The National Library of India, located on the sprawling 30-acre Belvedere Estate in Kolkata, is the largest library in the country and serves as an institution of national importance under the Ministry of Culture, Government of India. Tasked with collecting, disseminating, and preserving printed materials published across India, the library stands as a beacon of knowledge and archival heritage. It holds millions of books, periodicals, manuscripts, and official documents in more than a dozen languages, making it a critical hub for researchers, scholars, and bibliophiles.

The origins of the National Library date back to 1836 with the founding of the Calcutta Public Library. Lord Metcalfe, the then Governor General, enriched the library by transferring 4,675 volumes from the College of Fort William. In 1891, the Imperial Library was created by merging several government libraries. Later, Lord Curzon envisioned a public library and united the Calcutta Public Library with the Imperial Library. This merged entity was inaugurated on January 30, 1903, at Metcalfe Hall. Post-independence, the library was renamed the National Library of India, and it continues to serve as the country’s foremost repository of printed heritage.