Here is a link to an article by Aravindan Neelakandan on the death and decay of a nearly century old library established by the erstwhile Travancore ruler Balarama Varma.
The library, that was established to preserve Hindu cultural books, is being systematically laid to waste by the Hindu Religious Endowment Board, Tamil Nadu. Rare books are dumped on the floor, termites are feasting on the books, rain water seeps in and washes away the knowledge repository under the ‘secular’ eyes of the government of Tamil Nadu, India.
And the usual Christian evangelical activity in Nagercoil, its colonial backing based support structure and its continuation even 70 years after independence, are evidence to the gradual dismantling of the Indian state by vested ideological and evangelical powers.
I fail to understand how Saraswathi Mahal Library is able to function and preserve its rare collections despite being under the government while the HR & CE, yet another Govt arm, is not able to request the services of the former on preserving these decaying libraries.
Private universities like Sastra, Asoka, Jindal, Reliance and Chinmaya could also come forward and restore these gems.
I request the National Library Board of Singapore, the Library Authorities of Australia, the Smithsonian Libraries et al to make a plea to offer to restore the now decaying century old library in Nagarkovil, Thiruvattaar and the other ones described in this article.
I would go a step further and request the National Library Board of Singapore to offer to purchase the entire collections and preserve them in Singapore in its state of the art Victoria Street Reference Library.
India has lost much of its treasures in Nalanda and Takshasila to the Islamic invaders of the past. She continues to lose her current ones to the new-age invaders under the garb of ‘secular’ Hindu Religious Endowment Board in the state of Tamil Nadu.
https://swarajyamag.com/culture/in-ruins-how-hrce-failed-chitra-hindu-library
