Sinha Library is a public library in

Patna Patna ( ), historically known as Pataliputra, is the capital and largest city of the state of Bihar in India. According to the United Nations, as of 2018, Patna had a population of 2.35 million, making it the 19th largest city in India. ...

, India.

History

The library was established in 1924 by Dr.

Sachchidananda Sinha Sachchidananda Sinha (10 November 1871 – 6 March 1950) was an Indian lawyer, parliamentarian, and journalist. Early life Sinha was born on 10 November 1871 in Arrah, in Bengal Presidency (in present-day Bihar) into a well-to-do Srivastava Kay ...

academician,writer and the president of the constituent assembly that drafted the Indian Constitution, its inaugural function was attended by

Sir Henry Wheeler Sir Henry Wheeler, (2 June 1870 – 2 June 1950) was the Governor of Bihar and Orissa from 12 April 1922 to 6 April 1927. He was a member of the Imperial Civil Service appointed in 1889 and served in Bengal. He was also a member of Council of In ...

, the then governor of

Bihar and Orissa Province Bihar and Orissa was a province of British India, which included the present-day Indian states of Bihar, Jharkhand, and Odisha. The territories were conquered by the British in the 18th and 19th centuries, and were governed by the then Indian Ci ...

. In 1955, the library originally known as Shrimati Radhika Sinha Institute and Sachchidananda Sinha Library, was taken over by the state government to be turned into a state central library. The present day reading room of the library used to be the dining hall, which was later turned into a library in the memory of his wife, Radhika Devi. In this hall, Dr. Sinha used to host lunches and dinner for his friends and contemporaries, which included

Mahatma Gandhi Mohandas Karamchand Gandhi (; ; 2 October 1869 – 30 January 1948), popularly known as Mahatma Gandhi, was an Indian lawyer, anti-colonial nationalist Quote: "... marks Gandhi as a hybrid cosmopolitan figure who transformed ... anti- ...

, Maulana Mazharul Haque etc. Scores of Congress working committee meetings were held here with Gandhi present in all of them. Most of the relief committee meetings too held here under the chairmanship of Dr.

Rajendra Prasad Rajendra Prasad (3 December 1884 – 28 February 1963) was an Indian politician, lawyer, Indian independence activist, journalist & scholar who served as the first president of Republic of India from 1950 to 1962. He joined the Indian Nationa ...

. It was formed after the

1934 Nepal–Bihar earthquake Events January–February * January 1 – The International Telecommunication Union, a specialist agency of the League of Nations, is established. * January 15 – The 8.0 1934 Nepal–Bihar earthquake, Nepal–Bihar earthquake strik ...

, which had its epicenter in

Darbhanga Darbhanga is the fifth-largest city and municipal corporation in the Indian state of Bihar situated centrally in Mithila region. Darbhanga is the headquarters of the Darbhanga district and the Darbhanga division. It was the seat of the erstw ...

Jawaharlal Nehru Pandit Jawaharlal Nehru (; ; ; 14 November 1889 – 27 May 1964) was an Indian anti-colonial nationalist, secular humanist, social democrat— * * * * and author who was a central figure in India during the middle of the 20t ...

had stayed here during his first visit to Patna after becoming the Prime Minister. This library has over 1.8 lakh books. Dr. Sinha had donated his collection of around 50,000 rare books, bearing his autograph — including copies of Manu Smriti,

Sacred Books of the East The ''Sacred Books of the East'' is a monumental 50-volume set of English translations of Asian religious texts, edited by Max Müller and published by the Oxford University Press between 1879 and 1910. It incorporates the essential sacred texts ...

edited by F Max Muller,

Koran The Quran (, ; Standard Arabic: , Quranic Arabic: , , 'the recitation'), also romanized Qur'an or Koran, is the central religious text of Islam, believed by Muslims to be a revelation from God. It is organized in 114 chapters (pl.: , sing.: ...

, Buddhist suttas, a copy of original

Indian Constitution The Constitution of India ( IAST: ) is the supreme law of India. The document lays down the framework that demarcates fundamental political code, structure, procedures, powers, and duties of government institutions and sets out fundamental r ...

, works of Jawaharlal Nehru, history politics, literature,

Arya Samaj Arya Samaj ( hi, आर्य समाज, lit=Noble Society, ) is a monotheistic Indian Hindu reform movement that promotes values and practices based on the belief in the infallible authority of the Vedas. The samaj was founded by the sanny ...

, Buddhism, Hindu scriptures. Some old newspapers like

Harijan Dalit (from sa, दलित, dalita meaning "broken/scattered"), also previously known as untouchable, is the lowest stratum of the castes in India. Dalits were excluded from the four-fold varna system of Hinduism and were seen as forming a ...

, published by Mahatma Gandhi from 1933 to 1948, Indian People, Bihari Times, Criterion Searchlight, Leader and Aryavarta are also preserved here along with the congress proceedings since 1885 and parliamentary debates since the inception of Parliament.

References

{{Authority control Libraries in Patna Museums in Patna Tourist attractions in Patna Libraries established in 1924 1924 establishments in British India

History

See also

References