14 to 20 October 2022
Treasures of Khuda Bakhsh Oriental Public Library
An exhibition of texts, reproductions of archival photographs, facsimiles of rare books, digitised copies of illuminated and illustrated manuscripts including Tarikh-e-Khandan-e-Timuriyah, The Ramayana, Sirat-i-Firuz Shahi and Hisab-e-Fauji of Maharaja Ranjit Singh; and other digital reproductions from the collection of the Khuda Bakhsh Oriental Public Library, Patna
Inauguration of the exhibition on 14 October 2022 at 4 pm
By
The exhibition will remain on view until 20th October 2022, 11 am to 7 pm
Venue: Conference Room I
(Collaboration: Khuda Bakhsh Oriental Public Library, Patna)
Khuda Bakhsh Oriental Public Library
The Khuda Bakhsh Oriental Public Library was founded by HMJ Sir Khan Bahadur Khuda Bakhsh and opened to the public on 29 October 1891. The Library has a very significant collection of Islamic, Sanskrit, Persian, Urdu, and Hindi manuscripts and art. This includes about 21,000 rare manuscripts and 14,000 small manuscripts including original letters and writings of eminent persons; 2,91000 printed books including periodicals and over 2000 original paintings of the Mughal, Rajput, Awadh, Iranian and Turkish schools of art.
A vibrant Library which combines the twin features of a centre for research in oriental studies and a public library catering to the needs of students, young adults and the elderly; and regularly organises scholarly workshops, symposia, talks and lectures. The Library is on its way to becoming India’s first library to computerize its handwritten collection for customary dissemination on the internet. It is also actively engaged in accumulating and preserving manuscripts and books. The Library is a designated Manuscript Conservation Centre under the aegis of the National Mission for Manuscripts.
The Library promotes research activities in certain specific fields such as history, culture, medieval Indian history and the Freedom Movement, mysticism, Arabic, Persian and Urdu language and literature, comparative religion, Tibb or Unani medicine etc. It confers the Khuda Bakhsh Award to eminent scholars working in these areas.
To further its objectives of dissemination on a large scale, the Library has been re-printing a selection of rare books in its collection and has published over 7000 books till date.
In 1969, the Library was declared an “Institution of National Importance” by an Act of Parliament. The Library is a fitting tribute to the vision of its founder as a vibrant centre for the spread of knowledge and a rich repository of the intellectual and cultural heritage of South and Central Asia.
