Hindu Reading Room cries for attention

The Hindu Reading Room, a heritage building, which saw many elites in its heydays gathering to read books or participating in cultural, academic, mythological and political talks, is now merely reduced to a newspaper reading room with only 10 to 15 visitors a day.

According to Paul, a heritage conservationist, in 1858 itself Vizag was a voluntary municipal association. “The reading room was run by Maharajah Gode Narayana Gajapathi Rao in a dilapidated building until a new building was built by his daughter, Rani Sahiba of Wadhwan, in memory of him in 1917,” he informed. He requested the government to take measures to establish a fully-furnished library in the building.

Inaugurated by Baron Pentland in 1917, the then governor of Madras, the reading room was frequented by the likes of Sri Tenneti Viswanadham, Arudra and Gollapudi Maruthi Rao in its heydays. But over the years, the books got worn out and were destroyed by pests.

The two-storied building with verandahs in both the floors is now in a deplorable condition. The front facade of the building is provided with an elevated portico, having a large pointed central arch created in between two small side arches.

“With a higher vision to infuse reading habit in general populace and to provide a space for religious and academic activities, the Hindu Reading Room was built during pre-Independence,” reminisced Dr G. Viswanadha Kumar, a professor from Andhra University.

Even though some restoration works were undertaken post Hudhud, the building is not serving its original purpose and is on the verge of virtual shutdown. When asked, one of the representatives of this reading room said that the number of visitors has now reduced to 10 a day. But, he said, they were readying bookshelves and other infra to open a full-fledged library.