Saraswathi Mahal Library
About Saraswathi Mahal Library
Far From City: 1 kms from city center
Cost:
About Saraswathi Mahal Library
Weather:
Time Required:Less than 1 hour
Open Time:10:00 AM - 5:30 PMLunch break: 1:00 PM - 1:30 PMClosed on Wednesday and National Holidays
Cost:No entry fee
Collections at Saraswathi Mahal Library
The vintage collection of the Serfoji Sarasvati Mahal Library mostly consists of ancient Sanskrit, Maratha, Tamil and Telegu manuscripts. There are nearly 40,000 manuscripts in Sanskrit, written in different scripts like Devanagari, Grantha and Nandinagari. The Tamil and Telegu scripts include both literature and Ayurvedic medicinal research. The oldest of these lots are written on palm-leaves, and they have been preserved on microfilm. However, they are also being digitised for ease of access and retrieval.
Other than that, there are rare books in English, French and German as well as a few books on musical notations - all from the personal collections of King Serfoji II. These books can be considered the influence of his guardian father, Saint Schwartz, for whom he even built a church in Thanjavur. There are also around 1,342 bundles of records, written in Modi script on paper, on the Maratha rule and administration and their day-to-day financial, political, cultural and social activities.
Saraswathi Mahal Library Museum
The museum of the library is an accurate reflection of what importance the library holds. Visitors can get a clear idea from of what the colossal racks and storerooms of the original library held back in the day, and preserves till date. There are illustrated books and manuscripts of immense importance, original paintings of Thanjavur style on wood, glass, paper, wall and canvas, portraits of ylers of Thanjavore and many more copies of great books and paintings which were either collected by the kings or gifted to them by some other royalty or dignitary.
Among the number of rare items displayed in the museum, some are - Dr Samuel Johnson's dictionary (1784), the first pictorial bible printed in Amsterdam (1791), ancient maps and atlas of the word, the theory of evolution diagram and explanation by Charles Le Brun, letters of William Torin of London, a buyer and patron of the library during King Serfoji's time, Lavoisier's Elements of Chemistry, and a couple of earliest town planning documents of Thanjavur.
How to Reach Saraswathi Mahal Library
The library and the museum are all located within the campus of the Thanjavur Palace. It is situated only 10 minutes away from the Old bus stand of Thanjavur, and very near to the famous Brihadeeshwarar temple. Any city bus of that route will drop you off at the location. It is a very popular place, so you can also trust cabs and local car rentals to be your conveyance for the day.
Top Tourist Places in Thanjevur
Vijayanagar Fort
Gangaikonda Cholapuram
Shiva Ganga Garden
Alangudi Guru Temple
Other Temples
Chandra Bagwan Temple
All Tourist Places in Thanjevur
Tips
The library premise is open only for research purposes. Scholars have to get permission and produce necessary documents to access the books and manuscripts of the library. The timings are the same.
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