The Chhagan Prasad Desai Library has a connection to the history of the Barton Library. In the Kathiawad region, it was the first step toward the establishment of an educational institution
In C.E. 1860, the late diwan Gaurishankar Oza established the “Shri Chhaganbhai Desai Library” to satisfy Bhavnagar’s thirst for knowledge. Barton Library’s ripples were created by a small drop in the ocean.
Barton Library has been around for how long?
150 years is the answer. According to legend, it was founded on December 30th, 1882. King Takhtsinhji Gohil opened the library on December 30, 1882, and named it after the English political agent Colonel L. C. Barton. This organisation has a unique place on the cultural map of Gujarat because of its connection to the Chhagan Prasad Library. Scholars, researchers, and other thinkers regard this organisation as a veritable gold mine of knowledge.
The library has an extensive collection of Gujarati books on a wide range of topics. Barton Library is an essential part of Gujarat’s history, and bookworms in the state are desperate to see it recognised as the best in the country. In 1882, the Barton Library moved into the massive structure that is now Majiraj Kanyashala near the Navapara Corporation. In fact, Mahatma Gandhi was a regular reader of the magazine.
In 1882, Chhagan Prasad Desa donated a small collection of 5000 books to start the Barton Library, one of Gujarat’s oldest libraries. One of the most important cultural institutions in Gujarat, it is linked to the Chhagan Prasad Desai Library. Scholars, researchers, and thinkers alike regard this institution as a veritable gold mine of knowledge. Six thousand and one thousand books are currently on the library’s bookshelf. The library houses thousands of Gujarati books on a variety of topics. The Barton Library is an important part of Gujarat’s history, and the state’s book lovers eagerly await its elevation to the status of best in India.
Bhavnagar’s Barton Library & Museum, named for British Saurashtra representative Colonel Barton, is a popular tourist destination. During colonial rule in the 19th century, this library was built. More than 60 thousand books and documents in Hindi, English, Gujarati, and Sanskrit are housed here. Museum-quality reproductions of the paintings of the time period can be found in a separate room in this library.
Barton Library and Museum is a two-story gothic structure.
There are more than 60K documents, including books in Hindi, English, Gujarati and Sanskrit, in the repository. You can learn a great deal about Gujarat’s rich history and culture from these books.
Other than books, the library’s collection includes manuscripts, inscriptions, engraved stones, and handwritten letters from the Saurashtra region of Gujarat’s liberation fighters.
It is a popular destination for students, scholars, researchers, and tourists because it provides information on a wide range of topics.
Barton Library and Museum can be visited on any day of the year, except Mondays and federal holidays and celebrations. A small fee (for museum admission) is required to enter the building.
Watch out!
The exhibits can be photographed, but no one is allowed to touch them while they are on display in the museum. This can make it difficult to enter the library without some sort of proof of your identity. As a result, it is recommended that patrons enter the library with some form of photo identification.
Facts you should know if you’re thinking of going:
Hours:
Schedule: 8:30 to 11.30 PM and 3:00 PM to 6:15 PM, Tuesday through Saturday;
Sundays by appointment only
Sunday, from 8 a.m. to 11:30 a.m
Monday is a holiday.
Address:
Diwanpara Road, Bhavnagar, is the location (Gujarat)
