Sundarayya Vignana Kendram (SVK) is a famous Library located in Hyderabad, the fourth largest city in India. In the year 1988, it was founded by a Voluntary trust in memory of late Shri Sri Putchalapalli Sundarayya, a renowned freedom fighter. The Trust who manages the library was commissioned in the year 1985. The library is maintained by public donations.
Aim of Sundarayya Vignana Kendram
The aim of the Research Library is to conserve the cultural heritage of Indian civilization. Thus, Sundarayya Vignana Kendram was set up.
Collection of Sundarayya Vignana Kendram
Presently, the SVK research library is home to more than 2, 50, 000 very rare 19th and 20th century Telugu, Urdu and English printed materials and Urdu manuscripts. The contents are available through various mediums such as books, journals, newspapers, reports, pamphlets. However, the major part of the library mainly comprises of Sri Late Sri Putchalapalli Sundarayya`s personal collection.
Several eminent personalities in India have played a key role in enriching the library by their donations. People from the field of literature and politics like Dr. Arudra, a popular creative writer; Dasarathi, another Telugu poet and novelist; Bezawada Gopala Reddy, a well known political leader, and several others have donated various noteworthy books. The Kendram also collects and preserves all the printed Telugu materials that are endangered in addition to the Urdu language materials.
The library has preserved Private Papers of Sundarayya which alone contains material of more than 1,00,000 pages and around 1200 rare Urdu manuscripts. It holds approximately 75,000 rare printed materials. It has also digitalized and preserved 3000 paintings of late Sri Sanjeeva Dev, an eminent painter.
Restoration Project of Sundarayya Vignana Kendram
The research library has also successfully executed a major project of recovery of flood damaged research library during 2000-2002. In the year 2002, it hired a Thermal Vacuum Freeze Dryer from Cromwell Restoration Ltd., of Vancouver in Canada and retrieved the entire flood damaged literary materials. It saved around 150,000 Urdu, Telugu and English books and manuscripts. The restoration work was completed by November 2002.
Membership of Sundarayya Vignana Kendram
Students from all over India and several Scholars working on South Asia highly refer this library. Access to the Research Library is free of charge. At present, more than 300 people are member of this library. The demand of the library among the Research Scholars is huge, so they also emphasise on purchasing latest books and reports on regular basis.
International Venture of Sundarayya Vignana Kendram
Sundarayya Vignana Kendram is a partner in the Digital South Asia Library project. The project is a global collaborative effort which aims to provide wider international access to rare historical resources. The SVK is one of three Indian institutions involved in this international venture.
Future Programme of Sundarayya Vignana Kendram
As part of its future program, the research library aims to-
•Develop various collections of private papers of individuals and the papers of organisations, especially those operating in the rural areas.
•Retrieve the primary materials related to various strands of the Indian national movement; the rich legacy of all Social, Economic and Political movements; Peasant, Tribal and Working Class movements, and the role of Cultural and Religious organisations and associations in those popular movements.
•Create facilities for advancement and propagation of education and learning including establishment, maintenance and support of colleges, schools, hostels, and grants of free boarding and lodging to poor and deserving students.
•Render help and assistance to women and children and to other institutions and associations of persons which are engaged in activities of similar nature and which in the opinion of the Trustees deserve such help.
