Former Tamil Nadu Chief Minister J Jayalalithaa's library is a testimony to the leader's vast knowledge, command over multiple languages and her lifelong dedication to learn.
Jayalalithaa used to talk a lot about books with journalists during her interaction with them before she became Chief Minister in 1991. And she was interested in reading legal books that she even began correcting notes of her lawyers in petitions to be filed before the court.
Around 75 percent of her collections were English titles while Tamil books include works of Periyar E V Ramasamy, C N Annadurai, translations of Thirukkural, Kannadasan’s poetry and titles by Adi Shankaracharya, officers who visited her house told Indian Express.
The report also mentioned that there English titles also, including Nehru’s Discovery of India, biographies of Ronald Reagan and Abraham Lincoln, books on law, doctoral papers on Annadurai’s political life, M G Ramachandran and herself. Novels by Agatha Christie and Khushwant Singh were also spotted by the officials, the article said.
Her well-wishers say Kahlil Gibran and works of philosopher Hegel were part of her library.
The former AIADMK General Secretary, who died on December 5, 2016, following 75 days of hospitalisation, had been vocal about her love for books during interviews with various publications and television media outlets, first as an actor and later as a successful politician.
In an interview with Rediff.com in 1998, Jayalalithaa said, "Oh, there are so many. Well, I read practically everything. When I was a child I read Rajaji's translation of the Mahabharata and the Ramayana, when I was eight years old. I have read translations of the Ramayana and Mahabharata done by several other authors, but I still feel that Rajaji's version is the best. Because it was so lucid and clear, it could be understood even by children."
"Right now I have got a whole lot of books, which I haven't had the time to even open... The latest one I read was Malice by Danielle Steel. And before that, Wild Swans... That was a book I was really impressed by," she said to a question on what she was then reading.
"I also read books on history, I have read the entire series on the Tudor dynasty written by Jean Plaidy, that was a wonderful series, I like her books very much. I read books on history, geography, science, philosophy, religion, fiction, everything. Practically no subject in which I am not interested. I read books on medicine, books on law, whenever I find time. Even when I was acting in films, there used to be some time in between shots, I always used to carry books with me to the studios, and when I wasn't required, when the lighting was being done for the next shot, I would sit quietly by myself in a corner. Probably all that reading is coming in useful today," she said.
Insiders who had direct access to her told IE that she meticulously maintained her books with title stickers and serial numbers. “All these books had markings she made, or bookmarks to chapters she had read or marked for references,” an official said.
Describing the library, the officials said that it had two portions—one for bookshelves and another for her collection of journals and a reading corner. They mentioned that apart from the vast library, the house itself wasn’t very extraordinary. There was a lift to the first floor as she had knee troubles. There was also an intercom system to communicate with those on the ground floor.
Jayalalithaa’s close aide’s niece, J Krishnapriya, told IE the last book she gave her was Wishes Fulfilled by Wayne Dyer while the late leader was in hospital. Even though Jayalalithaa’s reading became restricted to news after 2000, her love for reading never faded, she added.
Apart from the books, 4.37 kg of gold, 601.42 grams of silver, 11 television sets, 38 air conditioners, 10 refrigerators, 653 documents, and 253 stationery items are among the 32,721 items that are part of ‘Veda Nilayam’.
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