RBU Journal of Library & Information Science, Vol 25, 2023

Satija & Krishnamurthy: Professor P N Kaula and S R R…
Introduction
The year 1924 is historic in the annals of Indian
librarianship. This year two stars emerged, one was
born up north in Kashmir, the other in the down
south switched to librarianship as a mid-career
change. Incidentally both were Brahmins; both met
and remained attached to one another in steadfast
Guru-Shishya relationship. The young Kashmiri
dedicated his whole life in assisting and promoting
Ranganathan and his cause. Both were awarded
Padmashri by the government of India, a rare honour
for librarians. It is not a mere coincidence that Kaula
was born the very year Ranganathan joined the
library profession that is 1924. Divine symbolism
cannot be ignored. Their association proved
instrumental in promoting library science, library
education and library movement in the country.
S. R. Ranganathan was a freak phenomenon of the
once-in-a-blue-moon kind. He was ancient and
modern at the same time; a crusader as well as a
scientist; a theorist and as well as a practitioner. With
his total dedication full of passion, brilliance,
innovations in theory of library science and services,
and teaching, his fame spread soon in India and
abroad. He attracted many persons as admirers and
students who became his dedicated disciples. One
such person was an English librarian Bernard I.
Palmer (1910-1979) who was on war duty in Madras
in 1944. While in England he was so fascinated by
Ranganathan’s revolutionary work in classification
that he wished to have enough money to travel to
India to meet this new age classificationist. It seemed
impossibility at that time. War duty to Madras
provided the god sent opportunity. He met
Ranganathan at his earliest and even attended his
classes. Fascinated by Ranganathan’s work-chastity
and innovations in library management he became
his disciple and ultimately proved instrumental in
introducing Ranganathan to the West and thence to
the world. That is another story (Palmer, 1977; Satija
and Singh,1995).Another such person, as already
mentioned, was our Prithvi Nath Kaula(1924-2009)
who adopted him his professional and spiritual Guru
and remained faithful to him all his life even after his
death. Later in life Kaula literally worshipped
Ranganathan every early dawn of the day as his
professional mentor and spiritual deity. He would
vehemently oppose any criticism of Ranganathan
whatsoever. His story of meeting Ranganathan and
remaining faithful to him all his life is full of humane
and professional interest told by him many times.
Yogeshwar, son of Ranganathan, records that during
Madras, Banaras and Delhi Kaula used to live with
them as another member of the family (Yogeshwar,
2001,230). He became Ranganathan’s foster son.
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In 1945 Ranganathan after his forced retirement was
living in Madras waiting to move northward. On 30 th
June 1945 a handsome young Kashmiri Brahmin boy
with some prior academic library experience and a
BA degree in hand reached Madras university
library to take admission in diploma in library
science course started in 1929 by the Madras
Library Association with Ranganathan as its
honorary director. The successful school was taken
over by the Madras University in 1931 and upgraded
to postgraduate one year course in 1938. Kaula to his
dismay came to know that Ranganathan was no more
teaching there. Eminent historian, a former colleague
of Ranganathan at the Madras Christian College,
Professor K. A. Nilakanta Shastri (1892-1975),
suggested Kaula to meet Ranganathan at his
residence. Afraid of the new dispensation nobody in
the library was even ready to give him
Ranganathan’s residential address. However, some
old Ranganathan-faithful, S. Ramabhadran, taking
risk but cautiously gave Kaula Ranganathan’s
Triplicane residence number. Next day he knocked
at his door. On seeing him for the first time at his
home, deceived by the simplicity of the man, Kaula
took him as Ranganathan’s house help or a gardener.
Impressed by his zeal and passion Ranganathan took
him into his fold. Taking admission in diploma class
Kaula started spending most of his after-class hours
with Ranganathan—learning firsthand the
professional knowledge and imbibing his ways and
values of life.
Kaula Moves to Banaras with
Ranganathan
Immediately after his premature retirement from the
Madras University, S R Ranganathan had received
invitations from the Delhi University and the
Banaras Hindu University. Sir Maurice Gwyer(1878-
1952), Vice Chancellor of Delhi University, invited
Ranganathan to come to Delhi to establish a
Department of Library Science and to conduct the
teaching programme even at the post-graduate level.
Eminent freedom fighter and a nationalist Mahamana
Pandit Madan Mohan Malaviya(1861-1946), founder
of the Banaras Hindu University, and its Vice-
Chancellor Dr. S Radhakrishnan (1888-1975), who
later became the President of India, wanted
Ranganathan to come to Banaras to organise the
Banaras Hindu University Library. At the First all-
Asia Educational Conference held at Banaras in
1930 a meeting between Ranganathan and Pandit
Malviyaji was arranged. Latter told him of his
ambition to make the BHU library as India’s largest
and the best library (Ranganathan,1992,153).He
wanted Ranganathan to join BHU to organise its
library. Ranganathan had a preference for Delhi. But
in early August 1945, Dr Radhakrishnan came