Chapter 50: A new beginning

Continue your journey along one of the two roads on the fork that confronts you soon after. Allow yourself a minute to marvel at the transition, feel the irresistible magic of the acacia-lined avenues, such a far cry from the madding crowds you have parted ways with a few minutes away. Succumb to the temptation of wandering amidst the web spun by the small trees and rediscover the pleasures of solitude. Here’s a shady bough, there’s a cosy nook, and a stereophonic song of the birds to boot.

But the best is yet to come, and it takes you by surprise. Round an innocent bend, where you least expect it, a marvellous sight lies silently in wait. The omnipresent flora denies you a single visual clue before you come virtually face-to-face with the Main Building – its grandeur in grey and green. This imposing structure of Deccan stone, clothed in robes of green ivy, was the one-time residence of the governor of the Bombay Presidency.

In the formal gardens on either side of the building, a feast of colour and perfection greets you. The green of the manicured lawns, the riot of hues presented by the profusion of salvia, phlox, lantana and canna blend with the symphony of the small fountains to create a picture-postcard setting. What you see ahead is one of the finest examples of the 19th century traditions of garden design in the country (essentially the same as the 18th century style of landscaping, with minor modifications).

Throughout the extensive grounds of the varsity, the landscaping shows ample evidence of its English antecedents. The 30 acres of formal gardens merge remarkably with the surrounding landscape. The subtropical and tropical species of plants selected are arranged such that they reproduce the seasonal effects of British countryside. If the aura of green does not dazzle the senses, the majesty of trees in bloom will. Or maybe you’ll draw inspiration from the abundant sunny blossom of the alumenda. The careful planning of the seasonals in the formal gardens, too, ensures a blaze of colour all year round.

The trapezoidal configuration of the campus is bound by the Aundh Road on its Western boundary and the Kirkee Road to its North. At the Northern end lies the botanical garden, originally used for collection of various species of rare plants. The Mutha left bank canal from Kirkee traverses this region from the west to east. Though dry now, it had been the initial source of water for the development of the garden in the 19th century. It is believed that fresh vegetables from here were transported to Mumbai everyday to grace the governor’s table.

The land is gently undulating and the main building, with the highest elevation, is the focal point of the area. This served as the governor’s residence, and was handed over to the university in 1948 with the stalwart educationist, M.R. Jayakar, as its first vice-chancellor. It houses a beautiful collection of seven oils on canvas in the Shivaji hall. Thus, while larger-than-life portraits of Queen Victoria and Chhatrapati Shivaji stand facing each other, paintings of Edward VII and Queen Alexandria in full regalia gaze down from their high perch. Most of them have been veiled at present.

The other buildings housing the various faculties are cleverly located amidst the foliage. Such salubrious surroundings must certainly take the sting out of zoology and add effervescence to the study of chemistry. Little wonder then that they arouse the artist or poet in you, and don’t be surprised if the urge to break into a song or dance a jig overwhelms you. Give in to the temptation, and let the sylvan surroundings take the blame.

The University of Pune (UoP) was established on February 10, 1949, and is located on 411 acres of picturesque campus. The main building of the university was built in Gothic style in 1871. Dr M R Jayakar, an illustrious statesman, was its first vice-chancellor.

Initially, 12 districts were under its jurisdiction. There were 23 colleges, eight post-graduate centres, 8,000 undergraduate and 186 post-graduate students. After the transfer of three districts to Bombay University and the establishment of the Shivaji University and the North Maharashtra University, the UoP has only three districts – Pune, Ahmednagar and Nashik – under its jurisdiction.

When the UoP was established in 1949, these three districts had a total of 15 affiliated colleges and five recognised institutions. Today, in 1998-99, these three districts have 224 affiliated colleges, 41 post-graduate departments and 118 recognised institutions.

At present, the university has 1,60,000 under-graduate and 25,000 post-graduate students. There are also 11 colleges only for girls, with special courses in engineering, architecture, MBA and so on.

UoP has started several inter-disciplinary schools like School of Health Science, Scientific Computing and Environmental Science. The university campus has also provided national facilities like the Centre for Development of Advance Computing (C-DAC), Vaikunth Mehta National Institute of Co-operative Management (VAMNICOM), National Centre for Cell Science (NCCS), Educational Media Research Centre (EMRC), Inter-University Centre for Astronomy and Astrophysics (IUCAA), National Centre for Radio Astronomy (NCRA) and Science and Technology Park.

It has been host to students from all over the world. Nearly 6,000 students from about 60 countries (the largest international students population in India) are studying in various colleges and in almost all disciplines.