Special Report on biggest public library Malisi

Not a far cry from Mailsi, just 15km apart, situated a clean, non polluted and ideal town named Sardarpur Jhandeer. This town was established in 1961 by Sardar Muhammad Jhandeer a reverend personality of this town and so the Railway Station here bears the name Sardarpur Jhandeer after its founder.

On the same design and pattern as the former mosque of Islamabad had, there is also a mosque at Sardarpur Jhandeer with an eighty feet high minaret which is harbinger of the town from a distance adjacent to this mosque there is Masood Jhandeer Library.

In Tehsil Mailsi Sardarpur Jhandeer is the only and lonely place free from politics. Its residents are interested in social and welfare activities and striving for the progress of the locality Mian Masood Jhandeer, Mian Mehmood Jhandeer and Mian Ghulam Ahmed Jhandeer, the sons of Mian Sardar Muhammad Jhandeer, are well to do and learned personalities.

The town which was established after the birth of Pakistan made quick progress. Now, the Government has provided it with, two Govt. Middle Schools each for girls and boys, a Rural Health Center a Veterinary Hospital, Electricity a Telephone Exchange, a Bank, a Post Office and a Telegraph Office.

From field to market a well organized network of roads makes it prominent. To communicate between eastern and south eastern areas two bridges are constructed over Sidhnai Mailsi Link canal with the cost of ten million rupees. There are straight paved streets and metalled roads in the town. The town is equipped with street light. Special attention is paid to sanitation.

There is also a modern well equipped cotton farm. It has cemented irrigation hoses, beautiful grassy plots, rows of trees which add to the beauty of the farm.

But this town is famous for its Jhandeer Library not only in Pakistan but also all over the world. With respect to standard and number of books it in the most onerous and the largest private library in Pakistan.

It contains one hundred and thirty thousand books. Books in Urdu, English, Punjabi and Saraiki on all important topics are there. It has more than one thousand copies of the Holy Quran written in different calligraphic designs.

It has also two thousand hand written books on religion. Of these rare books some are antique while other are gold written. There is also a volume of ten Paras of the Holy Quran which weighs 100 Kg and occupies 3 ½ x 2 ½ feet. Two men are needed to open it.

Amidst the green beautiful lawns, Jhandeer library building lies. Formerly it consisted of a few rooms but with the passage of time its number of books increased and Jhandeer Brother’s double story building of twenty rooms was to change into the library. Even now the guestroom has become the part of the library. Different portions of library are arranged harmoniously. It is exclusively a reference library. In this library there is a free hostel for the readers and research scholar.

To preserve the books there is book binding department equipped with mechanical cutter and Xerox machine. Now, the library is being computerized. Jhandeer Brothers are paying their utmost attention to this library

Some years ago they went to Karachi to purchase a car. Passing by the road they saw books piled up the pavement. When they looked at those books they found them rare and precious ones. They remembered nothing except to purchase all those books. So, they did not return home with a car but a cargo of books

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Masood Jhandeer Library achieved universal fame as a private library. Now, Mailsi is famous for Mailsi Syphon, shrine of Hazrat Abu Bakar Waraq, Malik Wahon Mosque of Aurangzeb‘s period and the last but not least for Masood Jhandeer Library.

In 1995, Sada-o-Cinema Iranian Broadcasting and Television Corporation direct telecast a documentary film about Masood Jhandeer Library Via satellite. In the same year the B.B.C. London broadcast a documentary about Masood Jhandeer Library. In this context the B.B.C. appreciated the forty years struggle of Mian Masood Jhandeer, Mian Mehmood Jhandeer and Mian Ghulam Ahmed Jhandeer to preserve a variety of religious, national, historical, literary and cultural heritage. At the same time an interview of Mian Ghulam Ahmed Jhandeer, recorded by the BBC correspondent and a literary figure Raza Ali Aabdi, was telecast. Since Masood Jhandeer Library is a reference library, several research scholars, M.Phil and PhD students are quenching their thirst for knowledge. District Management officers under training paid visit as a part of their training. Vice Chancellors of universities, Principals of Colleges, Professors and Doctors come here. Courtesy: Official Website of District Vehari