Madan Puraskar Pustakalaya | Lalitpur

The Madan Puraskar Pustakalaya (MPP) is the principal archive of books and periodicals in the Nepali language. Located in Patan Dhoka, Lalitpur, it is a non-profit institution dedicated to the collection and preservation of Nepali literary and cultural heritage.

Visual Characteristics & Architecture

The library is housed in a modern building designed by ABARI after the 2015 earthquake destroyed its original home. The current structure utilizes rammed earth and bamboo, integrating traditional aesthetics with earthquake-resilient engineering. The interior is functional, featuring climate-controlled storage for rare manuscripts and open reading areas for researchers.

Location & Access Logistics

Address: Patan Dhoka, Lalitpur (PO Box 42).

Hours: Sunday to Friday, 10:00 AM – 5:00 PM (Closed Saturdays).

Access: Located near the historic Patan Dhoka (Patan Gate). It is a 15-minute walk from the Patan Durbar Square.

Connectivity: 4G/LTE signal is stable. The library provides bibliographic search services via its digital catalog at madanpuraskar.org.

Historical Origin

The library grew from the personal collection of Kamal Mani Dixit, who began collecting Nepali books in the mid-1940s as a schoolboy.

1955: Formally established following an endowment from Rani Jagadamba Kumari Devi in memory of her husband, General Madan Shumsher JBR.

1985: Officially registered as a non-governmental organization.

Kamal Mani Dixit served as the chairman until his death in 2016; he is succeeded by his son, Kanak Mani Dixit.

Key Collections

The MPP holds the largest and most comprehensive collection of materials published in the Nepali language worldwide.

Monographs: Over 35,000 titles covering literature, history, and sociology.

Periodicals: Over 10,000 titles, including rare early 20th-century newspapers and journals.

Ephemera: Over 13,000 items such as political posters, pamphlets, and manifestos that document Nepal's socio-political changes.

Photographs: A massive archive of over 50,000 images, including rare glass plates and celluloid negatives from the Rana period.

Manuscripts: Over 700 rare manuscripts in Nepali, Sanskrit, and Newari.

Associated Literary Prizes

The library manages the Madan Puraskar Guthi, which awards Nepal's two most prestigious literary honors:

Madan Puraskar: Awarded annually for the best book published in the Nepali language.

Jagadamba Shree Puraskar: Awarded for lifetime contribution to the Nepali language and culture.

Winners are announced on the day of Ghatasthapana (the start of the Dashain festival).

Infrastructure & Digital Initiatives

NepaLinux: The library led the development of a Linux distribution in the Nepali language to promote local computing.

Digitization: Extensive collaboration with the Endangered Archives Programme (British Library) to microfilm and digitize rare and fragile monographs.

Unicode: Played a key role in the standardization of the Nepali Unicode font.

Best Time to Visit

The library is most active during the lead-up to the Madan Puraskar announcements in the autumn. For research, visiting on weekdays before 1:00 PM is recommended for optimal staff assistance.

Nearby Landmarks

Patan Dhoka: 0.1km East.

Rato Bangala School: 0.2km North.

Patan Durbar Square: 0.8km South.

Labim Mall: 0.5km West.