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NEHRU MEMORIAL MUSEUM and LIBRARY

The Nehru Memorial Museum and Library (NMML) has been created in Teen Murti House complex which was established in the year 1964 after the death of Pandit Jawaharlal Nehru. He was the first prime minister of India. This is also one of the best Libraries in Delhi. The library has a huge collection of social sciences and collection on labor related issues in PhD books, reports, newspapers etc. Robert Tor Russell had designed Nehru Memorial. He had also designed Connaught Place. It’s construction was started in 1929 and took almost a year to complete. It is also known as the masterpiece of the British and French architecture.

NEHRU MEMORIAL MUSEUM and LIBRARY
Image credit: Wikipedia

Visiting Detail

  • Location:  Teen murti Bhavan, Teen murti Marg, New Delhi
  • Timings: 9.00 am to 5.30 pm
  • Closed: Monday
  • Entry fee: Free

Introduction

The main purpose of the construction of this institution was to preserve the history of the Indian Independence Movement. The archives of the library has the writings of Mahatma Gandhi, Sarojini Naidu (Indian Political Activist and poet), B. C. Roy (Indian Physician and freedom fighter), C. Rajagopalachari (Indian Politician and Independence Activist), Jayaprakash Narayan (Indian Independence Activist), Chaudhary Charan Singh (5th Prime Minister of India) and Rajkumari Amrit Kaur (Indian Activist and politician).

In March 2010, it started the digitization of its archives which resulted in scanning of around 29,807 photographs, 867,000 pages of manuscripts and upload of 500,000 pages in the digital library website in June 2011.

Nehru Memorial Museum and Library has always supported intellectuals and historians in Indian. OP Kejriwal who was the Chief Information Commissioner is one of the best examples.

It is also one of the best libraries in Delhi known for social sciences. The library has a huge collection on issues related to labour which are in the PhD form, books, reports etc.

Study room at NEHRU MEMORIAL MUSEUM and LIBRARY
Image credit: Wikipedia

Construction of museum

Before Independence the British forces were using this memorial for residence of Commander in Chief but after Independence the Indian government converted it to the residence of Jawaharlal Nehru. After Jawaharlal Nehru’s death in 1964, the Indian government decided to convert this house into a museum and library. So finally the memorial came into the year 1966. Bal Ram Nanda was the founder-director who also organized the museum and the library for 17 years. In 2003 the Indian government awarded him with the Padma Vibhushan. 

Reconstruction of Library 

Later with the increase in research materials in the library, the government reconstructed the library to get more space. Indian former president V.V. Giri inaugurated the library formally in 1974. Then in the year 1989, the Indian government reconstructed the library to expand its size because of the increase in large volume of research materials. Later in the year 1990, the library had the centre for contemporary studies.

Highlights of the Museum and Library

  • Nehru Memorial Library is the major resource centre of Jawaharlal Nehru in the world.
  • A lecture is organised every year on 1st april as the foundation day of  Nehru memorial museum and library.
  • Nehru Planetarium which is also the part of the museum came into charge in 2005.
  • Some of the famous publications of the Nehru Memorial Museum Library are
    • “Man of Destiny” by Ruskin Bond
    • “Selected works of Jawaharlal Nehru”
    • “Nehru Anthology”

Digitalization of the Library

Now most of the historical documents, manuscripts and other materials of Nehru are online by HCL Infosystems in 2010. Under this project, around 50 collections of manuscripts, more than 29000 photographs, more than 800 interview transcripts and more than 1 lakh images of Amrita Bazar Patrika are online.

Dispute

IN the year 2009, many well known scholars  Ramachandra Guha, Mahesh Rangarajan, Sumit Sarkar, Nayanjot Lahiri, Mushirul Hasan, Nivedita Menon  Mukul Kesavan and Krishna Kumar claimed that this institution is double dealing and running in corrupt fashion. According to them, the publication programme had suspended. Later, Madhu Kishwar (Activist and Writer), Pradeep Krishen (environmentalist), Irfan Habib and D. N. Jha (Indian Historians) came in support of the institution.

Attractions near NNML