Madan Puraskar Pustakalaya

Madan Puraskar Pustakalaya (Nepali: मदन पुरस्कार पुस्तकालय) is a non-profit public library and archive based in Patan Dhoka, Lalitpur, Nepal. It is best known as the principal repository of books, periodicals, manuscripts, photographs, and ephemera in the Nepali language, and for administering the prestigious Madan Puraskar and Jagadamba Shree literary awards. Madan Puraskar +1

History

The collection that became Madan Puraskar Pustakalaya (MPP) began as a personal library assembled by literary enthusiasts in the mid-20th century and expanded through donations and institutional support. The organization traces its roots to the 1950s and was formally established to preserve and promote Nepali-language publications and cultural materials. MPP was established as a trust and has grown into a national archive and cultural institute. Wikipedia +1

MPP administers the Madan Puraskar (a leading annual literary prize in Nepali literature) through the Madan Puraskar Guthi (trust); it also manages the Jagadamba Shree Purasakar. The library’s activities therefore include both archiving and active promotion of Nepali literary culture. Wikipedia +1

Collections

MPP’s holdings are multidisciplinary and focused on Nepali language materials. Major elements of the collection include:

Books and periodicals: Tens of thousands of monographs and periodical issues in Nepali and related languages, gathered through purchases, donations, and exchange. Madan Puraskar +1

Manuscripts: Hundreds of manuscripts in Nepali and other local languages; MPP reports holding around 700+ manuscript items, of which several hundred have been digitized. Madan Puraskar +1

Photographs and ephemera: Large photographic holdings (tens of thousands of images, including glass plates and negatives) and assorted ephemera documenting Nepalese social, political, and cultural history. Madan Puraskar +1

Special collections and archives: Personal papers and donated collections from prominent Nepali writers, intellectuals, and cultural figures. Madan Puraskar

Digitization and Preservation

MPP has been an active partner in preservation and digitization projects to safeguard fragile and endangered materials. International collaborations—including projects supported by the British Library’s Endangered Archives Programme—have digitized and microfilmed rare monographs, periodicals, manuscripts, and photographs from MPP’s holdings to increase access and ensure long-term preservation. Endangered Archives Programme +1

The 2015 Nepal earthquake damaged several archival buildings and collections across Kathmandu; MPP reported structural damage to its original building and subsequently worked with conservation partners and architects to stabilize and rebuild archival facilities suitable for preservation and public access. ABARI +1

Activities and Services

In addition to archival work, MPP conducts a variety of cultural and educational activities:

Management and adjudication of the Madan Puraskar and Jagadamba Shree literary awards. Wikipedia

Publication, outreach, exhibitions, and training programs aimed at promoting Nepali literature, research, and archival awareness. Madan Puraskar

Software and language technology initiatives: historically MPP supported projects to advance Nepali computing and language support (for example, distribution of Nepali language computing tools). Madan Puraskar

Building and Location

MPP is located at Patan Dhoka in Lalitpur (Patan), in the Kathmandu Valley. Its facilities house reading rooms, conservation and digitization labs, and storage for special collections. After earthquake damage in 2015, rebuilding and retrofitting efforts were undertaken to create a safer, climate-controlled environment for the archive. Madan Puraskar +1

Access

The library is open to researchers and the public; its services include on-site reading, reference assistance, and, where possible, access to digitized materials. Contact and visiting information are available on the institution’s official website. Madan Puraskar +1

References

Madan Puraskar Pustakalaya — Official website. “Home / About / Collection Development / Manuscripts.” Madan Puraskar Pustakalaya. Madan Puraskar +2 Madan Puraskar +2

“Madan Puraskar Pustakalaya.” Wikipedia (English). Wikipedia

British Library — Endangered Archives Programme: “Preservation of historic ephemera and manuscripts from Nepal / EAP projects citing MPP collections.” Endangered Archives Programme +1

ABARI / Project pages on rebuilding and archive design for MPP (post-2015 earthquake reports). ABARI +1

South Asia Open Archives / SouthAsiaCommons — Madan Puraskar Pustakalaya collections (photograph collections, pre-1950). southasiacommons.net