Osmania University is different things to different generations, people, students and teachers who are all part of the varsity or if out of this great educational hub still cherish their association.

It brings to the fore a dose of nostalgia and history as it crosses the magical landmark of 100 years of coming into being.

Set up with the Imperial Firman of Mir Osman Ali Khan, the VII Nizam of Hyderabad, as people congregate to celebrate the 100th anniversary on April 26, it appears that ‘the time will stand still.’ Withstanding the test of times, it has handled changing times with grace and alacrity.

It was on April 26, 1917 a royal firman was issued for the setting up of the university, which was inaugurated about a year later.

The foundation of the magnificent Arts College Building, home for the Indo-Saracenic (with bulbous domes, pointed arches and vaulted roofs) architecture, was laid in 1934 and the building was inaugurated on December 4, 1939.

Years later, Arts College stands the testimony of changing times but this majestic all-stone beauty continues to romance with heritage lovers. In the early days, after the Royal Charter was promulgated, the Osmania University was located across several buildings making it a logistics nightmare.

It was then decided to consolidate the home for learning, now the university at one site and the place where Arts College is now located was chosen. It was located at a vantage point with a great view.

Named after Nawab Osman Ali Khan, in the erstwhile princely State of Hyderabad, it came into being as a university where Urdu was to be the medium of instruction.

While the move to set up a university took the British regime by surprise, Nobel laureate Rabindranath Tagore was pleased with the move to educate in a local language.

While Urdu was the medium of instruction, the Nizam encouraged learning in English to integrate globally.

Located on a 1,600-acre campus, it has an initial enrolment of 225 students. Since then, it has gradually evolved to be a well spread out network of colleges under its fold where more than 3 lakh students take to learning in the campus and its dispersed affiliated colleges.

Its alumni include former prime minister PV Narasimha Rao. Every building has a piece of history linked to it and the University Library founded in 1918 is home to over five lakh books, thousands of manuscripts, including manuscripts on palm leaf.

Apart from a number of satellite education centres, it has Japal Rangpur Observatory among some of the autonomous centres. While the focus was on education, it has a strong record of students movements which played a role and shaped the State political scenario be it the student agitation for Telangana in 1969 or later during 2004 to 2014.

The year-long celebrations kick in with President Pranab Mukherjee delivering the address on April 26.