All official and unofficial attempts being made countrywide to preserve folk languages and tribal dialects have a common undercurrent-their base is the work initiated by polymath, linguist, author, Buddhist scholar and ‘father of Indian travelogue writing’, Mahapandit Rahul Sankrityayan. Even 50 years after his death on 14 April 1963, his efforts to strengthen the Austro-Asiatic family of languages - to which Jharkhand’s own Mundari and Santhali belong- influence all current work in this sphere. But while his travelogues, literary works and writings on Buddhism have charmed generations of Indian readers with their simple language and rich expression; one such reader, late Prabhu Narayan Vidyarthi, gave his admiration the form of a library dedicated to his idol.
located barely a stone’s throw away from Patel Maidan in a nondescript two-storied house in the capital’s Harmu Housing colony, the Rahul Sankkrityayan Study Centre was started in the late 1990s by former civil servant and author PrabhuNarayan Vidyarthi. located in two big rooms of his residence, the library houses a large and varied collection of books, articles, correspondences, newspaper articles and other valuable documents by and related to Sankrityayan. According to Dr Vidyarthi’s wife Pramila Vidyarthi, “My husband always had a scholarly bent of mind and reading literary works was his passion. Despite being a busy civil servant, he would find time for his literary pursuits and writing. The library is his life’s work in a nutshell.”
As to the reason for her husband’s particular focus on the life and works of Rahul Sankrityayan alone, she ascribes it to Sankrityayan’simpressive personality and memorable achievements. “My husband was greatly influenced by Rahuji’s command over so many varied fields of scholarship and numerous languages. He was also impressed by Rahulji’s depth of knowledge and command over these subjects, despite having received little formal education; and made it his life’s mission to compile all of Rahulji’s work under one roof,” she says.
Sankrityayan travelled widely to over 45 countries and wrote in five languages - Hindi, Sanskrit, Bhojpuri, Pali and Tibetan. His published works span a range of genres including autobiography, biographies, travelogues, sociology, history, philosophy, Buddhism, Tibetology, lexicography, Indology, grammar, text editing, folklore, science, fiction, drama, essays, politics, and pamphleteering.
Dr Vidyarthi has painstakingly collected his idol’s prolific output of over 100 books, articles and other writings and housed them in cupboards that line the walls of two rooms in his house. Along with these there are also copies of the books that Vidyarthi has written on Sankrityayan, including the seminal work “Anchue Prasang”; besides numerous other books of and on Hindi literature.
After his demise, his wife is taking care of this unique ode to a matchless scholar, and proudly remembers the moment when Sankrityayan’s wife Kamla and daughter Jaya had visited the library in 2001. “They had come to attend a seminar in Rahulji’s memory organised by the Buddhist Society of Hazaribagh. They heard of the library there and came to see it. Kamalaji was moved to tears when she saw the immaculately preserved collection,” she recalled.
The library is Mecca for scholars of Hindi literature and Buddhist studies; and attracts students and researchers from time to time. “I get students and research scholars from Ranchi and outside who are studying Rahulji and they come here to consult the books. Sometimes even college and university professors come here,” she reveals.
Pramila is now planning to convert it into a district-level library; and relocate the two-roomfuls of books to permanent premises in Ranchi’s Kathal More. As she puts it, “It will provide access to many more people, and also have space for additions to the collection. For a library should keep growing.”