Quick Info
| Profession | Timekeeper, Security Guard, Bus Conductor |
|---|---|
| Nationality | Indian |
| Date of Birth | 08/01/1949 |
| Age | 77 years |
| Birthplace | Haralahalli village, Srirangapatna, Mandya, Karnataka, India |
Latest News about Anke Gowda
25/01/2026
Anke Gowda was selected for the Padma Shri in 2026 in recognition of his lifelong contribution to literacy, books, and public access to knowledge through Pustaka Mane. Coverage described him as a former bus conductor from Mandya district who built a free-access library containing more than 20 lakh books and rare manuscripts.
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Bio/Wiki
| Famous for | Making one of the largest libraries in India |
|---|---|
| Library Name | Pustaka Mane (House of Books) |
| Library Collection Size | Over 2 million books in 20+ languages |
Physical Stats & More
| Height | 5' 9" (175 cm) |
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| Weight | 65 Kg (143 lbs) |
| Eye Colour | Black |
| Hair Colour | Salt & pepper |
Educational Qualification(s)
| Highest Degree | Master’s degree in Kannada literature |
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Personal Life
| Religion | Hinduism |
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| Languages | Kannada |
Relationships & More
| Marital Status | Married |
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Family
| Wife/Spouse | Vijayalakshmi | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Children | Sagar | ||||
| Parents |
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| Siblings | 1 |
Career
| Awards, Honours, Achievements |
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Some Lesser Known Facts
| 1. Anke Gowda was born in a farming family at Haralahalli village. | |
| 2. Books were scarce in the village, and he was drawn towards books from childhood. | |
| 3. He had to juggle farm work with his reading and used food money to buy books. | |
| 4. He became a bus conductor at around age 20 and started collecting books. | |
| 5. His library, Pustaka Mane, has around 800,000 books, including rare manuscripts and documents. | |
| 6. His library, Pustaka Mane, has around 2 million books, including rare manuscripts and historical texts in over 20 languages. | |
| 7. He founded Pustaka Mane to make books accessible to people from remote and marginalised communities. |