An inside view of the Book House. Another inside view of the Book House. The Book House as seen from road.

Sometimes, I wonder what would be this world for many, like me, without books. Not that I am a book-worm or an voracious reader, but surely one who loves books generally. An ideal friend when alone, whom you can leave easily and choose another, let me say, book-friend who will expect nothing from you yet keeps you engaged, entertained or educated. Which is why, while on holidays, when my wife goes for shopping, I choose a book shop, with her permission, to spend the time till she calls me on cellphone. Happiness for both! Let it be.

I broach on the subject of books because of my recent visit to a store house of books of all sorts, over five lakh in numbers I was told, in an unlikely place and location — Pandavapura, in Mandya district on the Mysuru-Nagamangala road running through a village called Harala Halli. In Kannada it is called Pusthaka Mane, Book House. And, therefore, a store-house of knowledge, since knowledge is power, a store-house of power! Officially it is known as Ankegowda Jnana Pratishtana (R).

Since few years my friend K. Vijaya Kumar has been gently urging me to make a visit to this library, as he called it, giving me some description of its significance and about the man behind this library M. Ankegowda, who has now retired from service at the Pandavapura Sugar Factory. An MA in Kannada from the University of Mysore, collecting books has been his passion, along with coins, postal stamps, greeting cards and even wedding invitation cards that come these days in a variety of shapes, sizes with contents that would make the Royal invitation from the Palace pale into ordinary. To deviate from the library, these invitations are generally from the nouveau-riche, the upstarts in society and the upstart politicians.

To revert to the Book House, it took its birth in Ankegowda’s house to begin with but later when the number increased, the famous Industrialist — Liquor Baron — L.Sri Hari Khoday spent over Rs. 50 lakh and constructed a building to house the books which is where it is now. Many seem to have helped Ankegowda with money to buy books and among them was the former Chief Minister of Karnataka, Sadananda Gowda, who gave Rs. 25 lakh from the Government and promised more but Ankegowda is unlucky.

For his labour of love and passion in collecting books, he was given an award by the Kannada Book Authority in 2009. He is a recipient of over 25 awards in recognition of his achievement by various organisations which is as it should be in a world where interest in books seems waning due to the appearance of electronic and digital world. The Karnataka Government too honoured him with the Kannada Rajyotsava Award in 2014.

I learnt that Ankegowda has been buying books since 1975 and now in 2015, the number is over 5 lakh, according to what he told me. I believe him because I have seen the book stock at the Book House, when I went there with my friend Vijaya Kumar on Sept. 21. The building looks like a factory shed and the books are stored there in heaps and bundles like in a godown. Some books are kept in steel almirahs with or without glass door. There was not as much of space to walk around freely and easily. Books of all sizes, all languages and on all subjects are strewn all over the place on the ground. The sight was shocking for one who loves books as sacred Saraswathi. It was like an orphanage of books, but even in an orphanage the children are looked after well. Such huge space and all it needed was steel shelves made by angles which will not cost much to keep the books the way they are usually kept. Now the books are dumped on the floor and I am afraid beforelong most of them would be damaged and become useless. I was also left wondering on not finding a single fire extinguisher in the hall nor stored water and sand for emergency. God forbid such an accident, but God helps those who help themselves.

Many students and distinguished persons have visited this House of Book (I can’t call it a library as there is no system of issuing of books to the interested and collecting them) and appreciated Ankegowda’s efforts. One among them was Justice M.N. Venkatachalaiah, who apparently visited along with Justice V. Gopala Gowda, the then Chief Justice of Orissa High Court on May 27, 2010. Here is what he writes in the visitors book which is published here below (see pic).

As we were leaving the place, a couple of youngsters, come from the town, urge us to stay for a while to participate in a condolence meeting to the assassinated Kannada scholar and former Vice-Chancellor of Hampi Kannada University Dr. M.M. Kalburgi. Soon, a small group of college lecturers and members of Taluk Young Writers’ Association gathered there inviting me to speak. I obliged and left the place.

I and Vijaya Kumar began to share our experience of the visit. I thought it was a directionless, purposeless spending on books and storing them to pursue Ankegowda’s passion. No doubt it is commendable but certainly not useful to the community if it is not made available to them as in a Public Library. People may visit the Book House, like tourists visit a Power House in Shimsha or Jog Falls or a Zoo. Then?

Vijaya Kumar gave me a side-long look and gave his last words to my question and doubts:

“Only Goddess Saraswathi must come to his rescue.”

Tailpiece: During the course of our conversation about the Book House, I told Vijaya Kumar that it was like a Power House without a distribution system.

e-mail: kbg@starofmysore.com

source: http://www.starofmysore.com / Star of Mysore / Home> Abracadabra….Abracadabra / by K.B. Ganapathy / Monday – October 05th, 2015