From a village with no books to a library of two million — one man’s lifetime of sacrifice, love, and an unshakeable belief that knowledge belongs to everyone.
A Village Boy Who Fell in Love with Words
Anke Gowda was born on January 8, 1949, to Mari Gowda and Ningamma, a family of farmers in the small village of Chinakurli in Pandavapura taluk, Mandya district, Karnataka. Life was simple, the land was dry, and books were almost unheard of.
Growing up in rural Karnataka, resources were scarce and reading material was difficult to obtain. Ironically, it was this very scarcity that strengthened his desire to read and learn. Young Anke watched his neighbours go about their daily lives untouched by the written word, and something stirred deep inside him — a quiet but burning question: Why should knowledge be a privilege of the few?
As a student, Anke Gowda travelled miles just to access books and study material — a struggle that left a lasting impression on him and quietly planted the seed for what would become his life’s mission.
The Spark — A Teacher’s Words That Changed Everything
Gowda completed a Master’s in Kannada at Maharaja’s College, Mysore, where he was profoundly influenced by his teacher K. Anantharamu, who memorably told his class: “Never seek bribes, be good to your neighbours, and cultivate a good habit.”
Those words were simple. But for Anke Gowda, they were a compass. He chose books as his good habit — and never looked back.
He began reading and collecting books as a child, starting with the works of Swami Vivekananda when he was still in Class IX. He recalls that the people in his village were not accustomed to books, which got him thinking about how to make them more accessible to everyone.
Humble Jobs, Enormous Dreams
Life after college was not glamorous. At the age of 20, while working as a bus conductor, Gowda began purchasing and collecting books whenever he could afford them. What started as a personal hobby slowly transformed into a lifelong mission.
He went on to work as a security guard, and eventually as a timekeeper at the Pandavapura Cooperative Sugar Factory, where he remained for nearly 30 years.
But every rupee he earned had a higher calling. During this period, he reportedly spent almost 80 per cent of his salary on buying books. Instead of investing in luxury or comfort, Gowda invested in knowledge.
The Ultimate Sacrifice — Selling His Home for Books
If there is one moment that defines Anke Gowda’s devotion, it is this: his dedication was so unwavering that he sold his house in Mysuru to fund the expansion of his library.
No regrets. No hesitation. For Gowda, a house was just walls and a roof. Books were life itself.
Pustaka Mane — The House of Books
Gowda’s book collection is housed in a library named “Pustaka Mane” (House of Books) in the Pandavapura municipality, Karnataka’s Mandya district. It is a purpose-built nearly 1,500 square meter building, the construction of which was funded by industrialist Hari Khoday, who also funded the relocation and renovation of a local temple.
The collection, which spans a publication history of almost 200 years, includes science, technology, over 5,000 dictionaries, as well as literature, mythology, philosophy, religious texts, and rare books. Books about the Mahabharata, and texts related to Jainism, Buddhism, and Christianity are well represented, and there are several thousand books about Mahatma Gandhi and the Bhagavad Gita alone. The collection also includes 35,000 international magazines and 2,500 Kannada magazines, and contains books and other publications in over 20 languages, including Kannada, Hindi, Tamil, and English.
Unlike conventional libraries, it follows no rigid cataloguing system. Books are stacked on shelves, arranged in piles on the floor, and even stored outside under awnings, where nearly 800,000 books remain packed in sacks awaiting sorting. Despite the apparent disorder, regular visitors attest that Gowda himself can locate almost any book with remarkable ease.
Visitors come not only from Karnataka but from all over India — including Supreme Court judges, civil service exam candidates, researchers, and students — all enjoying free and open access, without any membership fees or charges.
His Family — Partners in Purpose
Behind every great man is a family that chooses the mission over comfort. Today, Gowda and his wife Vijayalakshmi live a remarkably simple life within the library premises. The couple reportedly sleeps on the floor and cooks meals in a small corner of the building — not out of poverty, but as a conscious choice to dedicate everything they have toward sustaining the library.
Anke Gowda, his wife Vijayalakshmi, and their son Sagar continue to live within the library premises, surrounded by the very books that shaped their lives. Together, they help care for and preserve the collection, ensuring that visitors can freely access its wealth of knowledge.
Their story is not one of deprivation — it is one of extraordinary purpose lived joyfully every single day.
Awards and Recognition
A life this dedicated could not go unnoticed forever. Gowda’s work and commitment to making books available to the public has been recognised with various awards and honours. In 2009, he received the G. P. Rajarathnam Sahitya Paricharika Award from the Kannada Book Authority, followed by the Alva’s Nudisiri Award in 2011. He was also the recipient of the 2014 Rajyotsava Award, and received an entry for “Largest Personal Book Collection” in the 2016 Limca Book of Records.
And then came the crown jewel. In 2026, the Indian government granted him a Padma Shri civilian award “for his extraordinary contribution to promoting literacy and learning.”
Recognised under the “Unsung Heroes” category, Anke Gowda’s story is not simply about books — it is about vision, perseverance, and the transformative power of knowledge.
CM DK Shivakumar Steps In — A New Chapter for Pustaka Mane
The recognition did not stop at the Padma Shri. Karnataka Chief Minister DK Shivakumar personally met Anke Gowda and made a landmark announcement. CM DK Shivakumar has ordered the provision of 2 acres of land and ₹5 crore for the preservation and development of Anke Gowda’s Pustaka Mane, directing the Mandya District Collector to take appropriate action.
As Shivakumar himself said of the library: “This is not merely a collection of books — it is one of the nation’s greatest treasuries of knowledge. It is our duty to preserve such rare records and books for future generations.”
This government support promises to transform Pustaka Mane into a world-class, high-tech library — fulfilling Gowda’s dream of making it a permanent, well-organised hub of learning for generations to come.
A Legacy Written Not in Ink, But in Lives Changed
Today, the boy who once travelled miles in search of reading material has created a space where learning is within reach for anyone who walks through its doors. Their story is a reminder that meaningful change does not always begin with wealth, influence, or grand plans — sometimes, it starts with a child who knows what it feels like to go without a book.
From a bus conductor carrying passengers across Karnataka to the guardian of one of India’s largest free libraries, Anke Gowda has shown that extraordinary institutions can emerge from ordinary beginnings when driven by passion and purpose.
In a world chasing likes, followers, and fleeting fame, Anke Gowda quietly built something that will outlive us all — a home for two million books, and an open door for every curious mind.
——————————————————-
Source: DT Next | The Print | Deccan Chronicle | The South First | Kalviseithi Official | Wikipedia | Catholic Connect | Organiser | The Better India | The Logical Indian | Karnataka The Federal | Eesanje