The Sanskrit College and University

The Sanskrit College and University is a public university for Sanskrit and related studies on College Street in central Kolkata. The main building dates from the colonial period and combines British construction features with traditional Indian design motifs, visible in arches, colonnades, and decorative elements on the facade.

The institution was founded in 1824 as Sanskrit College under Governor-General Lord Amherst, teaching classical Indian languages and philosophy. Legislation in 2016 granted the college university status, expanding its academic programs beyond traditional Sanskrit studies.

The library holds roughly 25,000 manuscripts and around 200,000 volumes, preserving classical Indian texts in Sanskrit alongside works in Bengali and English. The manuscript archive serves as a working resource for scholars studying ancient scripts and linguistic history.

The building stands on busy College Street among bookshops, printing houses, and libraries within walking distance. Classrooms and administrative offices occupy multiple floors, so visitors should allow extra time for orientation and navigation.

The Sanskrit Charcha Kendra in Nabadwip, a research center affiliated with the university, houses specialized resources for Indology and Sanskrit studies outside the main campus. This location focuses primarily on advanced researchers working with philosophical and literary manuscripts.