PLEASE SIGN THIS PETITION AND FORWARD IT IN YOUR SOCIAL MEDIA.

Why Govt of Bihar should not touch the Khuda Baksh Library for building flyover?

INTACH writes, "The razing of any part of Khuda Baksh Library will be a monumental loss of heritage for not just Patna, but the entire world, and it will eclipse the glory of this institution forever," reads the letter.

Bihar has lost a lot, now all the things that are left need to be saved. This is a legacy, they do not come back. A bridge cannot be built by breaking thousands of "bridges". Khuda Baksh Library is the bridge that connects us with our culture with our history. The government should not invoke it at any cost. 

About the Library 

Close to the banks of the Ganges, in Patna, stands the Khuda Bakhsh Oriental Public Library. Though founded earlier, it was opened for public in October, 1891 by the illustrious son of Bihar Khan Bahadur Khuda Bakhsh with 4,000 autographs, of which he inherited 1,400 from his father. Khuda Bakhsh donated his entire personal collection to the people of Patna by a deed of trust. Acknowledging the immense historical and intellectual value of its rich and valued collection, the Government of India declared the Library an Institution of National Importance by an Act of Parliament in 1969. The Library, an autonomous institution is fully funded by the Ministry of Culture.

The Library is a unique repository of the past heritage, preserved in the form of manuscripts, written on paper, palm-leaf, deer-skin, cloth and sundry materials. At the same time it has a modern face, housing about printed books in Arabic, Persian, Urdu, English and Hindi, besides a few in German, French, Punjabi, Japanese and Russian. The Library combines the twin features of a center of research in oriental studies and a public library catering to the needs of students, youth and senior citizens. It is now developing into a digital library, with more than 2,000 Manuscripts available in digital format to reader within the library.

Curzon Reading Room named after Lord Curzon is open for all. A large number of newspapers, magazines in English, Urdu and Hindi, reference books and books for competitive exams are available in this Reading Room.

Once this building is ALTERED, it can never be brought back. Towns and cities around the country that are looking for revitalization can often find assistance in the restoration of existing historic buildings. The alternative is often soul-less development, developer blight, environmentally-unfriendly concrete flyovers, and a total obliteration of our shared heritage.

- Nitin Chandra (Petitioner)  
   National Award Awarded Filmmaker 
   Patna, Bihar