Madras Sanskrit College, Chennai

About Madras Sanskrit College, Chennai

The Madras Sanskrit College & S.S.V.Patasala was founded in February 1906, by one of the most illustrious personalities and an eminent jurist late Honourable V.Krishnaswami Iyer, Former Judge of Madras High Court and Member of the Executive Council of Government of Madras. Grown rapidly since its inception, the college has completed hundred years of service to the society particularly in the field of Sanskrit and became successful in restoring and rejuvenating the indigenous tradition and culture.

The college is affiliated to the University of Madras and recognized by the Collegiate Education, Governmentt of Tamil Nadu under Grant-in-Aid. The college has been partly aided by the Ministry of Human Resources Development, Department of Education, Govt. of India, New Delhi, under the Adarsha Mahavidyalaya Scheme from the year 1977.

The Madras Sanskrit College owes its origin to the philanthropy of "Mahapurusha" Sri V. Krishnaswami Iyer (called so by Mahatma Gandhi himself). Krishnaswami Iyer was a leader of the Madras Bar Association and later a judge of the Madras High Court and finally a Member of the Governor's Executive Council till his last day on 28th December 1911. Sri V. Krishnaswami Iyer, noticing the diminishing number of teachers and fast deteriorating standards of Sanskrit during his time, took upon himself the heavy task of founding a place for imparting instruction to the highest standards in the classical works and sastras on the traditional methods of intensive study.

It was thus in December 1905, the concept of the Sanskrit College was mooted, and on February 1, 1906 the college began functioning. Sri V. Krishnaswami Iyer, Rao Bahadur Sri A. Krishnaswami Iyer and Sri A.S. Balasubramania Iyer formed themselves into a Committee, each one contributing to the growth which was steady and spectacular. On the 27th October 1907, a Trust Deed was executed and registered by Mr. Krishnaswami Iyer and Sir C.P. Ramaswami Iyer which had for its object, the maintenance of a Sanskrit College and also the encouragement and promotion of research and investigation into several departments of Oriental knowledge.