Victoria Student’s Hostel: Regal, but in need of attention

It’s old and worn out, but it still stands tall and serves its purpose. This is the case of Victoria Student Hostel in Chepauk, Chennai. Although it has not lost its magnificent appearance, closer examination reveals that time has indeed had a negative effect.

Coming below Presidency College, the hostel stands in what was once called Chepauk Park, a triangular piece of land on the west bank of the canal behind Presidency College. The surrounding landscape has changed significantly over the years. While Chepauk MRTS station is located on the north side, MA Chidambaram Stadium is located diagonally to the west. Chepauk is getting busier day by day.

Entrance of Government Victoria Hostel in Triplicane, Chennai. | Photo Credit: SR Raghunathan

However, it is quiet and peaceful inside. Since the seashore is close, there is no shortage of breezes feeding the expanding open space within the boundary walls. While some of the hostel inmates preferred to take a leisurely walk in the evening, many others engaged in their favorite sports: volleyball, badminton or football. groove cricket – adjusting themselves to available spaces.

The old block was officially opened on 29 January 1900 by the Governor of Madras, Arthur Elibank Havelock. When you step inside the building, the chipped walls and peeling or peeling paint on the old block are noticeable. Some smaller buildings surrounding the main structure are also in ruins. The hostel’s name appears in the comprehensive list of heritage structures in Chennai submitted to the Supreme Court in 2009 by the Justice E. Padmanabhan Committee.

The old hostel building was built in a quadrangular design reflecting the style of an English college. The three-storey building has rows of rooms on three sides, and the door and library area complete the fourth side. In the hostel’s 126-year history, many stalwarts have graced its walls, including Sir CV Raman, Nobel Laureate Subramanyan Chandrasekhar and Field Marshall KM Cariappa. The two blocks (old and new) together house around 800 students enrolled in different undergraduate and postgraduate courses at Presidency College.

Plaque detailing the opening of the Victoria Dormitory in Chepauk, Chennai. | Photo Credit: SR Raghunathan

Responding to a letter from the Madras Presidency the previous year, the then Duty Secretary of the Revenue and Agriculture Department (Land Revenue), Denzil Ibbetson, wrote in March 1895 approving the allotment of “a piece of land to the Victorian Dormitory Committee with an estimated value of ₹37,540”. The cornerstone was laid on April 1, 1895 at Fort St. It was laid by Beible Baron Wanlock, Governor of St. George, in memory of P. Ranganada Mudaliar, Professor of Mathematics, Presidency College. The construction was carried out by T. Namberumal Chetty and the cost was reported to be ₹ 2.25 lakh.