Our Story
Durlabh Bharat, meaning "Rare India," was founded in 2015 with a singular vision - to rescue India's literary treasures from the brink of extinction. What began as a small team of passionate historians and bibliophiles has grown into a movement dedicated to cultural preservation.
We discovered that countless invaluable works documenting India's history, philosophy, and traditions were scattered across global libraries, often in fragile condition, unknown to modern readers. These books, some dating back to the 16th century, contain wisdom that could enlighten our present and future.
Our founder, Dr. Rajiv Mehta, a historian specializing in colonial-era literature, established Durlabh Bharat after finding a rare 1798 manuscript in a London archive that contained forgotten insights into Indian agricultural practices that could benefit farmers today.
Why Our Work Matters
India's literary heritage is disappearing at an alarming rate. The British Library estimates that 40% of Indian manuscripts from the colonial period are too fragile to handle. Without intervention, this knowledge will be lost forever.
We believe these works belong not in elite institutions but in the hands of everyday Indians. That's why we:
- Digitally preserve each page using specialized equipment
- Employ traditional bookbinding techniques for physical copies
- Translate works into 12 Indian languages
- Distribute books at cost to schools and libraries
To date, we've preserved over 5,000 rare books and made them accessible to more than 200,000 readers across India.