history of library

The literary treasures of ancient India in Sanskrit and other Indian languages were written by hand on various materials such as palm-leaves, paper etc., They were preserved in the houses of Pandits and other Scholars. In private possession and also in public Institutions like Mutts, temples and last but not least, in the Palaces of Kings who were patrons of arts and letters. Without exception, all kings had their manuscript collections in their Library called Sarasvati Bhandara, which varied from one another only in respect of size. One such collection is what formed the subject of this article, the Sarasvati Mahal, in the Palace at Tanjore in Tamilnadu.
During the reign of Nayaks of Thanjavur (1535-1675 A.D.), "Sarasvati Bhandar"(Collection place of Manuscripts) was formed and developed. The Maratha rulers who captured Thanjavur in 1675 A.D. patronised the culture of Thanjavur and developed the Royal Palace Library till 1855 A.D. The Sarasvati Bhandar was situated within the Palace campus and the Manuscripts used for the purpose of reading by the Royal personages.
Among the Maratha Kings, King Serfoji II (1798-1832), was an eminent scholar in many branches of learning. In his early age, he studied under the influence of Rev. Schwartz, and learned English, French, Italy, Latin etc., and also interested in Arts, Science, and Literature. With great enthusiasm he took special steps for the enrichment of the Library. During his pilgrimage to Banares, he employed many Pandits to collect, buy and copy a vast number of works from all renowned Centres of Sanskrit learning in the North and other far-flung areas. It is a fitting tribute to the great collector Serfoji that the Library is named after him