M. J. Library or Sheth Maneklal Jethabhai Pustakalaya is a public library in Ellisbridge, Ahmedabad, India.
History
Mahatma Gandhi proposed to construct a public library by the collection of books he had at Sabarmati Ashram. Gandhi donated approx 7,000[1]-15,000[2] books to start this library.[3][4]
It was named after Maneklal Jethabhai; father of Rasiklal Maneklal, who donated to construct this library.[4] It was inaugurated by Vallabhbhai Patel on 15 April 1938.[4]
Architecture
The architectural design of library was done by Claude Batley.[5][6] It is built in Rajputana Colonial architecture style.[7]
The entrance area is octagonal space with a dome on top of it. The building is ornamented with chhajjas, brackets and jalis which Batley considered "practical climatic essentials" and rooted in the traditional Indian architecture.[5]
^A Comprehensive, Annotated Bibliography on Mahatma Gandhi: Biographies, Works by Gandhi, and Bibliographical Sources, Volumes 1-2. Greenwood Publishing Group. 1995. pp. 16, Acknowledgment. ISBN9780313253379.
^The Pacifist Impulse in Historical Perspective. University of Toronto Press 1996. 1996. p. 275. ISBN9780802007773.