The Maha Bodhi Collection is hosted at Aravinda Barua Library at the second floor of the Headquarter of Maha Bodhi Society, Kolkata. The collection includes books, journal volumes, periodicals, manuscripts, pamphlets from the 18th and 19th century, as well as recent publications. Anecdotally it has been inferred by the library staff, that although the library was initiated at Kolkata in the present location; in mid-20th century, it was shifted to Sarnath for a short period of time, due to complexity of funding. During the relocation, various copies and collections were exchanged with the library at Sarnath.
Extent: Multiple journals and book copies published from elsewhere other than the Mahabodhi Society, but currently being hosted at the Mahabodhi Society Headquarters.
Condition of original material: Printing ink fading at times, tears and insect-eaten portions obscure text, bindings often not alienged.
Custodial history: The custodies of all the materials are currently held by the Maha Bodhi Society of India and its branches, both in India and abroad.
Arrangement: The library was initiated more as a private repository and less as a public library. Much of the materials do not follow any specific system of arrangement, containing reference number from the source library, and often do not carry anything as such.
Publisher(s): Maha Bodhi Society of India and other publication houses from India and abroad.
