HERITAGE
COMPLEX
Mahamana's
University, the Banaras Hindu University, is no ordinary seat of
learning. It was planned with a vision in view. The University is
enjoined with the national sentiment. Its contributions to the nation
building process are immense. The nation rejoices at its rise towards
excellence and sheds tears of sorrow at its failing. Its sonorous
kulgeet, composed by Dr. Shanti Swaroop Bhatnagar, portrays beautifully
its serene setting, the quality of its community, its ethos,
culture and composition.
Travelling down the memory lane, one gets a vivid glimpse of the
Mahamana, a visionary and in the words of the Mahatma, "a prince
amongst beggars who begged not for himself but a cause dear to him"
toiling with self-less devotion to translate words into deed. One sees a
chain of luminaries stewarding the University as its
Vice-Chancellor. Intellectual giants inspiring the students with
their idealism and abounding knowledge and inviting them to drink deep
and develop character and horizon.
Mahatma Gandhi has rightly emphasized Malaviyaji left an
imperishable memorial of himself in the Kashi Vishwa Vidyalaya .... to
put it on a stable foundation to secure its revolutionary growth, will
surely be the most suitable memorial that can be erected by us to the
memory of the great patriot". The entire nation has been and shall
be in unison with the statement of Gandhiji. The Banaras Hindu
University community, nay the nation, was appreciative of the decision
taken by the National Government to include BHU as an integral part of
national development, after the dawn of freedom, thus recognizing the
national importance of the University and the Founder's commitment to
this Institution which played and would continue to play a constructive
role in the educational, economic and industrial reconstruction and
development of the country.
The 19th century India produced intellectual giants in every field who
contributed to various facets of renaissance viz. political, cultural,
literary and educational. The Indian University Act 1904 permitting
establishment of Universities through private funding was a challenge to
the national genius of the country.
It was a period when many charismatic personalities appeared on the
socio-political horizon of the country, excelling in different areas of
life and ideas, to make India politically independent and vibrant,
economically productive and viable and socially a cohesive and unified
force. Mahamana, Mahatma Gandhi, Jawaharlal Nehru, Rabindra Nath Tagore,
Dr. Annie Besant, Lokmanya Tilak, Dr. Radhrakrishna and many others
belonged to that galaxy of leaders who were dreamers, visionaries and
lovers of mankind.
It is in such atmosphere that Banaras Hindu University was conceived to
provide infra structural facilities and manpower capability in various
disciplines of scientific and technical knowledge for accelerating the
pace of industrial and technological development in an agrarian society.
The campaign launched by the Mahamana, Dr. Annie Besant, Rabindra Nath
Tagore, Sir Syed brought about evolution and development of Banaras
Hindu University, Aligarh Muslim University, Viswabharti which is a saga
of romance and adventure. It seems the entire renaissance in India
flowered in the establishing of the Banaras Hindu University. Thanks to
the dynamic personality of Malaviyajee. Gurudev the poet, wrote an essay
`Hindu Vishwavidyalaya' and read it at Ripon College, Calcutta in 1911.
When one ponders deeply into this saga, romance and adventure interwoven
into the country's struggle for Independence one cannot fail to note
that Banaras Hindu University with its Mahamana, drew the best of minds
to the BHU, a laboratory for socio-economic transformation. The Mahatma,
Gurudev, Dr. Besant, Jawaharlal and many other leaders confluenced and
the Mahamana constantly interacted with them on issues such as un
touchability, Pashu Bali Nisedh, Science and Technology Policy and many
other aspects of reforms.
The Mahamana, Mahatma Gandhi, the Father of the Nation and poet
Rabindranath Tagore, fondly called Gurudev, had a common concern and
that was the freedom from foreign yoke. In the context of the goal and
form of education these personalities were unbending in their
views that the rich cultural heritage should form an integral component
of national reconstruction. What is the best in the West has to be
suited to the best of India. One cannot fail but to note that all these
three leaders converged on the question of taking a holistic view of
education for our country. Mahatma Gandhi was an ardent supporter of
basic education right from the grass-root, which would facilitate the
process of Gram Swaraj. Gurudev Rabindranath Tagore concentrated on
comprehensive education with greater focus on cultural, aesthetic and
rural reconstruction. Pt Madan Mohan Malaviyaji, the Founder of Banaras
Hindu University, drew up a plan to provide education in different
areas, to encompass scientific and technological know-how while
integrating our traditional knowledge so that the interaction would
evolve a unique model not only for freedom from the political bondage
but also from the educational bondage. Malaviyaji, therefore,
established and developed such diverse disciplines in BHU which had not
even found recognition in the West. He also laid the foundation of
scientific and technological education so that when India becomes free
in the near future these engineers, technologists, scientists and
doctors will not have to look to the West for their guidance and
sustenance of economic and industrial development in free India. All
these three personalities set an example of plain living, high thinking,
selfless service and single minded devotion to the cause of India's
freedom and nation building.
The main heritage of Banaras Hindu University is its illustrious Founder
himself, who even before his passing away pleaded with the numerous
luminaries not to take him out of the boundaries of Banaras Hindu
University, since he does not wish to attain `moksha' (salvation) and he
wanted to be reborn to complete his unfinished task in relation to the
nation building in general and Banaras Hindu University in particular.
The most devout Hindu of Malaviyaji's stature and convictions who
practised and lived upto the great traditions of Sanatana Dharma,
declined to attain moksha and preferred not to leave his residence of
BHU which is located outside the sacred complex of Panch Koshi road
dividing Kashi and Banaras Hindu University. The popular belief of a
Hindu is that in case he dies in proper Kashi, inside the sacred complex
of Panch Koshi Parikrama is likely to attain moksha. But here was a man
who preferred to serve the cause of India's educational reconstruction
up to the last breath of his life and beyond and he desired that if
possible he would serve BHU and the country even after he was no more.
Malaviyaji a four-ti
Copyright ©2007 Banaras Hindu University,Varanasi-221005