...... The exhibition comprised rich collection of rare books in different languages including English, Urdu, Hindi, Persian and Sanskrit most of which are published in the 19th century A.D. A title, ‘History of the World’ published by Oxford 200 years ago in 1810 A.D generated huge interest. The Persian collection included prized titles like Bhagwat Geeta in verse published in 1978 Bikrimi, Aain-e-Akbari published 158 years ago, Shahnama Firdousi published in 1874 Seerat-un-Nabi (SAW) by Maulana Shibli Namani published exactly a century ago. A very old print of Asli Wadi Heer Waris Shah (Punjabi) published in Lahore also caught attention of the visitors. In the Urdu Section, Makhzan ul Advia, a book on medicine, published 150 years ago, Tareekh-e-Lahore published in 1884 A.D, the first prints of Kalhana’s Rajatarangini in Sanskrit (1892) with a foreword by M. A. Stein and Walter Lawrence’s magnum opus, The Valley of Kashmir (1895), Katha Sarit Sagar (1880) and Works of Charles Dickens (1905).

Other attractions were photo albums about the Visit of Prince and Princess of Wales to Jammu in 1905, Kashmir-Dharampur Wedding 1923 and marriage of His Highness the Yuvaraj of Mysore, Census Reports of 1901, 1911, 1921, 1931, 1941, 1951 and 1961, Administration Reports and maps of India and the world in Urdu published in 1268 Hijra and 1852 A.D., respectively. Another map of Ancient Kashmir was published in 1897 A.D.

The exhibition at SPS Central Library Srinagar too was a big draw where old and, now, rare books in various languages were on display. Here also a large number of people including school children visited the exhibition throughout the day. Officials of the Department of Libraries & Research led by Deputy Director, Munib ul Hassan introduced the visitors to the books on display.