The Deccan College Post-Graduate and Research Institute (Deemed to be University), Pune is the third oldest educational institute in India. Earlier known as Hindoo College, it was started on 6th October 1821 by the Bombay Presidency Government at the initiative of its Governor, Mountstuart Elphinstone by using the Dakshina Grant.
The Library of Deccan College is a vital component of the University and has a special place in the world of higher learning and research, both at the national and international levels. It is a unique library having collections mainly in the fields of Archaeology, Ancient Indian History, Medieval History, Anthropology, Linguistics, Sanskrit, Philosophy, and Religion. The library has also enriched its collections on the fringed and supporting fields such as Science & Technology, Art & Architecture, Botany, Ecology, Geology, Palaeontology, Agriculture, Geography, Sociology, Psychology, Education, Marathi, Ayurveda, Medicine, Mysticism and of course Indology – Orientology. It has inherited a rare collection of books from the old Deccan College whose origins go back to 1821. Now it has a collection of more than one lakh eighty thousand documents. The Deccan College Library is one of the best examples of a specialized research Library with excellent user-friendly facilities, which are being availed by scholars from all parts of India and even outside.
The Digital Library Database, Virasat, is following the tradition of passing down the knowledge stored in the inherited rare, rich, and diverse literature owned by the Library of this University. It contains digitized copies of rare Manuscripts, Pothi’s, Books (published between 1523-1940), University Annual Bulletins, University Publications, Annual Reports, Ph.D. Theses, Dissertations, Maps, Toposheets, and non-print collections (Audio-Videos, CDs, Microfilms, Microfiche), and Question Paper Sets, etc.
This University has a proud heritage in providing quality education. Our roots are deeply embedded in a tradition of academic excellence, cultural diversity, and holistic development.