Rajaram Sitaram Dixit Library: Nagpur’s 150-Year Treasure of Reading

thenewsdirt
1 day ago
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In Nagpur’s Vidarbha heartland stands a 150-year-old public library that has quietly witnessed imperial rule, independence, and the digital revolution. The Rajaram Sitaram Dixit Library, tucked away in the Sitabuldi area, was established in the late 19th century and has been a beacon for generations of readers. More than a mere repository of books, it has served as a hub of community life, from hosting freedom fighters in colonial times to nurturing young readers today.

As e-books and smartphones compete for attention, this venerable institution’s story sheds light on the challenges and importance of preserving a culture of reading. Its history and present state offer insight into how Nagpur’s libraries are faring in an era of rapid change.

Founding and Historical Significance

The Rajaram Sitaram Dixit Library traces its origins to the 1860s, when Nagpur was part of British India’s Central Provinces.

Records indicate that the library was formally established in 1869 in the Sitabuldi neighbourhood. It was one of the first public libraries in the Vidarbha region at the time.

Named after Rao Bahadur Rajaram Sitaram Dixit, a prominent local philanthropist and civic leader, the library embodied his vision of spreading knowledge.

Creating a public library was a progressive step in an era with few educational resources for Indians. The Rajaram Dixit library quickly became a focal point for readers in Nagpur, offering newspapers, journals, and books in multiple languages to a growing literate class.

From the outset, this was more than a quiet reading room. It was a community hub. By the 1890s, the library had gained a reputation as a forum for intellectual and political discourse.

After freedom fighter Bal Gangadhar Tilak called for public Ganesh Utsav celebrations in 1893, the Rajaram library was among the first in Nagpur to respond. Its management began hosting an annual Ganesh festival on the premises, but with an educational twist.

Instead of lavish decorations or music, these gatherings featured talks by renowned speakers, discussions on social reforms, and patriotic songs. “We do not organise pomp or grandeur. The Ganesh Utsav here always carries a message of life,” explains Vivek Kulkarni, a trustee of the library, describing how the festival became a platform for knowledge and debate rather than mere celebration.

During the late 19th and early 20th centuries, the library was a nerve centre of the freedom struggle in Nagpur.

Historical accounts recall that leaders like Lokmanya Tilak and Swatantrya Veer Savarkar visited the library during that period. Under colonial rule, when open political gatherings were restricted, public libraries provided a semi-private space for people to exchange ideas and inspire each other. In this way, the Rajaram Sitaram Dixit Library earned its place in history as an incubator of civic awareness and nationalist sentiment.

A Hub for Reading Culture and Community

Beyond its political significance, the Rajaram Sitaram Dixit Library has long been a pillar of the city’s literary life. Throughout the 20th century, it remained one of Nagpur’s premier public libraries and played a key role in promoting a reading culture in the region.

In fact, it became one of the few institutions classified as an “A-grade” library by authorities, a status reflecting its extensive collection and services.

Over time, the library’s shelves came to hold tens of thousands of books covering literature in Marathi, Hindi, English and other languages. Classics by global authors sat alongside works by regional writers and rare manuscripts, catering to readers of all ages. Generations of Nagpuri citizens have fond memories of studying in its reading rooms or discovering new worlds through its books.

Importantly, the library’s influence extended beyond its walls by inspiring a broader library movement. The establishment of similar vachanalayas (reading rooms) in other Vidarbha towns during the late 19th and early 20th centuries can be partly attributed to the example set by the Rajaram library.

Public libraries began popping up in places like Akola, Amravati and Wardha around that time, creating a network of community libraries that encouraged literacy and learning. In Nagpur city itself, other libraries such as the Rashtriya Vachanalaya in Mahal (founded in 1863) followed, but the Rajaram Sitaram Dixit Library remained one of the most prominent and enduring institutions.

This library also fostered a love of reading through various initiatives and community engagement. In earlier decades, it organised reading circles, literary discussions and book exhibitions that drew enthusiastic participation.

By the mid-20th century, as education spread, students flocked to the library to prepare for exams or simply to read in a quiet environment. Long before the internet, the Rajaram library served as an information hub where people could find everything from daily newspapers to reference books.

The dedication of the library’s staff and leadership was a major factor in its community role. Padmakar Narhar Joshi, affectionately known as ‘Paay’ Joshi, served as the library’s president for 43 years (from the 1970s until 2017) and is credited with nurturing a love for books among Nagpur’s youth. Under his tenure, countless students and researchers found guidance and resources at the library.

One longtime patron, Dr. Shobha Sathe, who conducted her PhD research there, recalled how Joshi would personally help her track down references, treating younger readers like family and instilling in them an appreciation for literature. Such personal touches helped maintain the library’s relevance even as times changed.

By the turn of the millennium, however, public interest in libraries was facing competition from new media.

The emergence of television, computers and smartphones meant fewer young people were picking up books for leisure. The Rajaram library, like many others, saw footfalls decline and memberships drop in the 2000s. Yet it continued to be a haven for true bibliophiles and those seeking knowledge beyond their textbooks.

The library’s management also looked for ways to keep the institution vibrant and connected to the community’s needs.

Modern Challenges and Revival Efforts

Entering the 21st century, the Rajaram Sitaram Dixit Library confronted significant challenges common to many public libraries. Financial constraints became a pressing issue.

By the early 2010s, this centuries-old library found itself struggling to pay staff salaries and maintain its collection.

Government grants had stagnated, and income from membership fees was not enough for upkeep. There was even a period when the library accumulated debt and was on the brink of shutting its doors. According to those involved, the situation grew so dire that at one point the library had no money to pay its staff.

The crisis had to be met by personal commitment. Secretary Mukund Naniwadekar recalls that President P. N. Joshi did not hesitate to dip into his own provident fund savings to pay employees during the lean times. This extraordinary gesture underscored the dedication of the management, but it was not a sustainable solution.

To pull the library out of financial crisis, the board turned to creative measures. They began renting out part of the premises to small businesses and running coaching classes in the building after library hours.

These initiatives generated extra income that was funnelled back into operations. “Money started pouring in and we paid off all the debt,” Naniwadekar recounted, crediting Joshi’s leadership for rescuing the institution from the brink of closure.

By the mid-2010s, the library’s finances had stabilised somewhat thanks to these efforts. However, this period also exposed the fragility of public libraries that rely heavily on goodwill and shoestring budgets.

The passing of Paay Joshi in 2017 was a poignant moment for Nagpur’s bibliophiles, but it did not mark the end of the library’s story.

A new generation of custodians, led by individuals like Anil Chanakhekar (the current secretary) and Rituja Gadkari (president), stepped in to carry the legacy forward. In recent years, they have introduced fresh ideas to revitalise the library and attract new readers. One notable initiative launched in May 2023 invited children of all ages to the library every evening to freely browse and borrow books without any fee.

This “open library for kids” programme was aimed at weaning youngsters away from their screens by rekindling the joy of reading.

Indeed, each day after 5 pm, a stream of children now trickles into the library, their eyes lighting up at the sight of storybooks and novels laid out on tables.

They pick titles that catch their interest, from Roald Dahl’s Charlie and the Chocolate Factory to the Marathi classic Shyamchi Aai, and sink into chairs to read, often losing track of time. “Because of our summer vacations, we have a lot of time… I have started coming to the library in the evenings with my brother and sister. It is a good change, because there are many interesting things to read,” said 12-year-old Soham, one of the regular young visitors drawn by this initiative.

Another girl, Varsha, chose Shyamchi Aai after recognising it from a television serial, and became so engrossed “she now finds the book so engaging that she even comes late for dinner on account of it,” her father noted with a smile. Parents in the community have welcomed the effort.

One mother who brings her two sons daily observed that reading has become a cherished part of their routine, proudly noting that her children can even recite verses of the Bhagavad Gita after reading a kids’ version at the library.

These small successes suggest that a reading culture can still be cultivated with the right approach. “Throughout history, books have kept man company, whether in times of distress or instability,” reflects Anil Chanakhekar, explaining the library’s mission to reconnect young people with books. “In recent times, there has been such a prodigious change in our modes of entertainment that this tradition is on the verge of being forgotten. We cannot let our children miss out on such a treasure!” he told, underscoring why the library created a free children’s section.

Chanakhekar and his team are also planning programmes for adult readers, recognising that many in the community might return to books if given a welcoming space.

The library has extended its outreach through social media and partnered with cultural organisations.

In fact, the Government of India’s Centre for Cultural Resources and Training (CCRT) recently collaborated with the Rajaram Sitaram Dixit Library on literary workshops, acknowledging the library’s contributions to arts and culture.

Such partnerships not only bring in expertise and funding but also signal that the library is evolving with the times.

Modernisation is another focus area. For much of its existence, the library operated with traditional card catalogues and manual record-keeping. As information technology became integral to library services, the Rajaram Library has been working to catch up.

It now has a basic computerised catalogue, though full digitisation of archives and offering of e-books remain works in progress. Library experts note that many centennial libraries in the region have been slow to adopt digital tools, due to limited budgets and technical know-how. This is where government and institutional support can be crucial.

At a 2025 literary festival in Nagpur, local librarians discussed the need for libraries to adapt to new reading habits and embrace technology to stay relevant for younger generations. The Rajaram library’s management appears cognisant of this and is striving to upgrade services without losing the personal touch that defines its heritage.

Reflecting the State of Libraries in Nagpur

The journey of the Rajaram Sitaram Dixit Library offers a window into the broader condition of public libraries in Nagpur and across Maharashtra.

Once upon a time, Nagpur boasted numerous reading rooms and libraries, fuelled by the 19th-century library movement in Vidarbha.

As the decades passed, however, many of these institutions faded or fell into neglect. Recent data reveal a worrying trend: as of 2024, Maharashtra had 11,150 public libraries, nearly a thousand fewer than just two years earlier.

Almost 1,000 libraries, mostly small village and neighbourhood ones, have lost government recognition or shut down between 2022 and 2024 due to a lack of resources or patrons. In the Nagpur division (which includes the city and surrounding districts), there are under 1,000 libraries in total, and only a handful are categorised as “Grade A” libraries with substantial collections and facilities. The Rajaram Sitaram Dixit Library is among this elite few, underlining both its importance and the scarcity of well-maintained public libraries in the region.

Several factors have contributed to the decline. Public funding for libraries has not kept pace with needs, and there have been few policy initiatives to rejuvenate library infrastructure.

Activists like Abhay Kolarkar in Nagpur have pointed out that the state spends lavishly on literary festivals and conventions, but has been apathetic toward sustaining libraries at the grassroots level. The result is that many smaller libraries lack new books, proper facilities, or even basic staffing. In an era of smartphones and cheap data, these quiet reading halls struggle to compete for attention, especially if they cannot modernise.

Yet the story of the Rajaram Sitaram Dixit Library shows that decline is not inevitable. Even today, one can find in its reading room young children curled up with books, older citizens perusing the day’s newspapers, and researchers taking notes, scenes that defy the notion that libraries have lost relevance.

The committed efforts of its management and community support have kept it alive while dozens of others have shuttered. It remains a reminder that libraries still matter, particularly in cities like Nagpur, where not everyone has access to expensive gadgets or online resources. This library offers a democratic space where anyone can walk in and immerse themselves in knowledge or simply escape into a story, free of cost.

Crucially, the Rajaram library also highlights what it takes to sustain a public library today. Passionate individuals, exemplified by the late P. N. Joshi and his colleagues have been the backbone of this institution. Joshi often told his staff and volunteers, “Love your books more than yourself if you want to work in a library, and provide books to whoever needs them,” as recounted by Chanakhekar.

This ethos of service and love for literature has been essential in keeping the library’s doors open against the odds. In a city moving rapidly into the digital age, the Rajaram Sitaram Dixit Library stands as a bridge between Nagpur’s rich cultural past and its evolving future. Its continued presence suggests that with community will and thoughtful adaptation, even a 150-year-old library can persist and inspire new generations of readers.