Mysuru: Haralahalli, a small village near Pandavapura in Karnataka, has become a favourite destination for researchers, students and writers, all thanks to 75-year-old Anke Gowda and his vast personal library of nearly two million books.

Gowda began collecting books at the age of 20 while working as a bus conductor. He later left the job to pursue a master’s degree in Kannada literature before working for about three decades in a sugar factory. Most of his earnings went into buying books. To expand his collection further, he even sold his property in Mysuru. His wife, Vijayalakshmi, and son, Sagar, have supported his lifelong passion.

 

“Researchers and students mainly come to me. Even civil service aspirants and Supreme Court judges have come to refer to the books here. There is no membership fee or admission charge. Anyone can come, read and gain knowledge,” Gowda told Mathrubhumi News.

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Anke Gowda and his collection of books

Among his holdings are about half a million rare foreign books and some 5,000 dictionaries in various languages, making his collection one of exceptional value.