Remembering KM Chellappah, Founder oF Jaffna Public Library
Source:Thuppahis
Item in the Daily News, 5 March 2026, entitled “Jaffna honours Father of the Library”
The Jaffna Public Library recently hosted a commemoration to mark the 130th birth anniversary of its pioneer, Kanagasabai Mudalithambiyar Chellappah (1896–1958). This event celebrated a chapter in the history of Jaffna’s libraries. It was organized jointly by Mayor Vivekanandaraja Madivadani and the library administration.
The proceedings were presided over by Jaffna Municipal Commissioner S. Krishnenthiran and Chief Librarian Anushiya Sivakaran, drawing a large gathering of academics, library staff, and social activists. K.M. Chellappah was recognised not merely as a judicial officer during the British colonial period, but as the prime visionary of the free library movement.
In 1933, amidst economic hardship, he launched a revolutionary initiative from his own home in Puttur with a mere 844 books. This effort shifted the paradigm of education in Jaffna toward a democratised model of public learning. Scholars at the event pointed out that Chellappah’s life is the ultimate example of how one individual’s ambition can transform into a mighty river quenching a society’s thirst for knowledge.
Participating as a guest of honour, Chellappah’s great-grandson from London shared historical insights, with attendees emotionally noting, “The temple of knowledge he ignited then shines today as our nation’s intellectual treasure on a global scale.”
The event remembered the immense contributions of the dedicated circle of pillars who ensured the library emerged as a revered hub in Asia: legal scholar Dr. Isaac Thambiah; Rev. Fr. Timothy M.F. Long; the Rector of St. Patrick’s College, S.A. Sabapathy; and the Mayors of Jaffna who championed the construction of the permanent building.
Prof. S.R. Ranganathan and K.S. Narasimhan, the world-renowned library scientist and architect, provided the technical and aesthetic blueprint. Gate Mudaliyar Muthuthamby, a key donor of rare manuscripts, formed the heart of the library’s archival collection.
K.M. Chellappah famously walked through the streets and markets of Jaffna with a donation box, tirelessly collecting contributions as small as single cents from the public to build the starting capital of 1,184 rupees and 22 cents for the Jaffna Public Library.
It was strongly emphasised that the Jaffna Public Library, now an unparalleled identity for Tamils worldwide, would have been entirely impossible without the singular, spark provided by K.M. Chellappah.
