Banaras Hindu University
| Banaras Hindu University (BHU) | |
|---|---|
| Full Name | Banaras Hindu University |
| Abbreviation | BHU |
| Founded | 4 February 1916 |
| Founder | Pandit Madan Mohan Malaviya |
| Type | Central University |
| Location | Varanasi, Uttar Pradesh, India |
| Campus | 1,300+ acres — one of Asia's largest residential campuses |
| Students | 30,000+ (Approx.) |
| Faculties | 16 Faculties, 140+ Departments |
| Affiliated Colleges | 4 Institutes of National Importance |
| Website | bhu.ac.in |
Banaras Hindu University (BHU) is one of India's largest, oldest and most prestigious central universities — located in the holy city of Varanasi, Uttar Pradesh, India. Founded on 4 February 1916 by the great educationist and national leader Pandit Madan Mohan Malaviya — with the active support of Maharaja Prabhu Narayan Singh of Banaras and Annie Besant — BHU stands today as a world-class institution of education and research — a living monument to the vision of its founder and to the transformative power of Indian knowledge and scholarship. With a sprawling residential campus of over 1,300 acres — one of the largest in Asia — BHU is home to more than 30,000 students, 16 faculties, over 140 departments and thousands of faculty and staff — making it one of the most comprehensive and diverse universities in the world.
History and Founding
The establishment of Banaras Hindu University was one of the most significant events in the history of Indian education. In the late 19th and early 20th centuries, India's great educationists and national leaders recognised the urgent need for a world-class university that would combine the best of Western scientific and academic education with the deep traditions of Indian knowledge, culture and philosophy.
Pandit Madan Mohan Malaviya — one of India's greatest educational visionaries and a towering figure in the Indian independence movement — dedicated decades of his life to the dream of establishing such an institution. He travelled across India raising funds, building support and articulating a vision of a university that would serve not just the educated elite, but the entire nation.
On 4 February 1916, Banaras Hindu University was formally established — with the foundation stone laid by the Viceroy of India, Lord Hardinge. The university was established through an Act of the Imperial Legislative Council and was given the status of a Central University — reflecting its national significance and importance.
The choice of Varanasi — one of the world's oldest continuously inhabited cities and the spiritual capital of Hinduism — was deeply symbolic. Varanasi has been a centre of learning, philosophy and culture for thousands of years — and BHU's establishment on the banks of the sacred Ganga river connected the new university to this ancient tradition of knowledge and scholarship.
Campus
BHU's campus is one of its most extraordinary features — a sprawling, self-contained academic city spread across more than 1,300 acres on the banks of the river Ganga in Varanasi. The campus is home to:
- Academic departments, faculties and research institutes
- Residential hostels for thousands of students
- Faculty quarters and staff housing
- The famous Vishwanath Temple — one of the most beautiful temples in Varanasi — located at the heart of the campus
- Schools, hospitals, banks, post offices and other civic facilities
- Sports facilities, playgrounds and cultural centres
- The BHU Central Library — one of India's largest university libraries
The campus is known for its beautiful tree-lined avenues, its architectural grandeur and the unique atmosphere of a place where ancient tradition and modern scholarship coexist in harmony.
Academic Structure
BHU is organised into 16 faculties covering virtually every major area of human knowledge — making it one of the most comprehensive universities in Asia:
- Faculty of Science — Including departments of Physics, Chemistry, Zoology, Botany, Mathematics, Statistics, Geology and more
- Faculty of Arts — Including departments of Hindi, English, Sanskrit, History, Philosophy, Psychology and Sociology
- Faculty of Social Sciences — Including Economics, Political Science, Education and Library Science
- Faculty of Commerce — Including Business Administration and Accountancy
- Faculty of Law — One of India's oldest and most respected law faculties
- Faculty of Medicine (Institute of Medical Sciences — IMS) — A major medical school and teaching hospital
- Faculty of Ayurveda — One of India's leading Ayurvedic medical faculties
- Faculty of Performing Arts — Music, Dance and Drama
- Faculty of Visual Arts — Fine Arts and Crafts
- Faculty of Agricultural Sciences
- Faculty of Sanskrit Vidya Dharma Vigyan
- IT (BHU) — Indian Institute of Technology (BHU) — formerly the Institute of Technology BHU — one of India's premier engineering and technology institutions
Research at BHU
Banaras Hindu University is one of India's most active and productive research universities — with significant research output across science, medicine, engineering, social sciences and humanities. BHU researchers have made important contributions to fields including:
- Cancer Biology and Oncology — Research on hypoxia, miRNA regulation, breast cancer and cancer therapeutics
- Neuroscience and Neurodegeneration — Including research on Parkinson's disease, Alzheimer's disease and other neurological conditions
- Biotechnology and Molecular Biology — Genomics, proteomics and molecular medicine
- Physics and Materials Science — Including research at the internationally recognised physics department
- Sanskrit and Indology — Preserving and advancing India's classical knowledge traditions
- Ayurveda and Traditional Medicine — Research on traditional Indian medical systems
- Agricultural Sciences — Contributing to India's agricultural development
BHU researchers are supported by funding from ICMR, UGC, DST (Department of Science and Technology), DBT (Department of Biotechnology) and numerous international funding agencies.
Institute of Medical Sciences (IMS BHU)
The Institute of Medical Sciences (IMS) at BHU is one of India's most respected medical schools and research institutions — offering MBBS, MD, MS, DM, MCh and PhD programmes across all major medical specialties. IMS BHU is attached to the Sir Sunderlal Hospital — one of the largest teaching hospitals in North India — providing medical care to hundreds of thousands of patients from Varanasi and the surrounding region every year.
IMS BHU has been the site of important medical and biomedical research — including research on cancer, neurodegeneration, infectious diseases and public health — conducted by its faculty and by research fellows supported through ICMR and UGC fellowships.
IT (BHU) — Indian Institute of Technology =
The Indian Institute of Technology (BHU) — formerly the Institute of Technology, Banaras Hindu University — was established as part of BHU in 1919 and was given the status of an IIT in 2012. It is one of India's premier engineering and technology institutions — offering undergraduate, postgraduate and doctoral programmes across engineering, technology and science.
Notable Alumni and Faculty
Banaras Hindu University has produced some of India's most distinguished scholars, scientists, politicians, artists and public figures — including:
- Atal Bihari Vajpayee — Former Prime Minister of India and Bharat Ratna laureate — studied at BHU
- Lal Bahadur Shastri — Former Prime Minister of India — studied at Kashi Vidyapeeth, Varanasi
- Pandit Ravi Shankar — Legendary sitar maestro — associated with BHU
- Numerous distinguished scientists, doctors, lawyers, artists and academics who have shaped Indian intellectual and public life
Vishwanath Temple
At the heart of the BHU campus stands the magnificent Vishwanath Temple — one of the most beautiful and architecturally significant temples in Varanasi. Built in the Nagara style of Hindu temple architecture in white marble, the temple is a stunning landmark of the campus and a spiritual centre for the university community. It houses the sacred Shiva lingam — replicating the ancient Kashi Vishwanath Temple in the city — and is visited by thousands of devotees, students and visitors every year.
Vision
Banaras Hindu University's founding vision — articulated by Pandit Madan Mohan Malaviya — was to create a university that would combine the best of Eastern and Western knowledge traditions — producing graduates who were not just academically accomplished, but rooted in Indian values, culture and national consciousness. This vision continues to animate BHU's academic and research culture more than a century after its founding — making it one of India's most distinctive and beloved universities.