VEHARI, Dec 31: Sardarpur Jhandeer Town continues to attract people for its admirable peculiarities, a private library with a vast collection of books and rare Quranic manuscripts, besides civic planning.

Situated in Mailsi suburbs about 65 kilometres off Vehari, the town was established in 1961 by Sardar Muhammad Jhandeer and was named after him. The local railway station, too, bears the name of the founder.

Of all the achievements the town has made over the years, the Jhandeer Library stands out as a source of knowledge and light which have produced many a scholar and man of letter. It is the biggest privately-run library in terms of the number of books, which exceeds 130,000, in Urdu, English Punjabi and Seraiki on all important subjects.

Over 1,000 copies of the Holy Quran in different calligraphic designs and as many hand-written books on religion and gold-written manuscripts are its prized possessions. Also part of the library is a 100-kilogram volume containing 10 paras of the Holy Quran. It is opened by at least two persons.

Surrounded by lush green lawns, the library initially had a few rooms but with the passage of time the number of books increased and a 20-room double-storey stood up. Now even the guest rooms have become the part of the library having a pleasant juxtaposition of books.

There also exists a reference library with a free hostel for research scholars. To preserve the books, there is book-binding department, equipped with mechanical cutter and Xerox machine. The library is being computerized in keeping with the modern-day demands thanks to the zest of Jhandeers, who are paying due attention to its upkeep.

In 1995, the Sada-o-Cinema Iranian Broadcasting and Television Corporation telecast a documentary on the Jhandeer Library through satellite. The same year the BBC London also broadcast a documentary and appreciated the forty-year struggle of the family in preserving religious, national, historical literary and cultural heritage. Several research scholars, M.Phil and PhD students quench their thirst for knowledge.

District management officers visit the house of knowledge as part of their training. Vice-chancellors of universities, college principals, academics and doctors also derive immense benefit from it.

The Jhandeer’s posterity also deserves credit for contributing to research in farm technology and introducing new cotton varieties at their research farm. The people of the town have been interested in development since its establishment owing to which it has made remarkable progress in all spheres of life. Middle schools for boys and girls, a rural health centre, a veterinary hospital, besides public utilities make the public life amenable.

An organized network of roads and communication system differentiates it from other parts of the country.