure of B.L. Rice, British author and educationist who was the principal of the high school. It was 15 years later that the name Central College was coined (in 1975). The college was then under the affiliation of Madras University and had just 43 students.
In 1916, thanks to the vision of Diwans and the erstwhile leaders of the Mysore royal family, Central College established its affiliation with the Mysore University. The college, which is often viewed as a twin of the Maharaja College in Mysuru, became known as the ‘Science Campus’ of Mysore University thereafter. In 1935, the college celebrated its diamond jubilee and the ocassion was marked with the inauguration of ‘Central College Cricket Ground’. E.A.S. Prasanna, G.R. Vishwanath, and Mansoor Ali Khan Pataudi were some of big names of cricket who played the game on these grounds, which hosted over 50 first-class cricket matches.
In 1942, the college had its first Indian principal, A. Subba Rao. A little down the lane, in 1964, Central College came under the affiliation of Bangalore University and started serving as its ‘city campus’. It was during the academic year 2017-18 that it became the headquarters of the Bengaluru City University, which was born as the result of the trifurcation of Bangalore University.
Stalwart teachers, alumni
The college showcases a long list of stalwarts – alumni and teachers. Among the most prominent alumni were Bharat Ratna awardees Sir. M. Visvesvaraya, C. Rajagopalachari, and C.V. Raman. Later in 1928, Raman delivered his famous Nobel Prize, winning the ‘Raman effect‘ lecture on March 16, 1928, on the same campus. Today, the same hall on the campus named after him is still used to deliver lectures to students. In fact, the desk and board used by Raman still stand strong in the hall.
It was the same college from where former Chief Ministers of Karnataka like S. Nijalingappa and D. Devaraja Urs, Diwan of Mysore State Sir Mirza Ismail, Jnana Peetha awardee Masti Venkatesha Iyengar, Siddaganga mutt pontiff Dr. Shivakumara Swamiji, educationists H. Narasimhaiah and Chi Na Mangala, freedom fighter H.S. Doreswamy and Justices M.N. Venkatachalaiah, Nittur Srinivasa Rao and Santosh Hegde, film lyricist R. N. Jayagopal, graduated.
The list of teachers on campus is also noteworthy: Kuvempu, G.S. Shivarudrappa, Nissar Ahmed, B.M. Sreekantaiah, T.S. Venkannaiah, G.P. Rajaratnam to P. Lankesh, Hampa Nagarajaiah, N.S. Lakshminarayana Bhatta, and Baragaru Ramachandrappa.
“Central College was one of the best educational institutions I ever attended even though I spent only two years there pursuing my B.Sc degree. G.P. Rajarathnam was our Kannada professor and for every subject, we had renowned teachers. I also represented the college’s hockey team and was its captain. I will always remember the college for its quality of education and the facilities provided,” said former head of Lokayukta Santosh Hegde.
Today, over 4,000 students across 23 departments are studying on the campus. “Most of our students are from rural areas. We are also proud that around 70% of our students and 60% of our faculty members are women,” Prof. Gandhi noted.
Under the ₹155 crore renovation and restoration project, a seven-storey Academic complex where around 2,000 students can learn, a state-of-the-art two-storey sports complex, a 25X50 meter Olympic standard swimming pool and many other sport courts have also been established in the Jnana Jyothi campus.
Published – January 07, 2025 11:35 pm IST
