For the ardent bookworms captivated by the enchantment of libraries, here are eight historic ones that await you.

1. Goschen Library, Chennai Located right in the heart of Chennai, this custodian of knowledge has been around for 96 years. Set up by P Vijiaraguvulu Chetty to encourage a reading habit among people, the library was built in an English-style architecture. In her glory days, it held over 15,000 books.

2. National Library, Kolkata The National Library has 86,000 maps, 3,200 manuscripts, and a history that dates from the British Raj. Opened in 1836, the library was initially named Calcutta Public Library. It has books in 18 Indian languages.

3. Connemara Public Library, Chennai Another library that dates back to the Imperial era is Connemara Public Library. Built in  Indo-Saracenic style with high wooden ceilings and carved moulding, the library has over 6,00,000 books in its collection.

4. State Central Library, Bengaluru Located in Bengaluru’s green oasis, Cubbon Park, the library houses over 31,40,000 books. It is packed with books in braille, academic books, research materials and rare periodicals.

5. Eloor Libraries, Kochi Established in 1976 in Kochi, when you enter these libraries, you’ll be transported to an entirely different era. Founded by book lover and reader P Luiz John, the library has 10,000 to 12,000 registered members and has a collection of 70,000 books.

6. Hardayal Municipal Public Library, Delhi Sitting in Delhi’s most beloved Chandani Chowk, the Hardayal Municipal Public Library was established in 1862. With a stock of 1,70,000, it was originally created as a reading room for the British within the Lawrence Institute.

7. The Federation Hall Society, Kolkata A lesser-known library that has been a custodian of knowledge and history since the early 1900s, the Federation Hall Society was established as a place for national gatherings by freedom fighters.

8. Sri Aurobindo Bhavan Library, Kolkata This library was established to preserve Aurobindo’s birthplace. It has a children’s library with 35,000 books, and the general wing has 40,000 books and around 100 periodicals.