National Library of India

The Imperial Library

The Imperial Library was formed in 1891 by combining a number of Secretariat libraries in Calcutta. Of those, the most important and interesting was the library of the Home Department, which contained many books formerly belonging to the library of East India College, Fort William and the library of the East India Board in London. But, the use of the library was restricted to the superior officers of the Government. Sir Ashutosh Mukherjee was appointed as the president of imperial library council (1910) to which he donated his personal collection of 80,000 books arranged in a separate section.

Declaring the Imperial Library as the National Library

After independence the Government of India changed the name of the Imperial Library to the National Library by Imperial Library (Change of Name) Act, 1948, and the collection was transferred from The Esplanade to the present Belvedere Estate. On 1 February 1953 the National Library was opened to the public by Maulana Abul Kalam Azad. The name of National Library was changed to National Library of India by section 18 of the National Library of India Act, 1976.

The library collects book, periodicals, and titles in virtually all the Indian languages while the special collections in the National Library of India house at least fifteen languages.[[File:National Library of India 02303.JPG|thumb|National Library]]

Discovery of hidden chamber

In 2010, the Ministry of Culture, the owner of the library, decided to get the library building restored by the Archaeological Survey of India (ASI). While taking stock of the library building, the conservation engineers discovered a previously unknown room. The secret ground-floor room, about 1000 sq. ft. in size, seems to have no opening of any kind.{{cite web | access-date = 20 November 2010

The ASI archaeologists tried to search the first floor area (that forms the ceiling of the room) for a trap door, but found nothing. Since the building is of historical and cultural importance, ASI has decided to bore a hole through the wall instead of breaking it. There are speculations about the room being a punishment room used by Warren Hastings and other British officials, or a place to store treasure.

In 2011, the researchers announced that the room was filled entirely with mud, probably in an effort to stabilise the building.{{cite news | access-date = 22 May 2011

Visiting

The National Library is located on Belvedere Road in Alipore. It is open between 8.00 am and 8.00 pm on all working days and between 9.30 am and 6.00 pm on Saturdays, Sundays and Government of India holidays.

References

References

1. "India Ministry of Culture Budget: National Library".
2. (16 July 2016). "National Library in Kolkata facing acute staff shortage". [[The Hindu]].
3. "Useful Information".
4. "Largest Library in India – National Library Kolkata".
5. (16 December 2011). "Progress To Be Made in National Library, Kolkata".
6. "Digitization of Manuscripts of the National Library of India, CDNLAO Newsletter 47".
7. "National Library Kolkata – National Public Library – Book Library of Kolkata – My CityPedia".
8. "National Library".
9. (5 January 2022). "How are Mir Jafar and Lord Curzon associated with Kolkata's National Library?". Get Bengal.
10. "History of the National Library: From the Imperial Library to the National Library". National Library of India.
11. "National Library".
12. "National Library of India Act, 1976". India Code.
13. (2009). "The Library an Illustrated History". ALA Editions.
14. (17 June 2022). "Haunted Library of Kolkata: রাত বাড়লে অন্দরমহলে দাঁড়াতেও ভয় পান প্রহরীরা! লাইব্রেরীর অন্দর থেকে যেন আজও ভেসে আসে গর্ভনরের স্ত্রী কান্না". The Bengali Chronicle.