Eden Hindu Hostel (Kolkata)

a junior at Presidency's Eden Hindu Hostel complained of prolonged physical and sexual abuse by seniors, giving a blow by blow account of the torture. He has named the seniors and mentions how they flaunted their political links to browbeat victims. The university's anti-ragging committee is probing the complaint.The green gate of 3 Peary Charan Sarkar Street has been leading thousands into the enchanting premises of the Eden Hindu Hostel for almost 130 years now. The lush green field, the wooden staircase, the kharkharis, the high-ceiling rooms, everything oozes an old-world charm that's hard to ignore. And on Wednesday, the hostel closed down for renovations -its first overhaul since its establishment in 1886. CT celebrates the heritage and history of the colonial building and takes a trip down memory lane...

RICH HERITAGE

The hostel was initially built for the Hindu students of Presidency College, but later accommodated students from outside Kolkata. In 1988, the building was extended in order to accommodate postgraduate students and research scholars.Among its many famous boarders were the first President of India, Dr Rajendra Prasad, who studied in Presidency between 1902 and 1907, and professor Amartya Sen. Presidency University registrar Debajyoti Konar said, "Dr Rajendra Prasad was a student here and his room in the hostel is still not used."

Divided into six wards, the hostel houses over 274 boarders, including undergraduate and postgraduate students.

HOME AWAY FROM HOME With its seasonal tournaments, annual athletic meets, Saraswati Puja, reunions, freshers' welcome, political meetings and farewell ceremonies, this hostel has been a second home for thousands of students."It feels bad to leave this place. I've been here for over three years now and have spent some wonderful times with my friends and seniors," third-year chemistry student Swarup Maji said. He added that they had been shifting to the new address in Rajarhat for the past three weeks. "We will be staying in Rajarhat for 11 months till the work gets done here. It's going to be difficult, as we are used to staying in central Kolkata with so many facilities within reach,"