The Arabic Persian Research Institute in Tonk Rajasthan is an impressive and beautiful building which is situated in the midst of a valley that falls in-between two historic hills named Annapoorna and Rasiya. The total area of the institute 1,26,000 Square feet which consist of the Main building as well as the Scholars guest house. This is a place that is rich in knowledge consisting of manuscripts- 8513 in count, printed books - 31,452 in count, Faramin - 719. A person can also refer from a variety of old magazines as well as from the various judgment files, Shariat Records.

The Aims and Objective

The objective of this place is to conserve, preserve as well as acquire the main source of the cultural and historical importance that is available in Rajasthan. It also cultivates and promotes the Persian and Arabic studies and research based on the findings. Another aim is to decipher, publish, translate as well as edit the original source.

Research Facilities

This place is known for its research facilities due to the amount of resources it has from the conservation and preservation of the reference books which are printed, the manuscripts, the old magazines as well as various records of Munshi Khana Huzuri and Shara Sharif. Scholars as well as learned people can obtain copies of the same as per the rules which are set by the research facility in order to help complete their research.

The Manuscripts

The manuscripts which are in this place is considered to be the treasure of the institute. There are a total of 8513 manuscripts. Few of the rare Urdu manuscript are the Diwan-i-Mirza Akbar Ali Baig ‘Gul’ (A pupil of Mir Taqi Mir)-(Poetry), Qurrat-ul-Uyun (Author- Nawwab Mohd. Ali Khan) (Prose), Diwan-i-Aish (Shaikh Nizam –ud-Din) (Poetry), Tarikh-i-Gharibi (Versified) etc.

Display Hall

There is a hall which is called the Display Hall. Here you will find various displays of manuscripts which hold a lot of historic importance. Some of the even contain the various seal impressions of the different kings and princess along with hand written notes along with their signatures. These are preserved even today in the same way as it was and is kept inside a show case that is made of glass for the general public to see. There is a variety of inscriptions that can be found on different subjects along with the golden frontispiece as well as floral designs which are drawn using ink that has been made of precious stone adds to the beauty of the manuscripts as well as is the center of attraction for everyone who visits there.

Art Gallery

The art gallery was started established in the year 2002 which displays a wide selection of different classes artistic presentation. You will find artistic beauties like the art of charming photography, Namda calligraphy as well as a collection of different postage stamps etc are all present to capture one's eye. You will also find Calligraphy on rice, human hair, sesame and pulses along with transparent bottles which are made of glass containing various kinds of writing also adds to the beauty of the gallery.

The Infrastructure of the Museum

Nawwab Muhammad Ali Khan, the third ruler of the Tonk, was on his way to Banaras being followed by his passion of collecting different manuscripts and books with high orientaology resulting in a huge collection of different kinds of materials. After his death, the collection was bought to the Saeediya District Library in Tonk. This was the branch office of the Jodhpur based Rajasthan Oriental Research Institute. From here, it was then transferred in 1978 into an independent and separate Directorate in Tonk Rajasthan.

When the Government of Rajasthan understood the importance of the collection, they went ahead and build a separate building on it’s own to keep the collection which is now known as the Arabic Persian Research Institute in Tonk, Rajesthani. To cater to the lodging facility, the 1996 the Rajasthan Government built the Guest house which is meant for savants and scholars.

Other Activities Held in the Institute

The institute also conducts seminars, symposia etc. It also holds Qawwalis, Char Baits and Mushairas to keep the cultural side alive. They also have a scholarship programs as well as fellowship programs. There is also a One year Manuscript logy Course which caters to 10 students per year. From 1st April, 2001, they have also started a Course of Calligraphy as well as Graphic Design. Apart from that there is an ongoing translation and editing of the manuscripts as well as this place is a regular participant of Book fairs nationally as well as internationally.

Timings of the Institute

A person can visit the institute anytime between 10 am to 4:30 pm. It is closed on Fridays as well as public holidays like Diwali, Holi, Dussera etc.