Thiruvananthapuram, Aug 21: Kerala Lok Bhavan has opened a new library named Thunchan Smrithi, bringing together a collection of more than 10,000 books and creating a dedicated space for reading, learning and research.
Governor Rajendra Vishwanath Arlekar inaugurated the library on Friday. The facility has been established near the main entrance of Lok Bhavan and is intended to make the institution’s book collection more accessible to readers, students, teachers, writers and researchers.
The collection includes more than 4,000 Malayalam books and around 6,000 books in English, along with works in other Indian languages. The books cover subjects including literature, history, culture, philosophy and science.
Many of the books were earlier kept at different locations within Lok Bhavan. They have now been brought together, organised and catalogued in one dedicated facility, giving the collection a more useful and accessible purpose.
The library has been named after Thunchath Ramanujan Ezhuthachan, a major figure in Malayalam language and literature. The initiative is expected to support Kerala’s long-standing culture of reading while providing a space where people can engage with books, knowledge and the state’s rich literary heritage.
The new facility also reflects the evolving role of libraries in the digital age. Beyond preserving books, such spaces can encourage reading, research, discussion and cultural interaction.
With Thunchan Smrithi, Lok Bhavan has given its extensive collection a renewed purpose and created another platform for knowledge-sharing in Kerala’s capital.
The initiative highlights the continuing importance of libraries as accessible spaces for education, cultural engagement and lifelong learning.