193.62.152.193 at 16:50, 4 July 2021

2021-07-04T16:50:21Z

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{{Use dmy dates|date=May 2018}}
{{Use Indian English|date=May 2018}}
{{Infobox library
| native_name = Gowthami Grandhalayam
| native_name_lang =
| name = Sri Gowthami Regional Library
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| country = India
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| established = 1898
| ref_legal_mandate = Societies Registration Act, 1920
| location = Rajahmundry, Andhra Pradesh
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| items_collected =
| collection_size = 1.03 lakh
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'''Gowthami Grandhalayam''' or '''Sri Gowthami Regional Library''' was started by poet and social reformer [[Nalam Krishna Rao]] in 1898 in [[Rajahmundry]], [[Andhra Pradesh]], India.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.hindu.com/mag/2008/08/31/stories/2008083150180500.htm |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20080902105447/http://www.hindu.com/mag/2008/08/31/stories/2008083150180500.htm |url-status=dead |archive-date=2008-09-02 |title=Magazine / Focus : Tale of two libraries |date=2008-08-31|newspaper=[[The Hindu]] |accessdate=2013-08-25}}</ref><ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.thehindu.com/todays-paper/tp-national/tp-andhrapradesh/special-issue-on-madhura-kavi-works-to-be-released/article1031757.ece |title=Special issue on 'Madhura Kavi' works to be released |newspaper=The Hindu |date=2011-01-04 |accessdate=2013-08-25}}</ref><ref name=thehindu1>{{cite web|author=B.V.S. Bhaskar |url=http://www.thehindu.com/todays-paper/tp-national/tp-andhrapradesh/library-in-a-state-of-neglect/article603180.ece |title=Library in a state of neglect |newspaper=The Hindu |date=2010-08-30 |accessdate=2013-08-25}}</ref><ref>{{cite web |url=http://www.thehinduimages.com/hindu/photoDetail.do?photoId=3841680 |archive-url=https://archive.today/20130820235412/http://www.thehinduimages.com/hindu/photoDetail.do?photoId=3841680 |url-status=dead |archive-date=2013-08-20 |title=The Hindu images |newspaper=The Hindu images |date=2004-11-18 |accessdate=2013-08-25 }}</ref>

== History ==
Initially named '''Sri Veeresalingam library''', since it was backed by the nationalist [[Kandukuri Veeresalingam]] Pantulu, it was housed in Nalam Choultry in Innispeta with a very small collection.

Around the same time '''Addanki Satyanarayana''' established the '''Vasuraya Library'''.

Andhra Desa Grandhalaya Sangham secretary Pathuri Nageswara Rao suggested merger of the two libraries to get regional status.

Following the advice of the elite in the city, the two libraries were merged and named as Gowthami Grandhalayam and registered under the Societies Registration Act, 1920. [[Vavilala Gopalakrishnayya|Vavilala Gopala Krishnaiah]] and AB Nageswara Rao were successful in getting regional status to the library. In 1979, the government took over the library.<ref name=nie>{{cite web|last=Chary |first=Ss |url=http://newindianexpress.com/states/andhra_pradesh/Gowthami-Library-cries-for-national-tag/2013/07/11/article1677593.ece1 |title=Gowthami Library cries for national tag |publisher=The New Indian Express |date=2013-07-11 |accessdate=2013-08-25}}</ref> With the increase in collections the library moved to the Town Hall in Rajahmundry.

The library enjoyed the patronage of persons like Maharaja [[Vikram Deo Verma]] of [[Kingdom of Jeypore|Jeypore State]], Raja [[Kanchumarthi Ramachandra Rao]] of [[Dharmavaram, Anantapur district|Dharmavaram Estate]], [[Chilakamarti Lakshmi Narasimham]], Bhamidipati Kameswara Rao, [[Kasinathuni Nageswara Rao]], [[Cattamanchi Ramalinga Reddy]] and Pathuri Nagabhushanam. It had the reputation of quenching the literary thirst of people from foreign origin as well.<ref name="thehindu1" />

== Efforts ==
Later land was bought at Lakshmivarapupeta and a rich landlord Kanchumarti Seetaramachandra Rao constructed a building in memory of his daughter Babayamma (one of the first women to complete matriculation in [[Rajahmundry]]) who died young. The Babayamma Hall, served as the library building until the 1970s and still exists, behind the new building.<ref>{{cite book|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=iufgAAAAMAAJ&q=kanchumarti+babayamma&dq=kanchumarti+babayamma|title=Handbook of Libraries, Archives & Information Centres in India: Humanities information systems and centres|year=1984|isbn=9788185179537}}</ref> Kanchumarti Babayamma is the first women Municipal Councillor of [[Rajahmundry]].<ref>{{cite web|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=iwlDAAAAYAAJ&q=kanchumarti+babayamma&dq=kanchumarti+babayamma|title=Indica, Volume 37|year=2000}}</ref>

With a good collection of both Telugu and English classics, including old editions of Shakespeare, the library was first managed by a committee elected by select lifetime members.

Mahidhar Jaganmohan Rao was the last secretary of the library under the committee.

== Some of the rare books and manuscripts ==
* Books from the 12th century
* First 1771 published copy of the ''[[Encyclopædia Britannica]]''
* Col. Mackenzie (Telugu) manuscripts
* The 100 volumes of [[Gandhi]]’s words
* Writings on revolutionary [[Alluri Sitaramaraju]] at the IIC
* Silver coated stylus for writing on palm leaves
* Copper plates
* Palm leaf manuscripts
* 15,000 rare books. Of them, 1,500 books were published prior to 1900, around 8,115 books by 1923 and 5,000 books up to 1950.

== Collection ==
At present{{when|date=August 2013}} the library is having 1.03 lakh books, including 71,130 of [[Telugu language|Telugu]], 21,974 of [[English language|English]], 7,967 of [[Hindi]], 372 [[Urdu]] books, 667 other books, 411 palm leaf manuscripts, six copper plates and 40 unpublished manuscripts.
<ref name="thehindu1" /><ref name="nie" />

After the [[Saraswathi Mahal Library|Tanjavur library]] in Tamil Nadu, the biggest in the region is Sri Gowthami Regional Library.<ref name="nie" /> By mid-2019, the construction of a new library building is scheduled to be completed.<ref>{{Cite web|url=https://www.thehansindia.com/andhra-pradesh/new-library-building-to-come-up-528398|title=New library building to come up|last=sumadhura|date=2019-05-10|website=www.thehansindia.com|access-date=2019-05-11}}</ref>

== References ==
{{Reflist}}

{{coord missing|Andhra Pradesh}}
{{Authority control}}

[[Category:Libraries in Andhra Pradesh]]
[[Category:Buildings and structures in Rajahmundry]]
[[Category:1898 establishments in India]]
[[Category:Libraries established in 1898]]
[[Category:Education in East Godavari district]]

Gowthami Grandhalayam - Revision history

193.62.152.193 at 16:50, 4 July 2021