Founded in 1941, Marwari College is now one of the largest and best-known colleges and undeniably one of the most beautiful constituent college of Tilka Manjhi Bhagalpur University.
College is maintaining its march of excellence way ahead of other institutions of the University with over 21 departments of all the three faculties of Commerce, Science and Arts and a strong family of 4400 students and providing technical courses/programmes and other courses of similar nature and proposal.
The Commerce faculty of Marwari College became a by-word of excellence in the field of Commerce throughout India. But the quality teaching in other faculties was equally well recognized and appreciated all over the nation. The college has the distinction to be guided by many learned persons in different capacities.
Years before attainment of independence by India, the business community especially the Marwari Community felt the deep urge that higher education should be imparted to youths so that they may become familiar with modern method of business organisation, business administration, commercial correspondence, salesmanship, accounting etc.
Rai Bahadur Bansidhar Dhandhania (Founder Secretary of Marwari College) with the above idea and love for education persuaded Marwari Pathshala Samiti in 1941 to raise the Marwari Pathshala from a high school to a college, teaching up to the Intermediate Examination in Commerce of Patna University. The College section was separated from the school section and named Marwari College.
The college sat first in Vijay Bhawan near the Goshala. Many foretold disastrous failures of Rai Bahadur’s experiment, particularly when only three students took admission before 1st September, 1941, the day on which the institution was to start functioning. Undaunted by such gloomy prospectus, Rai Bahadur opened the first year class on the scheduled date. Shri Bholanath Mukherjee took the charge as founder Principal of the college. Shri Sukdeo Jha was made the Head Clerk of the college. On the very first day 13 more students joined the college and by passage of time numerical strength in session 1941-42 rose to 36. In 1944, B.Com degree standard classes were started in the college. This bold step made the college a roaring success.
Later on the classes were conducted in Marwari Pathashala building. The number of students increased to 171 in 1944-45, 459 in 1946-47, 543 in 1948-49, 696 in 1953-54. Encouraged by its success, the University of Bihar suggested that from 1954-55 the College should impart instruction up to the I.A. Standard. I.A. Classes were opened, and in 1955-56 the numerical strength became 1300, thus making the institution one of the largest colleges affiliated to Bihar University.
Since the foundation of the College, Rai Bahadur had been labouring night and day as its Secretary. His efficient administration enabled the college to achieve during the decade 1946-1955, University results to which there is no parallel in Bihar University. It was through his efforts that a sum of Rs. 80,000/- was collected from the local Marwari community, Rs. 20,000/- was procured from the Government, and a further sum of Rs. 50,000/- was obtained from the Government for the construction of the new building of the College.
In 1950 Bhagalpur Municipality gifted the plot of land where the college is located now. It was the erstwhile Company Bagh & a part of it had been in use as a trenching ground. Rai Bahadur obtained this land of 20 bighas on 99 years lease.
The building that at present is the Administrative Block of the college was the first to be built & it then cost, less than Rs. 50,000/-. Classes started here, when the college reopened after the summer vacation, 1955.
Initially the classes were held from 4 P.M. to 9 P.M. and then from 6 A.M. to 11 A.M. in summer, rains & winter. After shifting to its own building, Commerce classes sat in the morning shift, arts classes in the day shift, while the science classes went on through the day.Teaching in Arts and Science disciplines commenced from 1955 & 1965 respectively.
Upto 31.03.1970 the college was run by its Governing Body of which the D.M. was the ex-officio President, Banshidharji was the Secretary form 1941 to his death. His successor was Hari Prasadji Dhandhania, who quit his post on & from 01-04-1970, when the college became a constituent unit of the Bhagalpur University.
The Handing over-Taking over ‘Ceremony’ took place in the college Common Room. Hari Prasadji signed the document on behalf of the Governing Body, while the University was represented by the late Amrendra Narayan Agrawal, the then Registrar. The Principal, then, was Dr. Sukumar Roy Choudhary and Prof. Ram Chandra Choudhary recited vedic Mantras.
And from the day of its inception in 1941 till today Marwari College is a premier institution of T.M. Bhagalpur University with a complete saga of undaunted success, excellence and development in the field of education and in all round activities.
