Facing criticism, Bihar reconsiders plan to demolish Khuda Bakhsh library room for Patna flyover

Under pressure from intellectuals over possible demolition of a reading room inside the historic Khuda Bakhsh Oriental Library, the Bihar government has decided to reduce the width of a particular section of the proposed flyover on Patna’s Ashoka Road. Amrit Lal Meena, Additional Chief Secretary, Road Works Department, said, “BRPNNL (Bihar Rajya Pul Nirman Nigam Limited) decided to reduce the width of the proposed overbridge by a certain distance to ensure that the Lord Curzon Reading Hall… The proposed 2.1 km double decker flyover will connect Kargil Chowk with National Institute of Engineering Chowk and Ganga Path, another mega project. The library was opened in 1891 by Khan Bahadur Maulvi Khuda Baksh, a Zamindar of Siwan, with over 4,000 manuscripts. In 1905, Lord Curzon, the then Viceroy of India, was so impressed with the library’s rich collection that he built a reading room.

In 1969, the Center recognized it as an institution of national importance. Currently, the library houses over 21,000 manuscripts, mostly in Arabic and Persian, along with over 2.5 lakh books as well as important writings in Sanskrit. In a letter to Patna DM Chandrashekhar in April, library director Shaysta Bedar wrote, “The (library) board was of the view to explore the possibility of saving parts of the library keeping in view the importance of the library. The biggest cultural heritage of the state. Amidst the controversy over the demolition of the reading room two months ago, Road Construction Department Minister Nitin Nabin had also indicated to review the plan. .