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Viizhyanagaram Hall( with domeAU, Allahabad, UP.allduniv.ac.in
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Vizhyanagaram Hall, stainrd glass AU, Allahabad, UP. allduniv.ac.in
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European-styled window. hi-in.facebook.com
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The prestigious time-honored Vizianagaram Hall at Allahabad University, Uttar Pradesh, was once a part of Muir Central College. It was founded by the Scottish Administrator William Muir (27 April 1819 - 11 July 1905) in 1872 to teach subjects through the respective vernaculars. The Faculty of Arts was also on the same Senate Campus. English became the standard medium of instruction. "Allahabad University, with Muir College at its core, was to become renowned from the late 1920s to the late 1950s as the 'Oxford of India' during a 'golden era' of teaching and research." Allahabad University, the fifth university founded in 1873 by the British government under the Raj after Calcutta, Bombay, and Madras in India; the other one being at Lahore in Pakistan. The Senate Hall also functioned as the administrative hub of the university.
The foundation stone of the college was laid on 9 December 1873 by the Governor-General of India, Lord Northbrook. The Senate Hall was opened to the students and others by Lt. Gov. of the province, John Hewett, in 1912. Made of white marble, it is richly embellished with Persian floral designs. The addition of fine stained glass windows and the majestic dome laid with turquoise ceramic tiles on the outer surface enhance the splendor of the structure. The Prince of Wales Edward Albert (later king Edward VIII in 1936) as part of his official trip to India, visited the university and the senate hall
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Architect SirWilliam Emerson slideplayer.com/slide/12877570 |
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Allahabad University, Uttar Pradesh. allduniv.ac.in
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The architect of the Senate Hall was the renowned William Emerson, who adopted the Indo-Saracenic style like Robert Chisholm, blending Indo-Islamic (Persian and Egyptian) design elements with European features, particularly Gothic style with wide archways and grand corridors. The unique structure is dominated by Indo-Saracenic style domes. To cap it all, to make the structure attractive and captivating, he specifically included a tall minaret 61 meters high and a clock tower, displaying a Big Ben type clock. Inside, below the tower, is a lofty hall with a superbly decorated dome. The cream buff-colored sandstones used in the building were brought from Mirzapur. Emerson's other projects included All Saints Cathedral, Allahabad (1869–93), Muir College (1872-78), and two buildings for the princely Bhavnagar State, Nilambag Palace (1894–95).
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Inside the domeAU, Allahabad, UP. allduniv.ac.in |
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Architect Emerson mentioned about his work, “I was determined not to follow too closely the Indian art. Walk around the building to see the Gothic arches and traceries.”