Khalsa College, Amritsar

Khalsa College, Amritsar
Motto

ਅਕਾਲ ਸਹਾਇ (Punjabi)

Akal Sahai
Motto in English
 With God's Grace
Type College
Established 1892
Location Amritsar, Punjab, India
Campus Urban
Website http://khalsacollegeamritsar.org
Khalsa College, Amritsar

Khalsa College (Punjabi: ਖਾਲਸਾ ਕਾਲਜ khālsā kālaj) is an historic educational institution in the northern Indian city of Amritsar in the state of Punjab, India. Founded in 1892, the sprawling 300-acre (1.2 km2) campus is located about eight kilometers from the city-center on the Amritsar-Lahore highway (part of the Grand Trunk Road), adjoining Guru Nanak Dev University campus, to which Khalsa College is academically affiliated.

Khalsa College was built as an educational institute during the British Raj in India when Sikh scholars thought about providing higher education to Sikhs and Punjabis within Punjab. Amritsar was chosen for its establishment and Singh Sabha Movement and Chief Khalsa Deewan approached the then Sikh Maharajas and Sikh people of Punjab to raise funds and donate land to build this unique institute. People of Amritsar, Lahore and other cities of Punjab including rich Sikh families and Maharajas donated land and raised funds to built Khalsa College Amritsar. Its architectural design was created by Bhai Ram Singh, a famous architect who also designed one of the Places in England. Its building was completed in 1911–12. Its architectural features are mix of British, Mughal and Sikh architect.

Khalsa college's contribution towards the freedom history of India is significant as it has generated many famous freedom fighters, political leaders, armed forces generals, scientists, famous players-Olympians, actors, writers, journalists and scholars. More information about Khalsa college can be found in the book "History of Khalsa College Amritsar," written by Dr. Ganda Singh, formar head of the dept. of Sikh History, Khalsa College Amritsar. In modern times, the only research work on Khalsa college's history, "The Temple of Study-Khalsa College Amritsar," was performed by Jaspreet Singh Rajpoot, an alumnus of Khalsa, in the year 2002 with the collaboration of Khalsa college governing council and Dr. Mohinder Singh Dhillon (the then Principal of KCA), reveals the facts of Khalsa college which are still unknown to most of the people around the world.

Khalsa College has following faculties:

History

Maharaja Jagatjit Singh of Kapurthala, an early benefactor of Khalsa College, Amritsar

Khalsa College Establishment Committee was set up in 1890 with Colonel W. R. M. Holroyd, Director of Public Instruction, Punjab, as president, and W. Bell, Principal of Government College, Lahore, as secretary. Among the native constituents of this 121-member committee were Sir Attar Singh, Gurdial Singh Maan of Nabha, Diwan Gurmukh Singh of Patiala, Bhai Kahn Singh, Professor Gurmukh Singh and Sardar Jawahir Singh (1859–1910). Many princely states of British India and Sikh people of Punjab gave their financial help to the establishment of Khalsa College, including Maharaja Rajendra Singh of Patiala, Maharaja Hira Singh of Nabha, Maharaja Jagatjit Singh of Kapurthala and Sir Sunder Singh Majithia.

After a prolonged discussion about the site of Khalsa College, it was decided that one college would be established in Amritsar, followed by a second in Lahore. The 300-acre (1.2 km2) campus was sited just outside the village of Kot Sayyad Mehmood, which was later renamed Kot Khalsa.

The institutions under Khalsa College Charitable Society, which is running the century old Khalsa College:

Colleges-

Schools-

The building

The main building is considered a gem of the Indo-Sarcenic style, which is strongly influenced by traditional Indian and Mughal schools of architecture. The foundation stone was laid on March 5, 1892, with the first classes starting in 1893.

The college was designed by Bhai Ram Singh, principal of the Mayo School of Arts, Lahore, with the help of engineer Dharam Singh Gharjakhia. Bhai Ram Singh was decorated for his services with the Member of the Victorian Order (MVO), the highest civilian award of British India. Khalsa college picture

Principals

Colonel W.R.M. Holroyd was the Founder-President of the Governing Council of the Khalsa College Amritsar, while Dr William H. Ratigan succeeded him.

Other principals of Khalsa College Amritsar include:

Director/Principal of Khalsa College of Engineering and Technology include:

Principal of Khalsa College for Women

Principal of Khalsa College of Education (Main Campus)

Principal of Khalsa College of Education (Ranjit Avenue, Amritsar)

Famous visitors

Famous alumni

Hockey players[4]

Parveen Kumar (Mahabharata' Bheem) Kartar Singh (international wrestler) Harwinder Singh Cricketer)


Trivia

The outside court scenes featuring Shah Rukh Khan's character Veer in the film Veer-Zaara were filmed at the college. Being a favourite place of directors/producers, it has attracted many Punjabi as well as Hindi film-makers who have shot videos here. Dr. Arjinderpal Singh Sekhon the first Sikh become Colonel and battalion Commander in the United States Army and a graduate of United States Army war college attended Khalsa College School and college from 1953 to 1965. Another film known as "Rab ne bana di jodi" featuring Shahrukh khan and Anushka Sharma, was filmed at Khalsa College.

External links

References

Wikimedia Commons has media related to Khalsa College, Amritsar.
  1. ↑ http://punjabimania.com/interview-harpreet-sandhu-on-work-weather-wife/
  2. ↑
  3. ↑
  4. ↑ Khalsa College makes major move to revive hockey
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