From from Dickens to Dostoyevsky, Bhasa to Brecht, the library at the Indian Institute of World Culture is a treasure-trove

Basavanagudi was originally planned as a temporary area for rehabilitation during an epidemic. The layout was planned and built in the late 19th century after a plague hit Bengaluru. Basavanagudi has come a long way from being a rehabilitation area to becoming the cultural hub of the city. It is home to some of the oldest trees, houses, parks and institutions. One of the well-known institutions in Basavanagudi is the Indian Institute of World Culture.

The institute, founded in August, 1945 by B.P.Wadia states its objective “To foster the growth of a truly cosmopolitan spirit among citizens of all nations”.

The website says, “It was conceived not as an academy for scholars, but as a cultural centre for ordinary men and women, affording them opportunities to develop those graces of living which are the hallmark of humanism”. The institute campus houses a main hall which plays host to many cultural programs and lectures and a magnificent library.

The library has three sections — a main section, a magazines section and a children section. V. Shaila, the chief librarian says, “Our library has over a lakh books on history, philosophy, fiction and travel”. There are dedicated shelves for classics which house everything from Dickens, Austen, Wordsworth, Hemingway, T.S.Eliott to Chekhov, Dostoyevsky, Thomas Hardy and Readers Digests’. The Kannada section has beautiful hard-bound editions of Kuvempu’s works. The history section has been further classified country wise. The Russia section shines bright with books on Bolshevik revolution and Lenin’s writings. Most of the popular books on Indian history can be found in the tall shelf on Indian History. The drama section boasts a range of collection of plays from Bhasa, Shakespeare, Brecht to Vijay Tendulkar and Girish Karnad. The travel section has an interesting collection and it is not unusual to find people sitting in the library for hours reading books as varied as the guide book on Mysore by Constance E.Parsons to V.S.Naipaul’s An Area of Darkness . This valuable collection in the main section has gems which are now out of print and impossible to find elsewhere.

“In the magazine section, we subscribe to over 300 periodicals from all over the world including The New Yorker and Fortune, ” says Shaila. It is a tough race among the members to be the first to borrow the latest edition of these magazines.

The Children’s section with over 600 books has been a favourite of children and parents alike in South Benagluru. Maya N who grew up in Basavanagudi and now lives in Chicago says, “As a child, I was fascinated by the endless sea of books in the children’s section. I spent hours on end in the cool-shaded building on hot summer days. I vividly remember pouring over Tintin, Asterix and Nancy Drew. I have the fondest memories of the library where my dad and I spent careless hours on end.” In addition to the library, the institute also organises drama and art classes for children during the summer holidays.

A not so obvious section is quietly tucked away in the same building as the magazine section. This section is usually locked but will be promptly opened upon request and houses a beautiful collection of books on art from across the world.

The large vintage volumes speak of Renaissance Art, Mughal paintings, Deccani Paintings and Modern Art. Some of the vintage volumes are printed on thick handmade paper and demand careful handling. Shaila says several scholars come to the library to access these books for their research work.

The library has a staff of eight, who are are friendly and courteous. Shaila says “We have an average of 75 visitors per day which goes up to approximately 100 on weekends and have a total of 1,500 members.”

As it is with most of the old libraries in the city, the memberships charges are very low – Rs. 5,500 for life membership, Rs. 1,500 for annual membership and Rs. 15,000 to be a patron. Interestingly, every member is asked to sign a declaration which states “I declare my sympathy with the ideal of Universal Brotherhood and will endeavour to cultivate the attitude of brotherliness in my daily living”. Every book is lent out for 15 days with a late fine of one rupee per day.

An ideal way to spend a Saturday in Basavanagudi would be to have some hot coffee and idlis at Vidyarthi Bhavan followed by leisurely walk in M.N.Krishna Rao Park, and then spend few hours in the library at the IIWC.

This column explores the hidden nooks and corners of the city