Who Is Anke Gowda? Meet the Padma Shri 2026 Winner Behind Karnataka’s Legendary Library

In a modest house in Haralahalli, a small village near Mysuru in Karnataka, 75-year-old Anke Gowda, a Padma Award winner (2026), has built one of the most extraordinary private libraries in India, housing nearly two million books. What began as a personal passion has grown into an open public reading space that draws researchers, students, writers, civil service aspirants, and even Supreme Court judges.

The Ankegowda Book House (library) in Kennalu also known as Pustaka Mane (Book House) has become a major scholarly hub, boasting around five lakh rare foreign books and nearly 5,000 dictionaries across multiple languages. Its vast and diverse collection has made the village an unexpected destination for serious academic research, particularly in Kannada literature and humanities.

Who Is Anke Gowda?

Anke Gowda was born into a farming family in Mandya district, where access to books was limited during his childhood. His relationship with books began at the age of 20, when his college professor Anantharamu inspired him to start collecting them while he was working as a bus conductor.

He later earned a master's degree in Kannada literature and spent nearly 30 years working at a sugar factory. Throughout this period, Gowda devoted almost 80 per cent of his income to purchasing books, driven by a belief that knowledge must be preserved and shared. His commitment went so far that he sold his house in Mysuru to create space for the ever-growing collection.

Today, Gowda and his wife Vijayalakshmi live a simple life inside the library building itself, sleeping on the floor and cooking in a small corner-an embodiment of their complete dedication to the project. Along with their son Sagar, Gowda manages the library and is working to formally organise it under the Anke Gowda Jnana Pratishthana foundation as the collection continues to expand.

Speaking to Mathrubhumi, Gowda said the library mainly serves researchers and students, though civil service aspirants and senior members of the judiciary, including judges, have also visited. The library remains free to access, allowing anyone to walk in, read, and learn without restriction.

Despite financial constraints, Gowda continues to add books whenever possible. Now nationally recognised with the Padma Award in 2026, his lifelong dedication to knowledge has brought pride not only to Haralahalli, but to Karnataka and the country at large.