The vintage library in Allhabad

Thornton-Mayne Library - sounded very grand and I had to see it. It looked like a church from outside and inside; a Gothic one at that, with a rose window and the praying arches, I could have been in a French village church:so catholic.

Yet this building was built as a library in the late 19th century and the libray came into existence in 1898. The two architects were Thornton and Mayne. They had a large population subscribing and the deposit was 50Rs ;some of which are still deposited in the the Allahabad Bank in Calcutta.

It has a million books, old and new , mostly old and about 50,000 subscribers. the present fee is Rs 16 /year and the deposit is Rs 800. The users are mostly students who are studying for competitive exams and those preparing for IAS. Some spattering of research scholars do use the library. There are archives of the newspaper Pioneer since 1905, a separate room has been dedicated to these decaying paper bundles.

We found a dark, musty room with many rare books, some on cuneiform swriting, on how to make marble temples, on Britis Army maps, on rare paintings; all piled up in a dusty cupboard open to elements. When asked about their preserving methodology, they said once in a while they put these books out in the sun! rats have their share of the books.

We found three rows full of well bound "punch" issues since 1840 read by none at the moment but in fairly good condition. I have been offered the previlege of reading it if I desired, thanks to my Husband's position.

The best discovery was that of a book written for the students of the Madras Medical College by Surgeon Major General Sibthorpe in 1903. I had goose pimples holding the book in my hand and my pulse rate was way beyond a new borns'.

It is such a shame that we have such treasures and we have many problems such as :1. Nobody knows about it. they do not even have a list of the old , rare books they have .the researchers of the world do not know that these books exist to peruse them 2. knowledge about preservin g these rare publishings is nil in the librarians in charge. 3. Govt is apathetic to the state of the books and wastes money on politicians and their tamashas.

The exteriors are well maintained I must accept but, the most important content in a library are its books and they are in a poor state. There was an antique looking Chinese : there are no records of it existence nor a history. I am sure it one of the spoils of war or a gift from a visiting dignitary of the yester years. it is kept in the corner of a room exposed .