Sampoornanand Sanskrit Univ to set up heritage gallery and cultural club

It will exhibit rich history of the university and details of teachers and alumni who contributed in its development for the last 233 years

Sampoornanand Sanskrit University in Varanasi will set up a heritage gallery and cultural club on its premises to showcase rich history of the university and its achievements for the last 233 years of its establishment.

The main building with Gothic art is the centre of attraction at the Sampoornanand Sanskrit University. (File photo)

The gallery and the club, which will be accessible to general public, will be set up in the main old building for which the state culture ministry has provided a fund of ₹20 lakh.

Vice-chancellor Prof Hariram Tripathi said that photographs and details of achievements of former teachers and alumni who did excellent work in the development of the varsity during last 233 years, will be showcased in the heritage gallery.

In cultural club, awards received by renowned professors will be exhibited.

Kashi and its main popular destinations, local culture and artefacts and important glimpses of its heritage will also be exhibited in the gallery. Pictures of rare manuscripts, which are preserved in Saraswati Bhawan, will also be on display for the public, he added.

He added, in 1791, Jonathan Duncan had proposed to establish a Sanskrit College. Thereafter, the foundation stone of the main building was laid by the Maharaja of Banaras on November 2, 1847. It was built over a period of four years (1848–1852) under the supervision of Major Markham Kitto. The building was preserved by the Department of Architecture of INTACH (Indian National Trust for Art and Cultural Heritage) sometime back.

The main building with Gothic art is the centre of attraction, said Shashindra Mishra, public relations officer of the university.