# Union Christian College, Aluva: A Century-Old Neighbour > Union Christian College (UC College) was founded in 1921 on the banks of the Periyar at Aluva by four graduates of Madras Christian College. It became a first-grade college under the University of Madras in July 1923, was visited by Rabindranath Tagore and Mahatma Gandhi in its first years, and as of October 2026 is affiliated to Mahatma Gandhi University with an A++ NAAC grade. This page sets out the sourced timeline. - URL: https://ashrafgentspghostel.adserr.com/union-christian-college-aluva-history/ - Publisher: Ashraf Gents Hostel, Ashraf house, NAD Rd, signal, Kalamassery, Aluva, Kerala 683563, India (+91 90746 23855) - Published: 2026-10-08 · Updated: 2026-10-08 - Topic: History & archive - Cite as: Ashraf Gents Hostel. “Union Christian College, Aluva: A Century-Old Neighbour.” Published 8 October 2026. https://ashrafgentspghostel.adserr.com/union-christian-college-aluva-history/ ## Key facts - Union Christian College, Aluva was founded in 1921 by K. C. Chacko, C. P. Mathew, V. M. Ittiyerah and A. M. Varki, all associated with Madras Christian College. - According to Wikipedia, it became a first-grade college under the University of Madras in July 1923, the first non-government college in Kerala to do so. - The college says Mahatma Gandhi visited on 18 March 1925; Wikipedia records that he planted the mango tree in front of the administrative block. - Kacheri Malika, an 1811 building on the campus that served as a Travancore court until 1896, was declared a protected monument by the Government of Kerala in 1993. - UC College was in NAAC’s first accreditation cycle in 1999 (five stars), received an A grade in 2017 and reports an A++ (CGPA 3.53) in its fifth cycle in 2024. ## Four teachers and a hill on the Periyar UC College is older than any of Kalamassery’s industries. It was founded in **1921** by four young graduates and teachers associated with **Madras Christian College**: **K. C. Chacko, C. P. Mathew, V. M. Ittiyerah and A. M. Varki**. A. M. Varki served as principal from 1921 to 1942, according to the college. Wikipedia says the college started on **18 acres** donated by **Moolam Thirunal Rama Varma**, Maharaja of Travancore. The college now describes a **42-acre** campus on the Periyar. Missionaries of the Church Missionary Society, including Stephen Neill, taught there in its early decades, and Wikipedia notes that the English journalist **Malcolm Muggeridge** taught there briefly. ## Timeline | Date | What happened | Source | |---|---|---| | 1811 | Kacheri Malika built; serves as a Travancore Zilla court until 1896 | Wikipedia | | 1921 | College founded by four Madras Christian College alumni | UC College: About us; Wikipedia | | 1922 | Rabindranath Tagore visits | Wikipedia; UC College | | Jul 1923 | Raised to a first-grade college under the University of Madras | Wikipedia | | 18 Mar 1925 | Mahatma Gandhi visits on his way to the Vaikom Satyagraha (Wikipedia gives the year only) | UC College: About us; Wikipedia | | Feb 1940 | College chapel, designed by Rev. George Edward Hubbard | Wikipedia | | 1993 | Kacheri Malika declared a protected monument | Wikipedia | | 1999 | Accredited in NAAC’s first cycle with five stars | Wikipedia | | 2002 | Lightning strikes the campus mahogany; its remains become the Mahaganitham sculpture | Wikipedia | | 2015 | Main location for the Malayalam film Premam | Wikipedia | | 2017 | Fourth NAAC cycle: A grade (3.47) | Wikipedia | | 2024 | Fifth NAAC cycle: A++ (CGPA 3.53) | UC College: About us | ## Tagore, Gandhi and the early years Wikipedia records that **Rabindranath Tagore** visited in **1922** and compared the college to his own Visva-Bharati. In **July 1923** UC College became a **first-grade college under the University of Madras**. Wikipedia describes it as the first non-government college in Kerala to reach that status. **Mahatma Gandhi** visited in **1925** on his way to the Vaikom Satyagraha. The college gives the date as **18 March 1925**, and Wikipedia quotes his entry in the visitors’ diary: “Delighted with the ideal situation.” Wikipedia says the mango tree in front of the administrative block was planted by him. The campus also holds a building older than the college. **Kacheri Malika**, a three-storey building on Kacheri Kunnu, was one of five kacheris built in 1811 and served as a Travancore court until 1896. The Government of Kerala declared it a **protected monument in 1993**. ## Affiliation, accreditation and autonomy The college began under the University of Madras and is now affiliated to **Mahatma Gandhi University, Kottayam**. The sources we checked do not give the years of the changes in between, so we have not dated them. In NAAC’s first cycle in **1999** it was one of two colleges assessed and received a five-star rating. It received an A grade in its third cycle and again in **2017** (score 3.47). The college reports an **A++ (CGPA 3.53)** in its fifth cycle in **2024**, and its 2024–25 highlights announce that it has become **autonomous**. We could not find the exact date of that grant, so the timeline above leaves it out. Wikipedia gives about 2,200 students in 14 undergraduate and 14 postgraduate programmes. The college reports an NIRF 2025 rank of 96th among colleges. ## Alumni Wikipedia’s list of alumni includes **Paravoor T. K. Narayana Pillai**, described there as the last Prime Minister of Travancore and the first Chief Minister of Travancore-Cochin; former Kerala Chief Minister **P. K. Vasudevan Nair**; **Philipose Mar Chrysostom**, the Mar Thoma Valiya Metropolitan; the philosopher **Nitya Chaitanya Yati**; the writer and civil servant **Malayattoor Ramakrishnan**; the director **Lijo Jose Pellissery**; and the actor **Dileep**. ## Why it matters near the NAD signal Aluva is the next town north of Kalamassery, and UC College is a short bus or metro ride away (see [Aluva town guide](https://ashrafgentspghostel.adserr.com/aluva-town-guide/), [Aluva’s history](https://ashrafgentspghostel.adserr.com/aluva-history/) and [how metro fares have changed](https://ashrafgentspghostel.adserr.com/kochi-metro-fare-history/)). Its riverside setting is part of the same stretch of the Periyar described in [Periyar riverside evenings](https://ashrafgentspghostel.adserr.com/periyar-riverside-evenings-near-kalamassery/). For male students at UC College who prefer to live on the Kalamassery side, Ashraf Gents Hostel at the NAD Road signal has twin-sharing rooms with a kitchen and no meals provided. Rent is indicative and confirmed on the call. Practical details are in [Hostel near UC College, Aluva](https://ashrafgentspghostel.adserr.com/hostel-near-uc-college-aluva/), and more local history is in the [Kalamassery history archive](https://ashrafgentspghostel.adserr.com/kalamassery-history-archive/). ## Frequently asked questions **When was UC College, Aluva founded?** In 1921, by four teachers associated with Madras Christian College: K. C. Chacko, C. P. Mathew, V. M. Ittiyerah and A. M. Varki. **Did Gandhi visit UC College?** Yes. The college dates his visit to 18 March 1925, on his way to the Vaikom Satyagraha, and Wikipedia says he planted a mango tree on the campus. **What is Kacheri Malika?** An 1811 building on the campus that served as a Travancore court until 1896. The Kerala government declared it a protected monument in 1993. **Which university is UC College affiliated to?** Mahatma Gandhi University, Kottayam. It started under the University of Madras. **Which film was shot at UC College?** The 2015 Malayalam film Premam used the college as its main location, according to Wikipedia. ## Sources - [Wikipedia: Union Christian College, Aluva](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Union_Christian_College,_Aluva) - [Union Christian College: About us](https://uccollege.edu.in/about-us/) - [Union Christian College: Home page](https://uccollege.edu.in/) - [Wikipedia: Madras Christian College](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Madras_Christian_College) --- Facts about Ashraf Gents Hostel come from the hostel’s own profile, photos and Google Site; rates are indicative and confirmed on the call. Quoting with a link back to the URL above is welcome.