From Factory Floor to Book Heaven: One Man’s 2 Million-Book Library Dream

Anke Gowda, a retired sugar factory worker from Karnataka, India, has spent his life collecting books. Growing up in a small village, books were a rare luxury for Gowda. He was always curious and wanted to read more, so he started collecting books as a child. Over the past fifty years, he has gathered an incredible two million books, which are now kept in a large building in Pandavapura, Mandya district. His library is open to everyone, and people can borrow books for free.

The library is not organized like most libraries. There are no librarians, and the books are not sorted in any special order. Some are on shelves, while others are stacked in piles on the floor. Outside, there are sacks filled with hundreds of thousands of books that have not yet been unpacked. Despite the lack of order, regular visitors know how to find what they need, and if they get lost, Gowda can always help them. He lives in a corner of the library with his wife and son, and the library is open every day for long hours.

Gowda’s love for books started when he was young. He helped his father on the farm and went to school, often asking his family for money to buy books. He became fascinated with stories about Indian freedom fighters and spiritual leaders. Inspired by a teacher, he began collecting books so other students from rural areas could read too. After finishing school, he worked as a bus conductor, but a former teacher encouraged him to go to college. Gowda followed this advice, earned a postgraduate degree in Kannada, and later worked at the Pandavapura sugar factory. He spent most of his salary on books and earned extra money by raising cows and selling milk.

As his collection grew, Gowda struggled to find space for all his books. He stored them in metal trunks and on shelves, but eventually, his house was full. When he had about 50,000 books, a friend introduced him to Hari Khoday, a wealthy man building a temple nearby. Khoday was amazed by Gowda’s collection and agreed to build a library for him. Later, the government helped expand the library with more buildings. Today, students and teachers from across Karnataka visit the library. Some, like assistant professor Ravi Bettaswami, have been inspired to start their own collections. Others, like teacher Shilpashree Haranu, say that while the library may look messy, Gowda knows exactly where every book is. Gowda says he never thought to hire a librarian, and now he hopes others will help continue his work. He feels he has done his part and wants the government and the public to take over the library’s future.