The Sarasvati Mahal Library, located within the palace complex of Thanjavur city in Tamil Nadu, is a globally unique and actively functioning medieval library. Its origins trace back to the Nayak rulers (1535-1673 A.D.), who established it as the "Saraswati Bhandara" and filled it with valuable texts and manuscripts, honoring the Hindu goddess of knowledge. The library's immense growth and development, however, came under the patronage of the Maratha dynasty. These two ruling houses transformed Thanjavur into a major center for art, literature, science, and music, with the library serving as the intellectual heart of the kingdom. The library’s collections also include some of the earliest compositions of Carnatic music by Purandhara Dasa, which are still performed today.
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| Entrance Sarasvathi Mahal Library, Thanjavur thehindu.com |
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| Sarasvathi Mahal Library, Thanjavur thanjavur.nic.in |
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| Sarasvathi Mahal Library, Thanjavur city, Tamil Nadu thanjavurbigcity.in |
Saraswathi Mahal Library of Thanjavur (Tanjore) city,Tamil Nadu also known is of the the few medieval Libraries that are active in the present world. It is on the palace premises in Thanjavur
Started during the Nayak rule (1535-1673 A. D.), library( Saraswati Bhandara) came in to being with valuable manuscripts, texts, etc., Later the Maratha dynasty developed the Royal library on a grand scale........
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| Sarasvathi Mahal Library, Thanjavur .facebook.com |
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| Maharajah Serfoji II,(1798-1832 CE).Maratha ruler..tribuneindia.com |
Above images: The library has a large collection of manuscripts - more than 49,000 out of which 25000 are palm leaf manuscripts - and a host of other items from the last 1200 years written in Tamil, Hindi, Telugu, Marathi, English and a few other languages native to India It is one of the most important Oriental manuscript collections in the world, perhaps the largest one in Asia......
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| Sarasvathi Mahal Library, Thanjavur Tamil Nadu .thehindu.com |
The most significant contributions to the library were made by Maharajah Serfoji II (1798-1832 CE), a highly-regarded Maratha ruler and scholar. Serfoji II's education was profoundly influenced by his German Lutheran Protestant missionary mentor, Reverend Christian Frederick Schwartz. Through Schwartz, the Maharaja gained a deep knowledge of English and other European languages, which sparked his keen interest in collecting and preserving a vast number of works from around the world. He traveled extensively, most notably on a pilgrimage to Benares (now Varanasi), where he, with the help of learned Pundits, amassed thousands of manuscripts on various subjects, including medicine, Sastras, Upanishads, the Ramayana, and the Mahabharata.
The library’s collection is breathtaking in its diversity and scale. It holds more than 49,000 manuscripts, of which over 25,000 are rare palm-leaf manuscripts. The written works span a multitude of languages indigenous to India and Europe, including Tamil, Sanskrit, Hindi, Telugu, Marathi, and English. Of the approximately 46,695 works, over 39,300 are in Sanskrit. The library also houses over 3,500 rare Tamil manuscripts, including valuable Sangam works, alongside more than 3,000 Telugu and 600 Marathi works. Adding to the unique collection are about 1,000 Modi documents, a shorthand form of Marathi used for court and administrative records, written on handmade paper. The personal collection of Raja Serfoji also features over 4,500 European books, including a 1784 edition of Dr. Samuel Johnson's dictionary, ancient world maps, and a globe.
The library’s management was taken over by the Madras Government under British rule in 1918, a system that continues today with the District Collector as Chairman. In recent years, the library has gained renewed attention for its conservation efforts and administrative challenges. In a positive step, the Tamil Nadu government has declared it an "aided library," sanctioning over ₹1.4 crore for salaries and maintenance. However, a public interest litigation filed in the Madras High Court highlights concerns over administrative neglect and staff shortages. The government has also sanctioned a ₹12.50 crore restoration project for the library's historic structure. The Encyclopedia Britannica has hailed it as "the most remarkable library in India," a fitting tribute to its status as a vital repository of knowledge, representing the combined legacies of the Nayak and Maratha dynasties of Thanjavur.
