In the 1950 students of Thanjavur had to go to Trichy or elsewhere for higher college education so there was a need for a College of Arts and Science in Thanjavur. In order to meet the demands of the local people, in 1955 Raja Serfoji college, a private institution in honor of the late Maratha king Raja Serfoji II was founded by a group of elite people of Thanjavur and much of the contribution was made by Sri A.Y.S. Parisutha Nadar, ex. MLA and founder member of Thanjavur Rotary Club, late K.V. Srinivasan, Sr. Advocate and Rotary district governor, Dr. Appu kutti Nair and others.
Sri AYS Parisutha Nadar former MLA,en.wikipedia.org |
Above image: A.Y.A. Parisutha Nadar- He was elected thrice from the Thanjavur constituency, in 1946, 1957 and 1967 on Congress ticket. to the State Assembly. According to The Hindu Nov.10,2010), he donated about 89 acres of land,(now worth more than Rs.200 million) for the construction of the TMC- the Thanjavur Medical College...................
Union Club bldg. Thanjavur upload.wikimedia.org |
Both late Sri Parisutha Nadar and senior advocate KVS on invitation by the US Rotary Club, travelled to the USA in the late 1950s and gathered funds through the rotary clubs there. On their return to Thanjavur on behalf of Thanjavur Rotary Club, they bought a vast track of lands which used to be Munthiri kaadu (Cashew Nut fields). The Rotarians of Thanjavur led by Parisutha nadar and advocate KVS were instrumental in starting an Art and Science College for boys and girls on the Old Pudukottai Road. The college was on a vast track of land donated by the Thanjavur Rotary club, In the early 1960s a beautiful Auditorium was opened. In a ceremony held there later (it is still green in my mind) one mr. Abbey, a prominent American Rotarian and his wife visited the college and also the newly opened auditorium.
Auditorium (early 1960s), Raja Serfoji college,Thanjavur facebook.com |
Raja Serfoji college, Thanjavur. en.wikipedia |
The present New Bus Stand area had been known as known as Rotary Town in the 1960s and 1970s. and after the DMK govt. took over the college and the grounds the name Rotary Town did not survive for political reasons. The big name board on the side near the Serfoji college is gone so and the area goes by different name. . Its first Principal was One Cap. Murugaiyan, professor of Physics and a stickler for discipline and the Correspondent of the college was advocate KVS.
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Thanjavur Medical college:
Thanjavur medical college.medicalneetug.com |
Outside Madras (Chennai) city, only Madurai medical college was catering to the people in South Tamil Nadu. Thanjavur medical college, the second one after Madurai Medical College came up in the early 1960s, its foundation ceremony, held in 1958 on the RM Hospital premises; was presided over by the then Indian president Sri Rajendra Prasad. Sri AYS Parisutha Nadar, was the chairman of the Thanjavur municipality.
When the college and hospital work was on till 1964 classes were held in Madurai Medical college. Likewise, for the first and second year students classes were held temporarily under big closely tied hatched pandals specifically put up on the palace grounds part of which was used by popular V.H.S School as a playground.The huge pandals were close to the common passage between VHS school ground and St. Peter's School play ground. I myself saw those huge pandals on several occasions there when I used to play Cricket matches against other schools and clubs for VHS school
The present Medical college is on a vast land 228 acres of land on the Vallam road part of the lands owned by Serfoji college was allotted to the medical college. Congress MLA Parisutha Nadar being charitable as he was in 1956 , personally donated 89 acres for the medical campus. Indeed he was a person with a big heart.
But for the state Industries minister R. Venkataraman, Kamaraj Nadar and most importantly Shri Parisutha Nadar, the Medical college in Thanjavur would have gone to some other city. The golden jubilee celebrations of this renowned institute was held from November 13 to 16. On 10 Nov. 2010, TMC complete 50 years and not only served the people of Thanjavur district, but also other districts Under PM Modiji's special grants, additional facilities have been made to keep abreast of the latest medical technology.
I found the post by Shri AYSP. Anthonysamy MABL in the Facebook quite useful and informative.; unfortunately I could not find relevant images on the RMH old buildings)
https://serfojimemorialhall.com/maharani-kamakshi-bai.html
https://navrangindia.blogspot.com/2021/11/rmh-eye-hospital-thanjavur-tn-3rd.html
https://www.facebook.com/permalink.php?story_fbid=4465017016909966&id=413042932107415
https://www.navrangindia.in/2022/04/union-club-s-colonial-building.html