Lifelong pursuit to find lost pages
CHENNAI: The moment you step into this house in Kovilpathagai, you feel as though the walls themselves are whispering stories. On the first floor, a big room is crammed with books, rare, ancient, fragile and fiercely treasured, painstakingly collected by a 75-year-old man who never allowed the limits of his schooling to confine the vastness of his mind. Pazhankaasu Srinivasan built this universe of more than 50,000 books through sheer obsession, perseverance, and a hunger for knowledge that refused to fade with age.
Born in 1950 into a traditional Telugu Vaishnavite family in Thiruvidaimarudhur near Kumbakonam, Srinivasan completed only his SSLC. Yet his learning spans a breathtaking range of subjects, from philosophy and religion to politics, archaeology, medicine and world history. As a teenager, he was drawn to the communist movement, and though he could not pursue higher studies, his ideological leanings deepened his desire to read extensively. At 19, he joined the Communist Party of India and remained in the party for nearly 30 years. Over the years, however, certain literary commitments and political developments he disagreed with gradually prompted him to withdraw from party activities. Despite this, he continues to maintain close intellectual connections with scholars from all faiths and ideologies.
The expansion of his personal library is the result of decades of determined effort. Srinivasan travelled widely in search of rare editions, even reaching Mumbai and other cities only to return empty-handed at times. His passion for philosophy guided much of this pursuit, leading him to collect writings on Hinduism, Islam, Christianity and other belief systems. When asked whether collecting books is merely a pastime, he smiles and explains that he has read nearly 90% of them.
The unread portion, he says, consists mainly of encyclopaedias and dictionaries, which he uses only as references. Over the years, he has authored several books of his own and delivered many lectures at different forums. The name ‘Pazhankaasu’ has its origins in a scholarly venture that began in 2001 when Srinivasan started a quarterly journal titled Pazhankasu, which published research on ancient coins, inscriptions and Seppedukal (copper plate inscriptions). He edited the journal for four years. With characteristic sarcasm, he recalls discontinuing it due to the “overwhelming support” it received, a pointed remark about the public indifference towards niche scholarly work.
Although an atheist, Srinivasan has always embraced religious philosophy. In his 30s, he learnt yogic practices under a teacher in Mettur. He also developed a deep interest in Islam and Christianity, and today his home contains several Tamil translations of the Quran, attracting frequent visits from Islamic scholars. Among his rarest possessions is an 1885 edition of a Quranic commentary written in Arabic using Tamil transliteration, a style known as Aruvi, dating back to a period when the Mughals ruled parts of Tamil Nadu.
Srinivasan’s collection boasts several precious volumes: a book published in 1860 by a British college that teaches English through Tamil; a Tamil edition of the New Testament printed in 1857; Samaya Pareetchai, a text on Christianity published in Sri Lanka in 1858; a 1908 issue of a Saiva Siddhantha journal; and an old Tamil primary school textbook that opens with salutations to British kings and queens.
He also owns Ketti Enn Chuvadi, printed entirely using Tamil numerals. His shelves are filled with works on the Upanishads, the Bhagavad Gita and its commentaries, various versions of the Ramayana and Mahabharatha, and more than 25 editions of the Bible. His interests extend further to numismatics, archaeology, Siddha and Ayurveda, naturopathy, homeopathy, political histories, writings of communist leaders, materials relating to the Dravidian movement, Muslim organisations, the RSS, trade unions and the histories of Mutts. His library also includes 85 encyclopaedias, more than 200 dictionaries in multiple languages, novels by Tamil writers and biographies of world leaders.
Srinivasan’s own writings reflect the breadth of his interests. His works include Vidiyalai Nokki, a compilation of progressive poems; Sangakala Mannar Varisai, on the kings of the Sangam era; Varalaatril Tiruchy, a study of Tiruchy’s historical significance; Maamisa Unavin Maruthuva Payankal, which explores the medicinal uses of meat in Siddha practice; and Chiraichalai Kodumaigal, chronicling the hardships endured by freedom fighters in prison.
When asked about the future of his enormous collection, Srinivasan becomes pensive. Age and illness, he suffers from diabetes and other ailments, have made him more aware of the fragility of time. His wife too is ailing, and the responsibility of safeguarding these tens of thousands of volumes weighs heavily on him. “Some years ago, I was not ready to part with my collection,” he says.
“More than the cost of the books, the journeys I undertook in search of them cost me more. But now, I will heave a sigh of relief if someone ensures their safety.” He is willing to hand over his books, journals and rare materials to any organisation or government body capable of preserving them, provided fair compensation is offered. While he has digitised a portion of his library, many invaluable works still require high-quality digital preservation.
For Srinivasan, books are not belongings but companions, each one representing a journey, an idea, a discovery. His library is a treasure that extends far beyond personal passion. As he steps into the twilight of his life, his only hope is that the world he built, page by page, will endure long after him.
(Edited by Dinesh Jefferson E)
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