🚨 Thread 🚨 Established in 1970, the Urdu Library of Orissa at Buxi Bazar, Cuttack, was once a hub for students from all walks of life. Now, it lies dilapidated. ⬇️

Located right in the vicinity of Stewart School and Stewart Science College, the library is also quite close to St Joseph's, SB Women's College, New Stewart, Christ College, St Xavier's, Cambridge, etc. Very convenient for students to pick up books without having to travel far.

The earliest patrons of the library included Dr Radhanath Rath, freedom fighter, writer and Moinuddin Ahmed, IAS, among others. A Trust was set up to oversee its operations but the library has been lying abandoned for many years now.

I took the help of an influential local gentleman who kindly opened the library's gates for me. We were on the ground floor, looking around. There was a staircase to go upstairs where the library's books were kept. But it was locked. Unable to find a key, we headed out.

As we were discussing a few things, a call from behind made us both turn around. An elderly man, in kurta and pyjama, sporting a very long beard and thick glasses, asked us if we wanted to go upstairs. With childlike excitement I said, "Yes, please. Can we?"

The man was the caretaker of the library who lived in a small patch of land behind the building. He led us upstairs to a room, in similar tumbledown state as the one on the ground floor. The Urdu Library signboard was lying on one corner, gathering both dust and rust.

The caretaker then opened another room for us which made my jaw drop. Safely guarded in a cosy room, were hundreds of books of all languages, sizes and topics. Sharing some photos of the ones that caught my eye.

This is an Encyclopedia Britannica bookset that was donated to the library by Janaki Ballabh Patnaik, when he was the Chief Minister of Odisha.

Fakir Mohan Senapati's Granthabali.

Diwan e Ghalib, a collection of some of Mirza Ghalib's greatest works.

Moinuddin Ahmed's portrait adorned the wall of this book room. The caretaker said Mr Ahmed, IAS, had served as the revenue commissioner of Odisha. His son, Syed/Saeed, also became an IAS officer, the caretaker said.

The book Jesus: Prophet of Islam is Rs 3,655 on Amazon. There are so many treasures in this room, unbeknownst to the @CMCCuttack , who have been given the charge of maintaining the library, as I'm told.

This is a newspaper that the library used to subscribe. The Calcutta edition of Urdu newspaper Akhbar-e-Mashriq.

The long balcony next to the book room opens up to the back side of The Samaja office.

As someone who grew up very close to this place, this route was an everyday affair for me. It still is to some degree. Every time I pass through this road, the library's eery, haunting old-world charm always draws me in.

I sincerely request @CMCCuttack @SSingh_odisha @pavankalyan @iammdmoquim and other people in power to please help revive this centre for learning. With a little paint and a few brooms, this once-great library, truly one of a kind, would not go to waste.

Update: The Urdu Library found some newspaper space. Today's The Samaja, who could have at least given credits for the photos. @samajalive 😄

Thank you, @DharitriLive1 for highlighting this. Again, asking for credit never hurts. 😇