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Patna’s Khuda Bakhsh library displays rare manuscripts

PatnaBeats
Bihar, Bihari

At least 85 rare manuscripts were put on display at the Khuda Bakhsh Oriental Public Library on the occasion of the birth anniversary of its founder Khan Bahadur Khuda Bakhsh on Wednesday. The exhibition, which was inaugurated by K P Jayaswal Research Institute director B K Choudhary, was attended by around 100 visitors till 1pm. While some religious rituals will be performed on the death anniversary of the library founder on Thursday, a ‘mushaira’ will be organized on Saturday.

Rare books on Indian history like ‘Tareekh-e-Banaras’ and ‘Sirat-e-Firoz Shahi’ along with specimens of Mughal paintings and calligraphy were exhibited for the visitors. “Some manuscripts with gold plating speak volumes about the unique collection the Khuda Bakhsh library boasts of. You will not find any other copy of these,” library assistant Zakir Hussain, who assured that the visitors did not touch the books.

Every day large number of students preparing for competitive examinations throng the reading room of the library. Civil services aspirant Ashish Kumar, one of the visitors at the exhibition, was disappointed as he could not read or understand the Persian, Arabic and Urdu books put on display. He said, “I wish these rare manuscripts and books were translated in Hindi or English. Being able to see, but not decipher them makes me curious.”
Another visitor Deepak Kumar, an A N College student, faced a similar problem. “I was excited to attend this exhibition, but most of these books are of no use to me because I cannot understand any of them,” he rued.
This rich library has been functioning without an independent director for the last three years. Patna divisional commissioner Anand Kishor is its acting director. There are at least ten other important posts lying vacant here.
Source: TOI

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