From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
Content deleted Content added
|
|
|||
| Line 2: | Line 2: | ||
|
{{Improve images|date=February 2026}} |
{{Improve images|date=February 2026}} |
||
|
{{Use British English|date=February 2026}} |
{{Use British English|date=February 2026}} |
||
|
”’Anke Gowda”’ is an Indian book collector and the founder of “Pustaka Mane” library in [[Mandya district|Mandya]], India. He is retired sugar factory timekeeper who once worked as a bus conductor |
”’Anke Gowda”’ is an Indian book collector and the founder of “Pustaka Mane” library in [[Mandya district|Mandya]], India. He is retired sugar factory timekeeper who once worked as a bus conductor.<ref name=”BBC-2026″>{{Cite web |date=7 February 2026 |title=Anke Gowda: The Karnataka man who built a library of two million books |url=https://www.bbc.com/news/articles/cp873z18028o |access-date=7 February 2026 |website=[[BBC News]] |language=en-GB|last=Qureshi|first=Imran}}</ref><ref>{{Cite |date=25 January 2026 |title=Once a bus conductor, now Padma : Who is Anke Gowda, the man India’s largest free library |url=https://..com//once-a-bus-conductor-now-padma-awardee-who-is-anke-gowda-the-man—-largest-free-library-. |access-date=7 February 2026 |=[[ Times]]}}</ref><ref name=” -2026″>{{Cite |date=25 January 2026 |title=Once a bus conductor, now Padma : Who is Anke Gowda, the man India’s largest free library |url=https://..com//once-a-bus-conductor-now-padma-awardee-who-is-anke-gowda-the-man—-largest-free-library-. |access-date=7 February 2026 |=[[ Times]] }}</ref> |
||
|
== Biography == |
== Biography == |
||
Latest revision as of 14:47, 10 February 2026
Indian bibliophile and library founder
Anke Gowda is an Indian book collector and the founder of “Pustaka Mane” library in Mandya, India. He is retired sugar factory timekeeper who once worked as a bus conductor.[1][2] During the course of his lifetime, Gowda amassed a collection of over two million books, one of the largest private collections in India.[3] His collection and library have made a “significant social impact by ensuring free access to knowledge”.[4][5]
Gowda was born into a farming family in a small village called Chinakurli in Pandavapura taluk.[4] He began reading and collecting book as a child. He earned a BA and a postgraduate degree in Kannada, before beginning work as a timekeeper at a local sugar factory.[1]
His book collection is housed in a library called “Pustaka Mane” (House of Books) in Pandavapura municipality, Karnataka’s Mandya district.[4] It is a purpose-built nearly1,500 square meter building, the construction of which was funded by Hari Khoday, a wealthy businessman who also funded the relocation and renovation of a local temple.The library is open to the public.[1]
Gowda’s work and commitment to making books available to the public has been recognised with various awards and honours. In 2014 he was the recipient of a Rajyotsava Award, and he is one of the 2026 Padma Shri awardees, granted “for his extraordinary contribution to promoting literacy and learning.”[4][5][3][1]
