Lawyer Puspanathan Sellam has been extremely busy since last October, the time he first started setting up a public library in Seremban’s Sri Mariamman Temple located at Jalan Dr Muthu, Rasah.
He has been spending most of his weekends at the library, cataloguing over 1,000 books and shelving them according to genre and author.
“It’s been a painstaking process to meticulously categorise books and magazines on Hinduism and Indian culture, both in English and Tamil.
“Thankfully, I have Maheswary Palaniyandi, a retired librarian from the National Library of Malaysia, to help me with the arduous task. She’s been doing a fantastic job of it, pro bono, ” said Puspanathan, 67, in a phone interview recently.
The affable man was inspired to set up the library because he felt the need to disseminate knowledge on Hindusim and Indian culture to the local Indian community.
“Often, there are conflicting views among Hindus on rites, mantras and prayers. Many Hindus follow them blindly without the means of verifying the accuracy and truth of the matter.
“Without the right information, the wrong remains wrong, generation after generation, without any clarification and rectification. As such, authoritative books would best serve the purpose (of righting the wrong), ” explained Puspanathan, who set up the library after receiving the blessings from the temple committee in 2018.
Most of the literature on Hinduism is from the 1960s and 70s. There are also a few books over 100 years old.
“In Malaysia, there is a limited number of publications on Hinduism and culture written in Tamil or English because of the conspicuous absence of authoritative local writers on those matters. Most books that are available are imported from India.”
The library was also built with the purpose of instilling religious values and awareness among Hindu youth.
“This (lack of values) could be due to Western influence and the fast-changing social climate among millennials. There is also an absence of Hindu religious knowledge taught in schools in Malaysia. Most Hindu holy books are in Tamil and many Indian youths are not only non-proficient in Tamil but also not Tamil-educated.
“Our library houses books in Tamil and English. The availability of these books is a step forward in ensuring the continuity of such knowledge and culture, ” explained Puspanathan, who also serves as the temple’s trustee and secretary.
The library opened its doors to the public in May, after the easing of restrictions under the movement control order.
Currently, the library is open from 9am-1pm on weekends.
“I am still looking for volunteers to assist me in managing the library. Only then can the library be opened on weekdays too. The response from temple devotees, mainly the Hindu youth and the older generation, has been positive. They are pleased with the selection of books in the library, ” explained Puspanathan, who manages the library on weekends with his wife Shoba Dev and their three sons.
Garden of knowledge
The library is believed to be the only one set up in a Hindu temple in Negri Sembilan. It isn’t big, measuring only 4.5m by 6m.
But in this little treasure trove, Puspanathan and Maheswary have neatly arranged the books on six racks. Books are labelled according to colour codes and classifications like mantras, deities, festivals and numerology.
There is also some literature on Buddhism, Jainism, Sikhism, Christianity and Islam.
Puspanathan hopes the community can make good use of the library to enhance their knowledge of Indian culture and different religions.
“It is good to know the religious tenets and teachings of other faiths in a multi-cultural, multi-racial and multi-religious society, as it can contribute towards racial and spiritual understanding, tolerance and mutual respect for a harmonious co-existence.
“Readers will be moulded into a broad-minded sector of society while still preserving and practising their faiths freely, ” explained Puspanathan, adding that the library was constructed in mid-2019.
Upon completion, the generous lawyer forked out his own money to furnish it with book racks, tables and chairs. Devotees and well-wishers donated the library books.
“Some contributors took the initiative to deliver the books to the temple’s doorsteps. Other well-wishers purchased entire sets of new books and donated it towards this worthy cause. A handful of elderly donors was reluctant to part with their prized possessions, ” said Puspanathan who, together with his sons, travelled around the Klang Valley to collect books donated to the library.
He intends to hold a soft launch of the library on the last day of Navaratri, a nine-day Hindu festival in October.
“What I like best is the thought of leaving behind a garden of knowledge which will bloom and grow for posterity for the young and old.”
Puspanathan also plans to install a digital flat screen display in the library.
“We must keep abreast with the ever-changing world of information technology to be relevant to the times and the needs of people, especially the younger generation. “With this added facility, I hope the youth will be drawn to the library and develop their knowledge of Indian culture and religion, ” concluded Puspanathan.
The Paper’s People is an occasional column about Malaysia-based everyday folk who do what they love. If you have someone to recommend, email us at lifestyle@thestar.com.my.
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