Tribune correspondent Charanjit Singh Teja and photojournalist Vishal Kumar take you through the libraries in the holy city that are a treasure trove of valuable information and knowledge

Bhai Gurdas Library, GNDU

The Guru Nanak Dev University library has been named after the great Sikh Scholar Bhai Gurdas, who had the privilege of taking dictation from the reverend fifth Sikh master — Guru Arjan Dev — for the compilation of the Guru Granth Sahib. Bhai Gurdas Library was established in March 1970. The library building is a marvel of architecture. It is a five storeyed, inverted pyramid shaped magnificent building directly visible from the main gate of the university on the GT Road. It is centrally located with teaching departments all around. Bhai Gurdas Library has 1,516 rare manuscripts relating to Punjab history, culture, Sikh religion and other faiths. These manuscripts even have information about the present Himachal Pradesh, Haryana, Punjab and North West Frontier Province of Pakistan. These manuscripts are in Punjabi (Gurmukhi), Hindi, Sanskrit, Urdu, Persian and Arabic languages. In addition, the library has over 5,500 rare books. Most of these books relate to Indian as well as Punjab History, Sikh religion and various movements.