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The era of the traditional form of reading books in the library may seem passe due to the advent of the Kindle and various e-books, however, reading books in a huge library is every bibliophile’s dream. By the way, you can even design your own library at home with these ideas.
Don’t you agree that nothing can take away the joy of reading books in a physical space amidst the smell of old books and fellow bibliophiles?
We have curated a list of the top biggest libraries in India that you must at least once. Some of them on the list are also one of the oldest libraries in India, and one of them on the list is the National Library of India.
1. The National Library of India
Established in 1836, this library in Kolkata houses a huge collection of books. Not just a large volume of books, the National Library of India is also very well-maintained and clean. It has a collection of 2.2 million books. The collection also includes maps, periodicals and manuscripts along with other books.
Location: G8MM+6CF, Belvedere Rd, Block A, Alipore, Kolkata
2. Raza Library
The uniqueness of the Raza Library is that it is housed inside a palace in Rampur district of Uttar Pradesh. It is considered one of the biggest libraries in Asia, not just in India. Established by Nawaz Faizullah Khan, this library houses rare works of Islamic calligraphy, historic documents, handwritten palm leaf manuscripts, manuscripts, miniature paintings and more than 30,000 books.
Location: R26F+V62, Hamid Manzil, behind Jama Masjid, Quilla, Rampur, UP
3. Saraswathi Mahal Library
This library had originally started as a royal library for the Nayak Kings of Thanjavur, and is regarded as one of the oldest libraries in India. It houses a rare collection of palm-leaf manuscripts in varied regional languages of India.
Location: Q4RP+MJX, E Main St, Rajakrisnapuram, Thanjavur, Tamil Nadu
4. Anna Centenary Library
This is a new-age library in India that was inaugurated in the year 2010. It has a ground floor along with 8 additional floors and houses a collection of around 5 lakh books. The speciality of this library is that it has Braille books that can suit the needs of blind readers. This library also has a conference room that can accommodate 150 members.
Location: Gandhi Mandapam Road, Surya Nagar, Kotturpuram, Chennai
5. Krishnadas Shama Central Library
This is also a very old library that was started in the year 1832 by Viceroy Dom Manuel. Its status was made national in the year 1897. The library houses a collection of more than 1.8 lakh books.
Location: Sanskruti Bhavan, Patto, Patto Centre, Panaji, Goa
6. Trivandrum Public Library
Trivandrum Public Library is also called the State Central Library, this library was established in India in the year 1829 as the first public library. The speciality of this library is that it houses various collections of literature. This one also has a special library dedicated to children.
Location: Mahatma Gandhi Rd, Near Kerala University Stadium, University of Kerala Senate House Campus, Palayam, Thiruvananthapuram, Kerala
7. Smt. Hansa Mehta Library
Established in May 1950, this library is the Library of MS University in Baroda. This library can accommodate approximately 1100 people at once. It includes books as old as the sixteenth century. Some books are so rare that they are out of print now.
Location: 856P+74C, Station Rd, Near Arts Canteen, Maharaja Sayajirao University, Sayajiganj, Vadodara, Gujarat
8. The Asiatic Society
Established in 1804, the Asiatic Society, Mumbai is inspired by Greek and Roman architecture. It was established by Sir James Mackintosh and houses around 15,000 rare collections of books.
Location: WRJP+P8M, Town Hall, Shahid Bhagat Singh Rd, Fort, Mumbai
9. Delhi Public Library
This library was started as a UNESCO project by the Government Of India in 1951 and is regarded as the busiest library in India. The library houses more than 18 lacs books in various languages like Hindi, Urdu, English, Punjabi and others.
Location: Railway Station, Shyama Prasad Mukherjee Marg, opp. Old Delhi, Kaccha Bagh Area, Chandni Chowk New Delhi
10. Seshadri Memorial Library
The Seshadri Memorial Library won the Raja Ram Mohan Roy Library Foundation Award for the best Central Library in India. It was awarded this prestigious title in the year 1999-2000. It houses amazing architectural books. It houses more than 300,000 books and is visited by approximately 300 visitors on an everyday basis. So if you are someone who loves reading about a country’s history, this is the place you have to be.
Location: Cubbon Park Road Near Ambedkar Veedhi, Sampangi Rama Nagara, Bengaluru
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