The 61-year-old Maria Brothers Antique book store.

[Reena Sachdev]

 One such landmark is the 61-year-old Maria Brothers which is a rich repository of rare and antique books (ranging from 6,000-7,000), maps, old prints and photographs. The shop is the first antiquarian bookstore in Shimla.
When the owner of Maria Bros, a bookshop in Shimla, acquired a collection of old tomes about two decades ago, little did he know that it was a veritable treasure trove. For, neatly tucked among stacks of old books was a historic document — a parchment that's one of the few surviving copies of the American Declaration of Independence, drafted by Thomas Jefferson in June 1776.

O.CSud started Maria Bros in 1953, dealing in general and school books and stationery items. In the early 1960s, Sud shifted to old books, travelogues and history, later establishing himself as one the most respected and knowledgeable antiquarians in India. After he discovered the rare copy of the American Declaration of Independence, Sud had it authenticated through several agencies, including a reputed auction house of London.

A look around the shop reveals a veritable treasure trove. The oldest book, OOST-Indise Voagien by Johan Mildenhal and F Cartwright, published in 1706, is part of a Dutch collection which describes the authors' visit to Persia and the country of the great Mughals. The book is divided into four part sone section on Turkey and other countries, the second also on Turkey, the third on Iran and the fourth which depicts the authors' return journey through Arabia and Syria.

And there's more for the avid reader of antique books. Take for instance the 1894 edition of Milton's Paradise Lost and Paradise Regained, illustrated by Gustaue Dore. Likewise book buyers can put their money into works such as Heart of Continent by Francis Younghusband, Swan Hedin's 1882 edition of Through Asia, a 10-volume English translation of Katha Sarit Sangar (1940 edition) or priceless works as for example, the Ramayana in Persian and 16 volumes of the Arabian Nights (published in 1880) by Sir Richard Buron. Some buyers can also opt for antique steel engravings, Captain GF White's Himalayan Painting (1860) and the original Danille Prints.

Maria Brothers is also stocked with exclusive and timeless maps for example a map of Rangoon (1910) and one of India (dating back to 1931). Another draw is several issues of Young India, edited by Mahatma Gandhi and published in 1926. What's more are antique folk instruments such as a Kashmiri sarangi and a Tibetan damyang.