National Library of India

There is a very big library in India.

It is the largest in the land. It has many books and maps.

Long ago, it had a different name. It was called the Imperial Library. Later, the name changed to the National Library. Now, people can visit to read. It holds books in many ways of talk. Some books are very old. Workers even found a secret room in the building. It was filled with mud. This library is a special place for all.

The National Library of India is a very big library.

It sits in a place called Alipore in Kolkata. This library is the largest in the country. It has over 2.5 million books and records. It also has 86,000 maps and 3,200 manuscripts. A manuscript is a very old book written by hand.

Long ago, it was called the Imperial Library. It started in 1891. At first, only top government workers could use it. Later, a man named Sir Ashutosh Mukherjee gave his own books to it. He gave 80,000 books! After India became independent, the name changed. In 1953, Maulana Abul Kalam Azad opened it to the public.

The library holds books in many Indian languages. Some Hindi books are from the 1800s. In 2010, workers found a secret room. It was on the ground floor. The room had no doors or windows. It was filled with mud to keep the building strong. People wonder if it was once used to hide treasure.

The National Library of India is a very special place. It is the largest library in India. It holds many books and public records. You can find it at the Belvedere Estate in Alipore, Kolkata. The library works to collect and save printed items from India. It also shares these items with people. This helps keep the history of the country alive.

The library has a huge collection of things to read. It has more than 2.5 million books and records. There are also 86,000 maps inside. You can find 3,200 manuscripts, which are books written by hand. The library holds titles in almost all Indian languages. Some special collections use at least fifteen different languages. Even the Hindi department has very old books from the 1800s.

This library has a long history. It began as the Imperial Library in 1891. It was made by joining several smaller libraries in Calcutta. At first, only high government officers could use it. In 1910, Sir Ashutosh Mukherjee became the president of the library council. He gave 80,000 of his own books to the collection. This was a very large gift for the library.

Many changes happened after India gained independence. In 1948, the government changed the name to the National Library. The books moved from The Esplanade to the Belvedere Estate. On February 1, 1953, Maulana Abul Kalam Azad opened it to the public. Later, a new law in 1976 changed the name again. Now, it is officially the National Library of India.

There are even mysteries at the library building. In 2010, workers were fixing the building. They found a secret room on the ground floor. This room was about 1,000 square feet in size. It had no doors or windows to get inside. Researchers found the room was filled with mud. They think the mud was used to keep the building steady.

The National Library of India is a massive institution located in Kolkata. It sits within the Belvedere Estate in Alipore. This library is the largest in India by both public record and volume. It operates under the Ministry of Culture for the Government of India. The primary mission of the library is to collect and preserve printed material. It also works to disseminate these materials to the public. This ensures that India's printed history remains available for everyone to study.

The library holds a collection that exceeds 2.5 million books and records. This vast amount of information includes many different types of documents. For example, the collection contains 86,000 maps. It also houses 3,200 manuscripts, which are documents written by hand. The library collects books and periodicals in almost all Indian languages. Some special collections within the library include at least fifteen different languages. The Hindi department is particularly notable for its historical depth. It contains books from the nineteenth century and the very first books printed in Hindi.

The history of the institution began with the Imperial Library. This library was formed in 1891. It was created by combining several Secretariat libraries located in Calcutta. One important part was the library of the Home Department. This specific collection included books from the East India College at Fort William. It also held books from the East India Board in London. However, the Imperial Library was not available to everyone at first. Its use was restricted to superior officers of the Government.

Significant changes occurred through the actions of specific individuals. In 1910, Sir Ashutosh Mukherjee was appointed president of the Imperial Library Council. He made a massive contribution to the library's growth. Mukherjee donated his personal collection of 80,000 books. These books were organized into a separate section of the library. This donation greatly increased the resources available to the institution.

After India gained independence, the library underwent a major transformation. The Government of India passed the Imperial Library (Change of Name) Act in 1948. This act changed the name to the National Library. During this time, the collection moved from The Esplanade to the Belvedere Estate. On February 1, 1953, Maulana Abul Kalam Azad officially opened the National Library to the public. Later, the National Library of India Act of 1976 changed the name again. Section 18 of this act made it the National Library of India.

In 2010, a surprising discovery was made during building restoration. The Ministry of Culture asked the Archaeological Survey of India to restore the building. While engineers were checking the structure, they found a hidden chamber. This secret room was located on the ground floor. It was approximately 1,000 square feet in size. Curiously, the room had no visible openings or doors. Archaeologists searched the first floor for a trap door but found nothing.

There were many theories about the purpose of this hidden room. Some people speculated it might have been a punishment room. They suggested British officials like Warren Hastings might have used it. Others thought it could have been a place to store treasure. However, researchers made a different discovery in 2011. They announced that the room was entirely filled with mud. They believe the mud was likely used to help stabilize the building. Today, the library remains a vital resource for researchers and visitors alike.