The old principal’s office, once the heart of MGIMS in 1969, is now nothing more than a pile of rubble.

Today it lies in ruins.

In 1969, when MGIMS began, the principal’s office was a plain two-room building. It stood quietly next to the old hospital, where the Community Medicine department is now, almost touching Adhyayan Mandir. There was nothing fancy about it. It blended into the surroundings, barely noticed.

Yesterday, that quiet dignity met a dusty end. A JCB reduced the building to rubble—bricks, walls, doors, windows, everything. The foundation had grown weak, the walls cracked, and the structure had aged beyond repair. Like an old, rusted machine, it had served its purpose and was ready to be laid to rest.

For me, the building held special memories. In 1973, I cycled from Wardha to Sevagram along a narrow tar road, flanked by open fields and the occasional tree. I had come to collect the MGIMS entrance form. The building stood just off the Sevagram Ashram Road, marked by an iron gate known as ‘54 gates,’ after the office phone number. Inside, the air smelled of old paper and damp walls. Wooden almirahs lined the room, and simple tables and chairs completed its sparse furniture. I handed over Rs 10 for the form, filled it out, and submitted it there.

Dr. I.D. Singh was the principal then. A tall, khadi-clad Sardar, he was soft-spoken and modest, a gentle soul. He balanced his admin duties with a spiritual side, leading evening bhajans and playing the harmonium with quiet grace. His warmth left a mark all who met him.

At that time, MGIMS shared its entrance exam with AIIMS and BHU Varanasi. In the summer of 1973, I took my exam in Nagpur and waited for the results. I cleared the first round and was called for an interview. But by then, I had already joined GMC Nagpur. I never attended the MGIMS interview. I wasn’t destined to be an MGIMS alumnus.

Life moved on.

Yet, that little office lingered in my thoughts. Its simplicity and warmth stayed with me over the years. It wasn’t just a building; it was a witness to dreams and beginnings. The first MGIMS batches would always remember that.

As the dust rose, it felt as though a piece of history was being carried away. Time moves on. Old things make way for the new. The building is gone, but its spirit—rooted in simplicity and purpose—remains in my memories.