Mumbai: The David Sassoon Library, in the heart of Kala Ghoda, is a treasure hidden in plain sight. In the middle of a busy thoroughfare, with commercial establishments surrounding it, the historic library stands as an oasis of calm. Its towering bookshelves and peaceful garden seem to contain within them the joy of reading, and 2,500 life members — and 500 ordinary members — would endorse that.
As part of its 150th memorial week celebrations, the managerial committee of the library organised several events which were open to the public, including musical performances, poetry readings, plays and talks on a range of topics from classical music to yoga and pranayam. The week ended with the screening of a film about the library, Hall of Knowledge , made by Arvind Dave, a media professional who is one of the library’s long-time members.
The film details the history of the library, but it is also a reflection of what the institution means to Mr. Dave and hundreds of others like him over the years. Intercut with library employees laying out newspapers and cleaning bookshelves and short segues into the heritage architecture of the building, the film brings in a variety of voices from different members on how they came to be a part of this institution.
Special connect
Nagaraj Gumala, who now works in a Swiss bank, says that being a member of the library, and the conversations that he had here, helped shape his career.
“We interacted with some of the best minds, the top doctors, engineers and others,” he says. He points to the garden behind the library, and says it one of the only peaceful open spaces in south Mumbai that is accessible to ordinary middle class citizens; he says that that accessibility has brought a cross-section of people to the library. Voices like his bring out not just the love that members have for the place, but also of memories of joining the institution at an important juncture in their lives. One member says that when studying to be an IPS officer, he came to the library to do his studies. Another said that he simply joined the library because he was looking for solace after the death of his father; the library, he says, was like ‘entering a hall of knowledge.’ Mr Dave himself says, “When I first came to this library and became a member, I didn’t really know where my career was going to take me. I was in between working and studying.”
In the film, writer and film producer Pritish Nandy says that though Mumbai has become largely driven by business, it once used to be the cultural capital of India. “What this city needs is more of a cultural affinity toward things like writing, music and art,” he says, and that is why it is important to support institutions like the David Sassoon Library.
Aside from the access to a large range of literature, the library continues to be an important space for students to study for various professional exams. A montage of voices of young students close out the film with each saying what they have come to study for. They range from exams for excise inspectors, chartered accountants, MBAs and even some for the medical profession.
Protecting heritage
The David Sassoon Library is a Grade One heritage structure, which means that every part of it, internal and external, is worthy of protection. Of immediate concern now to the committee is a series of structural repairs which are overdue.
“Our immediate priority,” said Hemant Bhalekar, President of the Library’s Managing Committee, “is to undertake repairs to this structure on an urgent basis, for which we have received around ₹28 lakh from the Kala Ghoda Association. Since the edifice is a heritage structure, we shall have to secure special permissions from the heritage department, the process for which has been initiated.” Besides the Kala Ghoda Association, Mr. Bhalekar says, corporate funding has also been sought.
