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Aga Khan Hostel, Sidhpur. A walk through the Hostel History....

The Year was 1938. Our beloved Imam Sir Sultan Mohammad Shah (A.S.) graciously blessed the Jamat with his Didar at Limbadi (Wadhwan) in Gujarat. During this visit, Imam had a meeting with Presidents of all the Councils and leaders across India in the Royal Palace of the King of Princely State of Wadhawan . Late Itmadi Ladjibhai Jivan Patel of Meloj and Itmadi Vajirbhai Aliji Maknojia of Meta represented Sidhpur community in this meeting.

To fulfill the commitment given to Imam, a committee under the leadership of Itmadi Ladjibhai Jivan Patel and Itmadi Vajirbhai Aliji Maknojia was formed.. With the monetary support, guidance and blessings of Imam and co-operation and support from Sidhpur Jamat, The Aga Khan Hostel, Sidhpur came into existence on 14th October 1938 and 4th September 1938 respectively. Itmadi Ladji Jivan Patel was the founder President of both these prestigious Institutions. Since 1938 both the Institutions have been serving our community efficiently.

Since its establishment in 1938, the Aga Khan Hostel at Sidhpur has come a long way. It had made humble beginnings with only 10 students

In 1946 the hostel committee with generous support from Jamat acquired a farmland known as “Panjetani Baug” admeasuring about 2 bigha with a farm bungalow, 4 rooms, well, a swimming pool and garden and again in 1954 the adjacent farmland of land known as “Akbari Baug” admeasuring about 11.50 bigha with 2 farm bungalows, 6 rooms, with 3 swimming pools and garden was acquired.

In 1958 a trust - H.H. The Aga Khan Golden Jubilee Ismailia Sidhpur Boarding & Orphanage Sidhpur- was formally registered with the Charity Commissioner, Mehsana which runs and manages the hostel. In the course of time as access to education increased in Jamat, the hostel management and Jamat decided to have modern hostel building. And the foundation stone laying ceremony of the new hostel building and opening of the said building was performed by our beloved Hazar Imam Prince Karim Al-Husainee on 15th September 1962 and 14th November 1967 respectively at Panjetani Baug. As demand for hostel increased, in 1973 first floor was added to the hostel building to enhance the student intake capacity.

To encourage education of the girl child in the Jamat, the hostel was converted from boys to girls’ hostel in 1988, which was the Golden Jubilee Year of the hostel.

In the later part of 1980s, Jamat in Sidhpur area felt need of our own school in Sidhpur for quality education to our children. Aga Khan School Sidhpur came into existence in 1993 on the piece of land donated by the hostel to the Aga Khan Foundation. The school is run and managed by Aga Khan Education Service, India.

In response to the demand from Jamat for hostel facility in big city for higher education in English medium colleges for the students from rural areas, the hostel started its branch in Pune in the year 2003 for boys and in 2004 for girls in separate rental premises.

In the year 2008, to commemorate Golden Jubilee of Imamat of our beloved Hazar Imam and historical Golden Jubilee Darbar in Sidhpur and to celebrate the event of Platinum Jubilee of the hostel, the hostel created a Sidhpur Cultural Museum in the hostel premises with the collaboration of Sidhpur Development Foundation, Mumbai.

1938 -2018 Aga Khan hostel Complete its 80 years to serve the Jamat and upliftment of community student through education.

The Hostel has changed with the changing times and changing needs of the jamat. Currently the hostel has a spacious premises surrounded by fine landscaping and lush green garden in the heart of Sidhpur with modern hostel facilities including spacious dormitory, computer room, library, study room, dinning hall, prayer hall and conference room . Currently the hostel houses 125 girls coming from across the India from underprivileged class of the society.

The management and the trustee look forward, with generous support and co-operation from the community, to many more decades of service to the jamat by enabling an environment conducive to educating our children and preparing them for the challenges of the future.