Colombo Hindu College celebrates Diamond Jubilee today.!!!

Colombo Hindu College celebrates Diamond Jubilee today:

Offering wholesome Hindu education
Chelvatamby Maniccavasagar


Principal
T Muthukumaraswamy

The Colombo Hindu College which was established by the Hindu Educational Society of Colombo on February 12, 1951 is celebrating its Diamond Jubilee today (February 12)

The Colombo Hindu College has served the Hindu Community very splendidly offering the wholesome education which has been defined as "the first and the foremost thing that the best of men and women can ever have".

On February 5, 1951, under the Chairmanship of Justice Chellappah Nagalingam (KC) and 24 eminent personalities of the Hindu Community in Colombo formed a society under the name 'Hindu Educational Society' with a view to take meaningful steps to facilitate the Hindu students in the city having their education in their own religions and cultural background. In fact, on February 12, 1951 the Hindu Educational Society gave birth to this school under the name 'Pillaiyar Padasalai' at Sri Kathiresan Temple madam only with 48 children.

Through the indefatigable efforts of Senator Advocate S Nadesan, Advocate V A Kandiah and Proctor Somasunderam the Hindu Educational Society was able to secure an acre of valuable land in the heart of Colombo situated at Bambalapitiya. This land was placed at the disposal of the society as a result of the magnificent generosity and magnanimity of Annamalai Mudaliyar, the Managing Director of the Madras Palayakat Co and his Co-Directors who were the Trustees of the Sri Kathiravelautha Swamy Temple at First Cross Street and of the Manicka Pillaiyar Temple at Bambalapitiya.

In March 1951, the Pillaiyar Padasalai was shifted to the present premises. K Pathmanathan was the first Principal of this school and J Sathasivam functioned as the head Master of the Primary School. N Satyendra was the Principal from 1957-1959, T Subramaniam functioned as Principal from 1959-1962, S Ambalavanar from 1962-1967, P Nalliah from 1967-1970, T Sangaralingam from 1971-1985, D R Rajalingam from 1986-1990, S Sri Rajasingam from 1990-1991, P S Sarma from 1991-1996, from 1996, Thambipillai Muthukumarasamy now functions as Principal of this college.

In 1958, Justice Nagalingam who was the Manager of this school and the philanthropist S Mahadevan passed away and 'Sivamani' Sir Kandiah Vaithianathan became the manager of this school in 1959. In 1962, the school was vested in the Government.


Colombo Hindu College. File photo

It was during the period of service of S Ambalavanar, the idea of making this school to serve the needs of Hindu: on par with the Colombo Hindu College at Ratmalana took shape. In 1967, under the stewardship of P Nalliah, Grade six was started and the school was raised to the status of a Junior School.

P Nalliah gave new shape and life for the school. First ever sports meet was held on March 31, 1968 and first ever prize-giving was held on March 28, 1969 with Prime Minister Dudley Senanayake as the chief guest.

After the retirement of P Nalliah in 1970, T Sangaralingam took over the principalship of this school from February 1971.

In the NCGE Examination held for the first time in 1975, 76 out of 97 students qualified to follow HNCE classes. This was considered as a great achievement.

Present Principal T Muthukumaraswamy is a multi-faceted and multi-dimensional personality with vision, mission and foresight.

He has an excellent style of management of delegating responsibilities to his staff and co-ordinating and supervising the same. In fact, Hindu College has earned a good name and reputation due to his management skills.

In keeping with the requirements of the changing trends of the modern world he was instrumental in having a Computer Laboratory established at the school and also acquiring a multi-media projector.

Construction of a new three storey block near the sports pavilion, provision of improved toilet facilities for students, construction of a Botanical garden and also of a Cultural Bond near the Kovil and fixing microphone connections to all classes are some of his achievements.


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