From fields to full shelves: Anke Gowda’s free library opens 20 lakh books to all
Bengaluru: A former bus conductor who spent decades collecting books while working multiple jobs has built one of India’s largest free-access libraries in Karnataka.
Anke Gowda, a Padma Shri awardee born into a farming family, is the founder of Pustak Mane, or “House of Books.” The library now holds nearly 20 lakh books and serves students, researchers, and general readers from across the state.
Gowda began gathering books during his early working years, adding to the collection with each job he took. What started as a personal dream grew into a public resource with open access for all, at no cost.
Today, Pustak Mane stocks material in Kannada, English, and other languages, covering school textbooks, competitive exam guides, literature, history, and research journals. College students preparing for UPSC and KPSC exams are among the regular visitors, along with scholars tracing regional history.
The library runs on community support and volunteers, staying true to Gowda’s goal of removing financial barriers to reading. State officials and educationists credit the initiative with improving access to study material in rural and semi-urban areas.
“Books should not wait for money,” Gowda has said at past events. For thousands of readers in Karnataka, his shelves prove the point.
