From Mughal era farmans to digital chips: DU library set for new chapter

Alongside new wings and modern technology, the library continues to safeguard a legacy woven into the university’s own history—18th- and 19th-century manuscripts, books in multiple languages, and the rarest of gems: three original farmans issued by Mughal emperor Aurangzeb.

Delhi University’s (DU) Central Library, the intellectual heart of the campus since 1922, is preparing to turn a new page. Once a modest hall with just 700 seats, the library is undergoing a major expansion that will push its seating capacity to nearly 3,400.

Stack after stack of books, the library feels like a repository of memories, knowledge and nostalgia, said Rajesh Singh, university librarian. (Hindustan Times)

But the transformation is more than bricks and mortar. Alongside new wings and modern technology, the library continues to safeguard a legacy woven into the university’s own history—18th- and 19th-century manuscripts, books in multiple languages, and the rarest of gems: three original farmans issued by Mughal emperor Aurangzeb.

When DU was founded in 1922, its library had a relatively modest beginning – it started with just 1,380 gifted books and 86 periodicals, operating out of temporary quarters. Between 1933 and 1958, it occupied a ballroom in the Vice Regal Lodge, before finally moving into the current Central Library building – located between the university’s Faculty of Arts and Faculty of Law.

“Between 1933-1958, the library was located in the convention centre in the Vice Regal Lodge, which was once a ballroom. Following that, the library finally shifted to the Central Library building in 1958,” said Rajesh Singh, university librarian.

There are three original farmans issued by Aurangzeb from 1676 CE (AH 1087), George Meredith’s Poems (1808), AW Kinglake’s Eothen (1863), 18th- and 19th-century Tibetan manuscripts, and maps of India dating back to 750 AD.

Expansion, modernisation

For decades, the land behind the library was reserved for expansion. That plan is now materialising. “Three new wings are being built, each a four-storey block, increasing the library’s area from 4,775 square metres to 18,525 square metres,” Singh said.

The ₹110-crore modernisation plan includes biometric gates and books embedded with metallic chips that must be demagnetised before being issued, preventing unauthorised removal.

Work in the first phase of the expansion began in February this year, and is expected to be completed by the end of December, Singh explained.

Digitisation, Singh added, is another priority. “The library has an endless supply of old knowledge and it is very important that it is all conserved. We are making provisions to digitise the manuscripts and rare books so they can be preserved and made accessible for future generations.”

The Central Library also anchors the Delhi University Library System (DULS), a network of 34 libraries across the campus. “Together, they give students access to 1.75 million books -- among the largest collections in the country, making it one of the largest library resources available in the country,” Singh said.

Through an DU e-library portal, students now have access to all resources across the system. “Once registered, any student can access both the digital and physical resources in all the libraries,” Singh said.

Inclusivity is also a focus. The Braille library is being upgraded with more resources to better serve visually impaired students.

While Phase I of the expansion is expected to be completed by the end of this year, plans for Phase II are already being drawn. The goal, Singh said, is to make DU’s library “the best in its services, with modern facilities and upgrades, all while protecting our heritage.”

In its century-long journey, the Central Library has grown from a modest start to a vast repository. Now, with its expansion, it is poised to become not just a larger space for study, but a modern one that offers students access to millions of books under a single roof.