Originally the hostel was named as सेवासदन वसतिगहृ. It was started for widows and deserted women, Students coming from far and near Pune were accommodated in the hostel. The students were given kitchen duties for a few hours a day and no special cooks were engaged. This inculcated the principle of self-help amongst students and that is how many women in difficulty, educated themselves and became self-reliant by becoming nurses, primary teachers, etc