Jayalalithaa's vast collections of books to be prime exhibits at the Veda Nilayam memorial

CHENNAI: If everything goes as planned, three framed portraits of former chief minister J Jayalalithaa with Mother Terasa , Indira Gandhi and her mother Sandhya would be placed on her study table. A bronze Pegasus would be a prominent feature too. But what would take pride of place would be the thousands of books stacked neatly on racks of her library.

They will soon be exhibits at the Veda Nilayam memorial .


It was well-known that Jayalalithaa was a voracious reader. “But what few people knew was that the moment she got to read a book review in the morning newspapers that interested her, she would ask her aides to get at least three copies – one to be kept at her Poes Garden house , second in her Kodanad hill retreat and the third at her Siruthavur farm house. This is because she didn’t need to carry the book everywhere,” said a source, who assisted the former chief minister.

While, in her hospital bed in 2016, Jayalalithaa had told the physician that he should read ‘The Private Life of Chairman Mao (1994)’ by Li Zhisui, Mao’s personal physician, which she said “could shape his character.”

Revenue department sources said Jayalalithaa’s house located on a ten-ground property was valued at Rs 67 crore. An inventory of items has been prepared, including her vast collection of books. Law minister C Ve Shanmugam said, “Nothing will be moved out. Everyone, who knows her, is well aware of her love for books. It was her other life.” He reminisced how his leader was thrilled when he presented her a copy of ‘Roots: The saga of an American Family’, during electioneering in Pennagaram bypoll in 2010.

Shanmugam said the government was fully competent to promulgate the/ ordinance, and due process was followed. “There is no bar from the court against the acquisition. We have precedents like Kamaraj memorial. We will disburse the compensation, as and when court settles the matter on a legal heir, if any” the law minister said. If the claimant disputes the compensation, he or she can move the court challenging it.