Saraswathi Mahal Library, Tanjore - One of the Oldest Libraries of Asia

Saraswathi Mahal Library, Tanjore, also referred as the Tanjore Maharaja Serfoji's Saraswathi Mahal Library, is one of the oldest libraries in the Indian subcontinent. The curated collection rare manuscripts written in Tamil, Telugu, Hindi, Marathi, English and in some other Indian languages could be found here.

There are close to 60,000 volumes of collection of which a tiny fraction are on display. You can however, get the entire catalogue of holdings that is available online. If you want to get hold of some rare books and manuscripts, it can be done upon prior arrangement.

The Saraswathi Library is situated within the campus of the Thanjavur Palace and can be accessed by public. The massive Thanjavur palace could be best explored with the help of a guide. The sheer number of books and unavailability of suitable signboards that can visitors navigate through the place makes hiring an experienced guide essential. If you are architecture or a history buff, or even a bibliophile, this place is surely meant for you.

Saraswathi Mahal Library

Museum within the Library

The big hall of the Saraswathi Mahal Library, Tanjore located inside the campus acts as an additonal museum. The large painting of Rama Pattabhishekam which is done in Tanjore style, an awe-inspiring statue of Goddess Saraswathi, and other Indian deities such as Ganesha and Lakshmi, and two huge portraits of Sarfoji II, and uncountable miniature paintings of various Maratha Kings of Tanjore could be found here.

The Section with Old and Rare Collections

The Saraswathi Mahal Library, Tanjore is a treasure trove of old and rare palm manuscripts. The collectiuon includes handwritten copies of Indian epics – Ramayana and Mahabharata, several books on medicine, palm leaf scripts and scroll, 18th century paintings of Indian cities by Dutch painters, 18th century Tanjore paintings and other Sanskrit texts. However, it is not an exhaustive list.  

History of Saraswathi Mahal Library

The library was initially named as Saraswathi Bhandar and is one of the prime centre for information and knowledge in India.  The then Nayak Kings of Thanjavur built this library began for the private reading and pleasure. During the period the Royal Palace Library did not housed such a massive collection of books.  

Later on, Thanjavur was captured by the Maratha rulers in 1675. The new rulers were appreciator of local culture and art and further expanded the Royal Palace Library until 1855. Serfoji II (1798–1832) was the most notable rulers amongst the Maratha people and was a renowned academic. He had a passion for knowledge and preservation of culture, which is when the library was at its best.

In the early 20th century, the library came under the custody of the state of Tamil Nadu. The government renamed the library to Thanjavur Maharaja Serfoji's Sarasvati Mahal Library, in the memory of the legendary scholar and ruler.

About the Library Efforts

The guests can visit the Saraswathi Mahal Library, Tanjore seven days a week. The library is working towards publishing rare manuscripts as a public awareness initiative. Computers were installed in 1998, under modernization of library initiative, which has helped in easy retrieval of information.     

The Collection:

A massive share of manuscripts available in the Saraswathi Mahal Library, Tanjore are written in Sanskrit (there are close to 39,300). Rest of the books are written in Nandinagari, Grantha, Devanagiri.  Apart from that, close to 3 million Tamil manuscripts are also available within the library. Books on music and literature, science, arts, and so on are also present here. Some of the rare manuscripts include the hierarchy of Saints of Maharashtra – a book written by followers of Sri Ramadasi and Dattatreya Mutts.

About 846 Telugu manuscripts in the holdings are available in the rare collection of which some are in the display. They are also mostly on palm leaf. The 22 Persian and Urdu manuscripts of the 19th century are into the rare collection.

Government records belonging to the Maratha Raj (1342 bundles of books and gazettes) can also be found here. These records were written in Modi script (a variant version of Devanagiri script) of the Marathi popular back during the day.

Library Museum

Encompassing the Saraswathi Mahal Library, Tanjore is a small museum containing separate section for rare manuscripts, printed copies of the original drawings, illustrated manuscripts, and portraits of the Thanjavur Maratha kings, canvas paintings, and early models of atlases, glass paintings, wooden paintings, Thanjavur- style paper paintings, and the Physiognomy charts of Charles Le-Brun.

During 1965, efforts were made to index and microfilm the books of the library, especially the rare palm manuscripts. Unfortunately, the efforts stopped for scanning the documents after that. The preservation and maintenance of the rare documentation is currently under the observation of the Manuscript Conservation Centre (MCC).

Things to Know before Visiting Saraswathi Mahal Library, Tanjore

•    Library Timings: 10.00 a.m. to 1.00 p.m. and 1.30 pm. to 5.30 p.m.
•    Library Entry Fee: Rs.50
•    Camera is allowed with an additional of Rs.50
•    Suitable for wheel chairs

How to Reach

The Saraswathi Mahal Library, Tanjore is located at the heart of the city and is in a close proximity of the world famous Brihadeeswarar Temple. There are public transports such as autos and buses that are available to reach this place various parts of the city.
•    Airways - The nearest airport is Tiruchirappalli airport
•    Railhead – Thanjavur is the closest railway station
•    Roadways – you can visit various important places of Tanjore. It is about  950 meters (1038 yard) from the from Thanjavur old bus stand, 6.9km (4mi) from Thanjavur New bus stand, and close to 58km (36mi) from Trichy.

See more about Tamil Tanjore Art Gallery - Preserve the 11th Century Art