The National Library of India (Bengali: ভারতের জাতীয় গ্রন্থাগার) established in 1836 at Belvedere, Kolkata, is the largest library in India by volume and India's library of public record. Read more http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/National_Library_of_India.
Soon it is coming up with online registration facility to read digitized book. For more information and checking the catalogue please visit http://www.nationallibrary.gov.in.
It's language divisions acquire, process and provide reading materials in all major Indian languages. The library has separate Indian language divisions for Assamese, Bengali, Gujarati, Hindi, Kannada, Kashmiri, Malayalam, Marathi, Oriya, Punjabi, Sanskrit, Sindhi, Tamil, Telugu and Urdu. Sanskrit language division also collects and processes Pali and Prakrit books. Other language books are stacked in the Stack division. Find below the list of some rare collections:
Assamese Language Collection
Established in 1963 this division has 12,000 books. Some of the important publications are
- Asamiya Larar Mitra by Anandaram Dhekiyal Phukan,
- Larabodh Byakaran by Dharmeswar Goswami
- Prakrit Bhugol by Lambodara Datta
- Several volumes of Sri Sankardev's Kirattan, Gunamala, Srimad Bhagavad, Bargit, Rukmini Haran Nat, and Ankiyanat
- Volumes of the periodical Arunodoi (1846-1853, 1856-1858)
Bengali Language Collection
The library has 85,000 books in its Bengali collection. The collection contains
- Early Bengali plays and novels
- Manuscripts of Sarat Chandra Chattopadhaya, Bibuti Bhushan Bandaopadhaya, Jibanananda Das and Bisnu De
- 154 letters of Netaji Subhas Chandra Bose written to his nephew Sri Asok Nath Bose and letters to Sarat Chandra Bose
- Complete set of Rabindranath Tagore's works including 190 first editions, except a few of his early works
- A Grammar of the Bengal Language (1778) by Nathaniel Brassey Halhed
- Henry Forster's A Vocabulary in Two parts, English and Bangalee
- William Carrey's Dialogues, Intended to Facilitate the Acquiring of the Bengali Language
- Ram Basu's Raja Pratapaditya Charitra
- Mrityunjay Vidyalankar's Batris Simhansan
- Ramayana translated by Krittibas and published in five volumes
- Mahabharat translated by Kashi Ram Das
- Chandicharan Munshi's Tota Itihas
- Jayanarayan Ghosal's Sri Karunanidhanavilasa
- William Carey's Dictionary of the Bengali Language, 2 volumes
- 400 titles of Bengali periodicals including many rare 19th century periodicals such as Digdarshan (1818) first Bengali monthly and the first issue of Samachar Darpan (1831) -- the first Bengali weekly.
Gujarati Language Collection
The library has 37,000 Gujarati books. 1100 of them are titles published prior to 1900. This collection includes:
- 30 albums of paintings by Kanu Desai
- Ancient Jaina miniature paintings are well reproduced in Sri Jaina Chitravali, Sri Jaina Chitra Patavali
- Other valuable books edited by Sarabhai Nawab
- Authentic poetic works of medieval Gujarati poets such as Narsinh Meheta, Mirabai, Premanand and Symal Bhat
- Robert Drummond's Illustrations of Grammatical Parts Guzerattee, Maratta and English Languages
- Translations of Aesop's Fables by Bapushastri Pandya Raykaval
- Edalji Patel's Suratani Tavarikh
- Jnana Chakra --a Gujarati encyclopaedia in 9 volumes
Hindi Language Division
Being the national language of India this division has at present 80,000 Hindi books along-with about 1200 rare first issues of important journals including:
- Many of the publications published by Lulloo Lal, the first printer, publisher and writer of Kolkata including Braja Bhasha Grammar (1811), Lataife Hindi (1821), Rajaniti (1827) and Prem Sagur (1842)
- Extensive Vocabulary English and Hindoostanee and Hindoostanee and English by John B. Gilchrist
- Hindi-Roman Orthoepigraphical Ultimatum by John B. Gilchrist
- Rajneeti by Narayana Pandit
- Sudamacaritra by Haldhara Dasa
- Raga Kalpadruma, Baital Pachisi by Duncan Forbes
- Dictionary of Hindee and English by J. T. Thompson
- Yavan Bhasa ka Vyakaran by Hooper William
- Siva Simha Saroja by Siva Simha Senagar
- Hindi Pradipa edited by Balkrishna Bhatt
- Brief Account of the Solar System in Hindi
- A microfilm copy of Bal Bodhini (1874-77) -a monthly journal for women edited by Bharatendu Harischandra.
The division also has a good number of Maithili books.
Kannada Language Collection
Started in 1963 it has 32,000 books published between 1891-1931.
- The collection was the efforts of G. P. Rajaratnam, a noted Kannada author
- The Kannada collection in the library is particularly useful for the study of the cultural history of Karnataka.
Kashmiri Language Collection
Formed in 1983, currently it has 500 Kashmiri books including:
- Muhammad Yusuf Teng's Shirin Qalm (2 volumes)
- Wiyur edited by Ghulam Muhammad Rafiq
- Ghulam Nabi Khyal's Akah Nandun
- Nurnama (sayings of Nuruddin Wali) compiled by Muhammad Amin Kaim, Fazil and Kashmiri's Krishna Lila.
Malayalam Language Collection
Established in 1963, is has 34,500 books.
- The earliest printed book, Centum Adagia Malabarica, a Latin translation of Malayalam proverbs, dates back to 1791
- Robert Drummond's Grammar of the Malabar Language
- Dr Gundart's Malayalam-English Dictionary
- Vartamanapustakam by Parammachkal Govarnnodoracchan, Appu Nedungadi's Kundalata and Chantu Menan's Indulekha
- Ramacaritam (earliest known Malayalam work)
- Works of Niranam (a 15th century poet), Cerussery's Krishnagatha (16th century), Vatakkan Pattukal (Ballads of North Malabar)
- Ezuttachan's Adhyatama Ramayana
- Ramaprattu Variyar's Kucelavrtam
- Kuncan Nampyar's Tullol.
Marathi Language Collection
Started with 8900 volumes in 1963 is now has 37,000 books in its collection, which includes:
- Marathi Books from the Bengal Nagpur Railway Indian Institure, Kharagpur
- Sir Jadunath Sarkar's collection of about 350 Marathi books, mostly on the history of the Marathas
- William Carey's A Grammar of the Mahratta Language (1805)
- Dictionary of the Maharatta Language
- Simhasana Battisi -
- Raghuji Bhonsalyaci Vanshavali
- Vans Kennedy's A Dictionary of Maratta Language
- Nava Karar
- A Short Account of Railways by K. Bhatwadekar
- Charles Hutton's Bijaganit
- Tukaram's Abhangachi Gatha (1869) edited by Vishnu Parashuram Pandit and Shankar Pandurang Pandit
- Itihasaprisiddha Purushanche va Striyanche Povade edited by H. A. Acworth
Oriya Language Collection
Established only in 1973 currently, the division has 19,500 books.
- Rev. Amos Sutton's Introductory Grammar of Oriya Language (1831) – Oldest publication in Oriya
- Jayadeva's Gitagovinda, translated by Dharanidhara
- Amos Sutton's An Oriya Dictionary, 3 volumes (1841-3)
- Dharmapustakara Adibhaya (1842-3)
- Purnacandra Odiabhasa Kosh (1931-40)
- A lexicon of the Oriya language compiled by Gopalachandra Praharaj.
Punjabi Language Collection
A separate division opened in 1974 has many books including:
- William Carey's A Grammar of Punjabee Language (1812)
- Samuel Starkey's A Dictionary of English Punjabee (1849)
- Geographical Description of the Panjab (1850)
- Bhai Santosh Singh's Guru Paratap Suraj Granthavali (1882)
- Gurudas Bhai's Vars (1893).
Sanskrit, Pali and Prakrit Languages Collection
Being the oldest ancient language Sanskrit division has over 20,000 Sanskrit books, printed in the Devanagari script.
- Almost all Indian language divisions possess Sanskrit works printed in their respective language scripts
- A rich collection of Sanskrit works edited or translated with original scripts, in English and other foreign languages
- Apart from Sanskrit, books in Pail and Prakrit languages are also collected and processed (500 books each)
Sindhi Language Collection
Since 1957, the library has been building a collection of Sindhi books which has has 2100 Sindhi books including
- Shah Abdul Latif's Shah Jo Rasalo
- Shah Abdul Latif's Shah Jo Sher
Tamil Language Collection
Formed in 1963, the division currently has 57,000 books. Apart from this, the library has 1000 Tamil books and 300 Tamil manuscripts in the Vaiyapuri Pillai collection.
- Tamil Bible (1723)
- John Philip Fabricius's A Malabar and English Dictionary (1779)
- Tamil translation of John Bunyan's Piligrim's Progress
- Caldwell's Comparative Grammar of Dravidian Languages
- Standard editions of five great Sangam Classics.
Telugu Language Collection
Started in 1963, the collection has a good number of old Telugu books including:
- William Carey's Grammar of Telugu Language (1814)
- C. P. Brown's A Vocabulary of Gentoo and English (1818)
- Vakyavali (1852)
- Catalogue of Telugu books in the British Library, London (1912) compiled by L. D. Barnett.
Urdu Language Collection
Like Arabic and Persian since the days of Imperial Library, the Urdu collection now contains more than 20,000 books including collections like:
- Buhar Library
- Hidayat Husain collection
- Zakariya collection
- Imambara collection including Urdu books and manuscripts
- Uklakhi Hindee or Indian Ethics
- Mir Muhamad Taki's Kulliuat-e-Mir
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