This Man Sold His House to Gift India a Library of 2 Million Books

What happens when a love for books meets a man willing to dedicate his life to the mission? Something beautiful.

For 75-year-old Anke Gowda from Karnataka, it meant selling his own home, devoting decades to collecting books, and opening one of the largest personal libraries in India for free public use. His quiet and selfless mission is now a beacon for what passionate commitment can achieve.

The Beginning of a Long Journey

Growing up in a modest agricultural family in Mandya district, Anke Gowda didn’t have easy access to books or resources when he was young. That didn’t stop him, though. He was full of curiosity and determination that would carry him far. At the age of 20, while working as a bus conductor and later pursuing a master’s degree in Kannada literature, he began collecting books.

What stands out is how he didn’t just accumulate books as a hobby, like most of us. Instead, it evolved into something more. It became a mission. He spent around 80% of his salary from a sugar factory job for nearly thirty years buying books. And then the most dramatic step: he sold his property in Mysuru in order to fund the expansion of his collection.

The Library: A Treasure for Everyone

It was worth it, though. The collection is massive. Anke’s library, known as Pustaka Mane (Book House), located in Haralahalli village near Srirangapatna in Mandya district, houses nearly two million books. Among them are half a million rare foreign books and more than 5,000 dictionaries in multiple languages.

What makes this remarkable isn’t just the quantity, but the accessibility. There is no membership fee and no gatekeeping. Researchers, students, civil-service aspirants, and even Supreme Court judges have visited. It’s not hard to see why, either. The shelves hold literature, science, technology, mythology, philosophy, and manuscripts dating back to 1832.

When you think about a library that anyone can walk into, free of charge, with two million books waiting, you realize this is more than your average library: it’s a statement. It’s based somewhere where plenty of people would otherwise grow up like Anke, with few options when it comes to reading. Instead, they’re faced with one of the most unbelievable libraries in the world!

The Importance of Anke’s Library

In an era when digital content dominates, when many libraries struggle for funding, and when books are sometimes treated as a luxury, Anke’s story stands out. It’s about access. It’s about community. It is about the belief that knowledge should be available to everyone.

It also shows how one person, quietly, patiently, can build something huge, something that impacts many. He didn’t wake up and declare, “I will build India’s biggest library.” Instead, piece by piece, book by book, dream by dream, he accomplished a miracle.

For the local community and beyond, this library is a cultural landmark. Students and researchers now come from all over India, drawn by the idea of free access to such a collection. It’s a model of grassroots effort.

Anke sold his house, yes, but did more than that. He invested everything into building a house of books, open to all. He converted personal property into communal property; he turned individual passion into shared treasure.

In a world where we often talk about big foundations, corporate philanthropy, and global initiatives, here’s a story that reminds us that someone local, someone persistent, someone humble can also create extraordinary change.

So yes: the title fits. This really was a house sale that gave books to India. And maybe, in that, it gives hope to all of us: that one person, one vision, one risk, can open up the world.

The Ripple Effect

What Anke Gowda started in a small village is now rippling far beyond Karnataka. Visitors who step into Pustaka Mane often leave inspired. Teachers start small libraries in their schools, local youths organize book drives, and donors send boxes of books from across India. Even online, his story has sparked conversations about the power of individual action in preserving knowledge.

On social media, people have shared how this one man’s dedication reminded them of their own childhood libraries and the smell of old paper that once shaped their dreams. The message is simple but profound: when you give freely, you ignite others to do the same.

Gowda’s library isn’t just a building full of books; it’s a movement, a living, breathing symbol that generosity and learning can go hand in hand, and that true wealth often has nothing to do with money at all.