History

Profile of Gopala Row Public Library

The Library was started in May 1895 and has crossed 124 years.

Gopala Row was the son of Maharashtrian parents domiciled in Thanjavur. He had no schooling. His father was his teacher and schior Devaji Rao was his mentor in higher studies in English and Sanskrit. The British Rulers, very much impressed with his administrative ability and command over English, put him as a teacher in the provincial school at Kumbakonam which was later christened as Kumbakonam College. His ability, efficiency won him the post of acting principal wen the European principal went on long leave.
No wonder when he passed away, his admiring pupils and the public in Kumbakonam thought fit to rise a library in memory of him in the present premises. The entire campus of the library was only a plantain garden and was bought for a nominal amount from Thiruvaduthurai Adeenam. Generations of pupils and researchers are now harvesting here their intellectual acumen and knowledge through the thought-provoking books provided herein.
A new wing named after the late G.Narasimhan, administrative head of The Hindu, came up with a plethora of books of rare value and good variety. It is the envoy and admiration of reading public. The G.Narashiman book foundation which routed the above gift floods the discerning reader with intellectual material hard to ferret out elsewhere.

The Library has now fully been computerized. The membership for the library is Rs.400 per year. For the Poor students, who could not purchase books, the Library purchase books required by them and allow them to use until the semester is over after which the books should be returned to the Library.