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Anke Gowda, who began collecting books at the age of 20, was awarded the Padma Shri, one of India’s highest civilian honours, in 2026. Once a bus conductor, Gowda now runs Pustak Mane (House of Books) in Haralhalli village, Karnataka, which has a collection of more than 2 million books. Today it is regarded as one of the largest private libraries in the country and offers free reading facilities to the public.