I took admission to a college in the year 1995. At that time, there was not much awareness in light of educating young girls and women. Maharani College in the Jaipur city was a legendary name even back then in the list of eminent colleges in the country.
In the year I took admission in college, which is 1995, in the same year did 500 and more girls took admission to the college.
The principal of the college back then, Smt. Savitri Bhartiya expressed her immense happiness and stated that she is proud that the nation is moving towards educating women and young girls. Within the next 6 years, the strength of the students in the college went up to about 2500.
The college was not only ahead in the academic line but also provided rich exposure in terms of cultural activities. Back then, fashion were not a thing, like it is a buzz today.
Years back, dressing up for a fancy dress competition was a charm.
Everyone, from the students to the faculty, participated in the fancy dress competition with great enthusiasm. May international dresses along with fancy dresses were showcased in the fancy dress competition.
The botanical garden in the college was a hangout spot for the young girls back then. Now, on one of the parts of this botanical garden, a slip lane for the Ashok Marg in the Jaipur city has been constructed.
There was no canteen in the previous years. The enjoyment of eating in a canteen was not something that could be experienced back then.
However, every Saturday, a South Indian man did come down to the college premises to make appetizing Dosa.
The Dosa was available then at a price as low as Re 1. The Dosa used to be a plain paper dosa and was served and eaten without the Sambhar.
On the ground floor in the last room was where the mess of the college was functional. The meals in the hostel were served in the form of a pangat. Pangat is a style where people sit down on the floor and meal is served on the chaukis. The food culture and the style how it was served were so rich that at times the principal and vice chancellor of the college also joined the students in the meals. The hostel was run above the hall in the college. Annie Besant hostel was also here only.
In December 1955, the college organized an educational tour to the Rashtrapati Bhawan in New Delhi. After the Rashtrapati Bhawan, we visited Dr. Radhakrishnan at his abode. Dr. Radhakrishnan welcomed us with warmth and spoke kind words about the Maharani College.