Saidapet’s Mahatma Gandhi Nool Nilayam founder K. Mahalingam passes away

K. Mahalingam, founder and former secretary of Saidapet’s Mahatma Gandhi Nool Nilayam, passed away on Tuesday (August 5, 2025) in Chennai. He was 96 years old and had been suffering from age-related ailments.

He is survived by two sons, including M. Nithyanandham, who manages the library at present. He said Mr. Mahalingam was inspired by the freedom movement and had seen Mahatma Gandhi during his visit to the Hindi Prachar Sabha in the city in 1946.

Influenced by Gandhian ideals, Mr. Mahalingam started out with just 25 books in a wooden trunk and later established the Mahatma Gandhi Nool Nilayam in Saidapet in a small, rented room in 1952. Over the years, it evolved into a celebrated space for writers and readers in the city. The Mahatma Gandhi Nool Nilayam underwent an expansion in 2024 with the inauguration of a new library building in Saidapet, which is currently run by Mr. Nithyanandham.