“Knowledge is the most enduring memorial. Our Research Library is dedicated to ensuring that the history of the 1947 Partition is preserved, accessible, and continuously studied for generations to come.”
The Research Library and Documentation Centre at Vibhajan Vibhishika Smriti Nyas is one of the most specialised and comprehensive archives in South Asia dedicated exclusively to the history, literature, sociology, and human rights dimensions of the 1947 Partition of India. Established with the conviction that rigorous scholarship is the foundation of meaningful memorial, the Library serves as the intellectual backbone of the Nyas’s entire mission.
The facility houses an extensive collection of primary and secondary source materials, including rare books, academic journals, government documents, official correspondence, newspaper archives, oral history recordings, photographic collections, and digitised manuscripts. It is open to registered researchers, academics, students, journalists, documentary filmmakers, and interested members of the public.
The Library’s collection has been assembled over three decades through field research, donations from survivor families, acquisitions from dealers and auction houses, transfers from government archives, and partnerships with leading universities and archival institutions. It is widely regarded as the most comprehensive specialised collection on Partition history anywhere in the world.
Physical Volumes
Oral Testimonies
Researcher Seats
Years of Fieldwork
The Library’s physical collection currently comprises over 25,000 volumes, making it the largest specialised collection on Partition history in the country. Subjects covered span the full range of scholarly and creative engagement with the Partition:
Access to the Archive is available both in-person at the Library and through the Nyas’s secure online portal. Certain testimonies have been designated as restricted at the request of the respondent or their family, and access to these is managed according to detailed protocols designed to protect the privacy and dignity of those involved.
Recognising that access to knowledge should not be limited by geography, the Nyas has invested significantly in the digitisation of its collections and the development of a state-of-the-art Online Research Portal. The Digital Archive provides remote access to thousands of scanned documents, photographs, audio testimonies, and academic publications to registered users worldwide.
The Portal features:
The Portal is accessible to registered users worldwide. Registration is free for academic researchers, educators, and students. The Nyas has a dedicated digital team that continuously expands the Portal’s content and functionality, and that provides technical support to registered users.
The Library provides dedicated reading and research facilities to support scholars and students in their work. The General Reading Room accommodates up to 80 researchers simultaneously and is equipped with high-speed internet access, personal power outlets, and access to the Library’s digital catalogue.
The Quiet Research Room offers a silent, distraction-free environment for deep scholarly work, with access to specialist reference materials available on request. The room is particularly appreciated by visiting scholars working on extended research projects and is available for daily or weekly booking.
The Library also houses two fully equipped Seminar Rooms available for research group meetings, academic seminars, and specialist workshops. Audio-visual equipment, projectors, and collaborative research tools are available in both rooms, which can accommodate groups of up to 20 and 40 participants respectively.
A dedicated Digitisation Suite allows researchers to create high-resolution scans of materials they have brought for analysis — subject to copyright and preservation guidelines. The Suite is staffed by a trained digitisation specialist who can advise on best practice and format standards.
The Research Library maintains active partnerships with leading universities, archival institutions, and research organisations in India and internationally. Partner institutions include universities in Delhi, Mumbai, Lahore, Cambridge, Oxford, Chicago, and Toronto, as well as national archives in India, Pakistan, and Bangladesh.
These partnerships enable the exchange of scholarly resources, joint research projects, collaborative digitisation initiatives, and visiting scholar programmes. The Library has signed Memoranda of Understanding with seven international universities, providing for the exchange of digitised collections and joint hosting of online exhibitions.
The Library’s staff includes trained archivists, subject specialists, and digital preservation experts who provide personalised research assistance to visiting scholars. A Reference Enquiry Service handles queries from remote researchers who are unable to visit in person, providing bibliographic guidance and document reproduction services within copyright limits.
The Nyas offers a structured Research Fellowship Programme that provides selected scholars with full access to the Library’s resources, dedicated workspace, a modest stipend to support living expenses, and access to the Nyas’s network of scholars, survivors, and community contacts.
Fellowships are awarded for periods of three, six, and twelve months, and are open to scholars at all career stages — from doctoral candidates to senior academics and independent researchers. The programme has so far supported over 200 fellows from 18 countries, many of whom have produced landmark publications, documentary films, and educational resources drawing on the Nyas’s collections.
Applications for the Fellowship are accepted on a rolling basis. Selection is made by a panel of scholars appointed by the Nyas’s Academic Advisory Board. Full details and application materials are available from the Library reception and through the Nyas website.
The Library’s dedicated team of archivists and researchers is here to support your scholarship. We believe that every research project — however large or small — contributes to the living memorial that is our collective knowledge of the 1947 Partition.
In 1947, the land of five rivers was divided. Millions were displaced. Centuries of shared culture, sacred shrines, and living heritage were torn apart overnight. Vibhajan Vibhishika Smriti Nyas is built so that nothing is forgotten.
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