Key Facts

• Anke Gowda amassed a collection of two million books over five decades.
• His library is located in Pandavapura, Karnataka, and is open every day.
• Gowda received the Padma Shri award for promoting literacy.
• The library holds books on a wide range of subjects, including rare editions.
• Gowda grew up in a farming family and was passionate about books from a young age.
• He spent much of his salary as a factory worker on buying books.
• Gowda also worked as a bus conductor and insurance agent to support his collection.
• The collection is still growing with donations and his own purchases.