The Madurai Diraviyam Thayumanavar Hindu College, Pettai

About The Madurai Diraviyam Thayumanavar Hindu College, Pettai

THE MADURAI DIRAVIYAM THAYUMANAVAR HINDU COLLEGE, situated 8 kms from Tirunelveli junction railway station, 8 kms from Tirunelveli junction bus stand and 13 kms from Tirunelveli new bus stand, is one of the centres of Higher Education catering to the needs of young men and women of all creeds. As its motto – Age Quod Agis - proclaims, this college has been doing its utmost to impart Quality Education, which is, after all, the prime instrument of National Purpose, for over a century and a quarter. It has, of course, a unique history of its own.

The college crest consists of the picture of Goddess Saraswathi, Sheaf of Corn and Torch. Goddess Saraswathi represents knowledge both intellectual and spiritual and is symbolic of learning, which is ever continuing. The Sheaf of corn represents fertility and is symbolic of Tirunelveli where the College is situated. The Torch, the functions of which are to spread the light of learning and dispel the darkness of ignorance, representing Enlightenment. The College colours is ochre and white. Ochre signifies the Hindu spirit of service and sacrifice. White represents purity and integrity.

The main objective of the founders was to provide quality education to the children in and around Tirunelveli. The larger and long term goal, it can be asserted, was to bring more and more youngsters into the fold of Modern Education whose necessity for individual and societal development had already begun to be felt then.

As the University of Madras was bifurcated in 1966, the colleges in South Tamilnadu were brought under the control of Madurai University. With the result, our college was affiliated to Madurai University (renamed as Madurai Kamaraj University).

The first ever post graduate course of the college, M.A. in Tamil was inaugurated in 1971. Now the college has under graduate courses in eight disciplines and postgraduate courses in five. The department of Tamil offers M.Phil and PhD programmes. The Department of Mathematics has been approved as research centre by Manonamaniam Sundaranar University. The college offers a wide range of extra curricular activities.

The College celebrated its centenary celebrations in 1979. The Prime Minister of India Shri. Morarji Desai , The chief Minister of Tamil Nadu Shri. M.G.Ramachandran and other dignitaries of the State attended the function.

In 1990, Manonmaniam Sundaranar University was established by bifurcating Madurai Kamaraj University. Since then, our college was affiliated to Manonmaniam Sundaranar University.

The College celebrated its 125 years of service in 2004 with Shri. P.Chidambaram The minister of finance Government of India Shri S.Rathnavel Pandian the former judge Supreme court of India and Shri P.H.Pandian the former speaker of Tamil Nadu graced the occasion. A special postal cover and Special stamp were released on the occasion.

The college had been admitting only male students since its inception. For the first time the college started admitting girl students in postgraduate courses from the academic year 1971-1972. With the result, an all male preserve status of the college was changed. Again there was a change in the admission policy of the College by admitting the girl students in Undergraduate courses also from the academic year 2002-2003. Since then, it is termed as a Co-education college. The college has been serving the society all these years without receiving any donation either for admission or for appointment. It is in no way a mean achievement to cater to the educational needs of the poor and down trodden. That more than sixty percent of the students of the college are scholarship holders proves that this college has been a pioneer in providing higher education to the poor since its inception. Also it is noteworthy that more than eighty five percent of our students are first generation learners and this indicates that the college has extended its virtuous hands upon the most neglected sector of the society.