Arvind Chaturvedi
On the banks of Sharmishtha Lake stands a library that has shaped Vadnagar’s intellectual life for more than a century. According to local accounts, young Narendra Modi often disappeared here into books and biographies of great personalities.
On the banks of the historic Sharmishtha Lake in Vadnagar, Gujarat, stands an old institution that has witnessed generations of readers, discussions and debates. The Vadnagar Seth Library, also known as the Seth Bhogilal Chakualal Vidyavardhak Library, is considered one of the town’s oldest libraries and remains part of its intellectual and cultural heritage.
Historical records and local accounts place the library’s establishment in the early 20th century, around 1905 to 1911. Prominent merchant Seth Bhogilal Chakualal Sahebkaranwala founded it through a personal donation in memory of his father.
The library was built in a beautiful two-storey building near Sharmishtha Lake. Its location beside the water provided a quiet and conducive environment for reading and study.
But the library was never merely a place where books were stored.
In its early years, it became a meeting place for Vadnagar’s educated citizens, scholars and young people. Readers would gather to read books and magazines, exchange ideas and debate subjects ranging from society and history to contemporary affairs.
Over time, the number of readers increased. A growing need also emerged to provide dedicated reading facilities for women and children.
In 1935, efforts by Mayabhai Manilal Mehta, along with a generous donation from Purushottamdas Naranbheram Patel, helped fund the construction of another larger, more modern building near the original library.
The expansion allowed the institution to serve a growing readership and strengthened its place in Vadnagar’s cultural life.
Where Narendra Modi Went Looking for Books
For Narendra Modi, the library had a more personal significance.
According to local accounts, after completing his studies for the day, young Narendra’s favourite place to sit was the library.
Sometimes his family could not find him in the usual places in Vadnagar. When his father, Damodardas Modi, or other family members looked for him, they often headed to the library.
He would be there, immersed in books.
The library became a place where the young Narendra spent considerable time reading. Among the books he is remembered as having read, there were accounts and biographies of prominent personalities and great men.
For a boy growing up in a small town, such a place could open a window to a much larger world.
The books on its shelves offered stories of people, movements and events far beyond Vadnagar. The discussions among readers offered another form of education—one based not only on reading but also on listening, questioning and debating.
A Library That Survived the Passage of Time
Like many old institutions, the library also went through difficult periods.
At one point, the original library building had fallen into a state of considerable disrepair. Yet the institution survived, helped by the continued interest of Vadnagar’s residents and the expansion of its facilities over the decades.
Today, the library still stands beside Sharmishtha Lake.
Walk into the area, and the scene is markedly different from the days when a young Narendra Modi would reportedly spend hours with books. Yet the basic character of the place has endured.
Even today, elderly residents of Vadnagar can be found reading newspapers and books and engaging in discussions and debates.
The library therefore remains more than a building associated with Narendra Modi’s childhood. It also reminds us of Vadnagar’s longstanding reading and intellectual culture.
For Narendra Modi, however, it was one of the places where his early curiosity grew.
Long before he became the Chief Minister of Gujarat or the Prime Minister of India, he was a young boy in Vadnagar looking for books, stories and ideas.
And when his family went looking for him, they often knew exactly where to find him—at the library beside Sharmishtha Lake, absorbed in a book.
