With a vision to provide education to the South Indian Community in the Orange City of Nagpur, Late Shri Rao Bahadur A. Vasudev Mudaliar started a small Tamil Mixed School in 1894 at Sitabuldi with just seven students on the roll which was granted recognition a decade later. It was registered under the name of South Indian Education Society and was managed by the Madrasi School Society at Nagpur.
With a view to enlarge the scope of the school to accommodate the Telugu population in the city the Society secured an area of 3552 sq. ft. of land from the Municipal Corporation and with the donations from the South Indian Community constructed the building for just Rs. 3,500/- which included a Government Grant of Rs. 1,000/- and was inaugurated on 18th February 1910 by Honourable Mr. J. Walker C.I.E., I.C.S., the then Commissioner of the Nagpur Division. This building was later expanded once in 1928 by spending an amount of Rs. 9,400/- and once again in 1935 at a cost of Rs. 6,500/-.
With support from the South Indian Community and the Government the status of the school was changed to the Anglo Vernacular Middle School (AVM) in 1935 and was called the Madrasi Girls AVM School. The strength of the school which was 32 in 1910 gradually rose to 117 in 1926 and to 400 in 1941. In July 1949 the status was elevated to that of a High School through temporary recognition from the M. P. Secondary Education Board. Dr. Ganesan housed the school in Dharampeth in his outhouse in July 1942 wherein standards I, II and III were started on an experimental basis. With several luminaries coming forward to extend all help to the school, a plot of land admeasuring 1.8 acres was purchased from the Nagpur Improvement Trust in 1950 at a cost of Rs. 9,000/-.
From donations, from the State Government and from Smt. Vyjayanthimala (the Film Actress), the High School, now called the Saraswati Vidyalaya, started functioning in July 1953. Thereafter the school saw the Diamond Jubilee celebrations in 1955, the Platinum Jubilee Celebrations in 1974 and the Centenary in 1994 which eventually saw the construction of the Centenary Hall called his Holiness Kanchi Mahaswamigal Sri Chandrasekarendra Saraswati Centenary Auditorium.
The Junior College was started in 1974 and was closed down in 1985 but restarted once again in 2008. As the years passed by the school saw an expansion from 47,400 sq. ft. to 58,200 sq. ft. in area, a lift for elderly persons to go to the Centenary Hall, a facelift to the frontage of the school and above all expansion of the C and D blocks of the school taken up during 2009-10 session to fulfil the needs of space.
Over the last century and a quarter the school has expanded to two branches with strength of around 4000 students. All this growth ensued mainly because of the strong support of all the members of the South Indian Community, the broad perspective of the elected bodies of the school and overwhelming response to the school from all communities of the city of Nagpur.
Educating Children Since 1894
SARASWATI VIDYALAYA
(A Linguistic Minority Educational Institution)
| Sr no | Role / Designation | Name |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | President | Shri. T. K. Venkatesh |
| 2 | Vice – President | Shri. T. G. Janakiraman |
| 3 | Hon. Secretary | Shri. V. Durairajan |
| 4 | Jt. Secretary | Shri. R.S. Sundaram |
| 5 | Treasurer | Shri. S. Jayaraman |
| 6 | Member | Shri. S. Janakiraman |
| 7 | Member | Shri. G. Vijay Sampath |
| 8 | Member | Shri. V. Shankaran |
| 9 | Member | Smt. Meera Chandrashekharan |
| 10 | Member | Shri. Venkatesh Manian |
| 11 | Member | Smt. Meenakshi V. |
The activities of the school had increased several times. Admission to the High School classes for children passing out of this school was found increasingly difficult from year to year. Therefore, the management decided to raise the status of the school to a High School from July 1949. Temporary recognition was obtained from the M.P.Secondary Education Board and the Madhya Pradesh Government. The school thus became a full-fledged High School after 54 years of existence.
Dr.Ganesan offered 2 rooms and a verandah in the outhouse attached to his Bungalow at Dharampeth for the use of the branch school free of rent in July 1942. Standard I, II and III have been started at Dharampeth Branch School as an experimental measure for the session of 1942-43. Drawing as a subject has been included in the curriculum of I, II and III from students since 1943. Similarly, Telugu section was started in Dharampeth Branch as an experimental measure in 1944. Dance classes for the students were started in the school as an experimental measure. First Aid classes for the teachers and students were also started.
In 1946, Shri K. Rangaswami, the then Correspondent of "The Hindu" at Nagpur took the initiative to collect the funds for the school. Mrs.M.S.Subbalaxmi through her performance helped to raise a substantial amount (Rs.45,000/-) towards the building fund. The second section of III form had been started in 1946. IV form was also started in this year only. The name of the school was changed from Madrasi Girls English Middle School to South Indian Girls' Middle School. Hindi was introduced in III and IV classes in 1947. The primary and middle departments were shifted to the main building in 1948-49 session in shift system. Shri. S. Bharadwaj took over charge as Head Master from Shri. M. N. Ramachandra Iyer who resigned. Hindi was introduced for class V from 1950-51.
The management obtained the Government recognition for a High School in 1949. The efforts of the management to get a plot of land through the Government did not materialize for over five years and ultimately the management had no other alternative but to purchase from the Nagpur Improvement Trust, a plot of land measuring 1.85 acres in extent on the North Ambazari Road in the Dharampeth at a cost of Rs.9000 in November 1950. Shri.Swamiji of Anand Ashram, Kannad, planted two neem saplings on 18th February 1951, which stand as two giant caretakers in front of the building today. The management decided to take up the construction in 3 stages. The foundation stone was laid by the Hon’ble Justice Shri.M.Patanjali Sastri, Chief Justice of India on 17th April 1952. A benefit performance by Kumari Vyjantimala in February 1953 gave an additional sum of Rs.20,000. A similar sum from the State Government helped to complete the ten class rooms and the High School, in the Shankar Nagar area. The school started to function in the new premises in July 1953.
The first batch of students from the Saraswati Vidyalaya appeared for the Matriculation Examination in 1952. The school has been granted permanent recognition as a High School by the M.P.Secondary Education Board and by the Education Department. Within a couple of years, the school had grown in strength and popularity. Hindi medium was introduced in the Middle and High School classes. The school became popular and demands grew up for opening additional sections to each class. Consistent with its changing role in catering to the educational needs of children belonging to all communities the name of the school was changed to Saraswati Vidyalaya in 1951. In accordance with the decision of the Education Department of the M.P.Government, the school Code was adopted in the school with effect from July 1953. Probably no other institution had taken such a far reaching step in the propagation of Hindi among non-Hindi students in addition to Mother tongue and English.
The school celebrated its Diamond Jubilee in 1955. It received liberal donations from the Government of C.P. and Berar, from the Government of Andhra Pradesh and from the Government of Madras. This helped to raise additional class rooms, laboratories and in turn the school was raised to Higher Secondary School.
During 1960-70, there was a phenomenal growth of the school and the dedicated work of the teachers and staff of the school, backed up by the support extended by the South Indian Education Society yielded excellent academic performance. In 1971, the school had 33 class rooms.
The Platinum Jubilee was celebrated in 1974. By then, there were 2144 students. Smt.Kanak Rele, Shri.Kumar Ghandarwa, Shri.Bhimsen Joshi and Shri.Chitti Babu gave their performances during the Platinum Jubilee Celebrations. Bar.S.K.Wankhede, Speaker, Maharashtra Legislative Assembly inaugurated the week-long programmes.
The unit test system was introduced in the curriculum in 1975. Junior College was opened in 1975 but in 1983 it had to be closed.
The library was started in 1962. In the beginning experienced teachers were looking after the library. A part time librarian has been appointed in 1974. The demand for the library books was great and it was essential to appoint a full time librarian. A full time librarian has been appointed since 1977. This library is one of the good libraries in Nagpur city having books on almost all the subject. It has a collection of about 10,000 books on various subjects at present.
During 1992-1993 centenary year celebration - many activities were conducted through out the year.the present auditorium was dedicated and inuagrated by Sri Sri Chandrasekarendra Saraswati Swamigal.