National Reading Day- 19th June

We Indians observe the National Reading Day on June 19. The celebration is marked in the honour of the father of the Library Movement, the late P N Panicker. Puthuvayil Narayana Panicker is famously known as the Father of the Library Movement in the state of Kerala. He passed away on June 19, 1995. He initiated the trend of popular cultural movement in Kerala. This year, we are marking the 25th National Reading Day celebrations June 19. The following week will be celebrated as the Reading Week, while the entire month till July 18 will be marked as the Reading Month. Panicker is known as the father of Library movement as under his Thiruvithaamkoor Granthasala Sangham or Travancore Library Association, which he formed in 1945, the man made 47 rural libraries. In 1956, it was changed to the Kerala Granthasala Sangham (KGS). The Department of Posts, Government of India, also celebrated the legacy of Panicker by issuing a commemorative postage stamp in his name on June 21, 2004.