Sixty years is the line
In India a book generally becomes public domain 60 years after the start of the year after its author died. Sane Guruji died in 1950, so his work has been free since 2011.
Public domain, explainedA reader's guide in English
Your next Hindi or Marathi classic, and a legal place to read it
Sahitya Chintan means "reflection on literature." We recommend books from Kabir to Pu La Deshpande, explain who wrote them and why they last, and tell you honestly whether each one is free to read. We host no books ourselves.
पोथी पढ़ि पढ़ि जग मुआ, पंडित भया न कोय
What should I read next?
Choose a language, a mood and how much time you have. We pick three books from our list of 44 classics.
Your three suggestions appear here. Without JavaScript, browse the full reading list instead.
Public-domain status is our careful reading of Indian law, not legal advice. Places listed are the kinds of sources where readers usually find each book; see where to read for free for what each one offers.
अनुक्रमणिका Contents
- A beginner's guide to Hindi literature4 min
The eras, the dialects, and ten books that make a sensible first shelf.
- A beginner's guide to Marathi literature4 min
Seven centuries in one walk-through, from the Varkari saints to the Diwali ank.
- Premchand: where to start4 min
Five stories, three novels and a sensible order to read them in.
- Reading the Bhagavad Gita in translation4 min
Old free translations, modern paid ones, and a reading plan for the 18 chapters.
- Where to read Indian-language books legally for free5 min
Seven legal sources, what each is good at, and how to tell a legal copy from a pirated one.
- Public domain in India, explained4 min
How the 60-year rule works, how to count it, and the traps with translations.
- A Diwali reading list4 min
Twelve books for the five days of lamps, from the Ramcharitmanas to Pu La.
Three things to know before you search for a free copy
Translations are separate
Premchand's Hindi is free. A 1990s English translation of it is someone else's work and usually still protected. Check who translated a book, and when.
Premchand: where to startFree sites do exist
Wikisource, Project Gutenberg, the Internet Archive, the National Digital Library of India, Hindi Samay and Rekhta all offer legal reading. Each one is good at something different.
Where to read for freeCommon questions
Can I download books from Sahitya Chintan?
No. Sahitya Chintan hosts no books and no book files. It is a reading guide: it recommends classics and explains where you can read them legally, such as Wikisource, Project Gutenberg, the Internet Archive's public-domain scans, the National Digital Library of India, Hindi Samay and Rekhta.
Which Hindi and Marathi classics are in the public domain?
In India, a literary work generally enters the public domain 60 years after the start of the year following the author's death. Premchand (died 1936), Bharatendu Harishchandra (died 1885), Jaishankar Prasad (died 1937) and Sane Guruji (died 1950) are all past that line. Modern translations and edited editions of their work can still be in copyright.
I can't read Devanagari. Where should I start?
Start with English translations. Tagore's own Gitanjali, the Songs of Kabir and Edwin Arnold's Bhagavad Gita are old enough to be free, and modern translations of Premchand and Sane Guruji are easy to buy or borrow. Pick 'In English' in the picker above.
Is this the same site as the old Sahitya Chintan e-book library?
No. The domain was relaunched in 2026 as an independent reading guide under new management. It is not affiliated with the earlier e-book library and does not host any of its files.