A place or location becomes synonymous with buildings and sites that people can identify and are well aware of. The banyan tree is an example of how Barodians connect it to the identity of the city. Banyan trees, the Laxmi Vilas Palace and Champaner, all narratives of history, in their own respect have become symbols of Baroda. Within the city of Vadodara, there are numerous heritage buildings and sites that we know of but several go unnoticed, not only by those who pass them by but also by the authorities. It is our endeavor to bring about awareness about such historically significant buildings and incorporate them into the history of our city, not only by archiving but bringing them into the dialogue of preservation and restoration. In this issue we are focusing on the Central Library.
In 1911 Maharaja Sayaji Rao Gaekwad established the first state aided free public library, The Central Library. Located in Mandvi near the Champaner gate within the old city, the Library began with a donation of 20,000 books from the Maharaja, HH Sir Sayaji Rao Gaekwad III’s collection from the Laxmi Vilas Palace. Being the pioneer that he was, the Maharaja also introduced a network of libraries in towns and villages in the state during his rule.
This four storey building which has a unique resemblance to the Library of Congress, Washington D.C., USA, was executed by J.Snead and Co., USA the same company which designed the Library of Congress. The stack room is the main gem of the building which has 350 slotted angle racks with a capacity of housing 3.5 lac books. Designed like a long warehouse, the stack house has long glass paned windows to maximize the use of natural daylight. While the ground floor has stone Kota tiles, the upper 3 floors are fitted with huge glass tiles which ensures that the metal armature and the shelves do not succumb to the extremities of summer or winter. The Library is built to be earthquake resistant and during the 2001 earthquake, not a book moved from its place.
With almost 3 lac books on its shelves, the reading rooms still have Barodians come for their daily dose of reading. Among some of its priceless books is a copy of Indian Princes Edition of the Empress of India Memorial Volumes (1887- 1901) which is the largest book in the Library measured at 2 feet by 1.5 feet. This book is subscribed to Maharaja Sayajirao Gaekwad.
One of the oldest public libraries in India, the Central library boasts of being one of the finest examples of living heritage in our city. Currently the Central Library is being managed by Directorate of Libraries, Government of Gujarat. With a current membership of 8000 members, the library has been modernized as well as computerized. In 1985 a new block was added behind the old building to mark 75 years of the library. In 2017 digital versions of 21,000 books were formally released ensuring their preservation for the years to come.
We do hope that more Barodians especially the youth will visit the library and partake of its treasures.
