Bhubaneswar, Feb. 10: Bibliophiles are lapping up all that is on offer at the Bhubaneswar Book Fair, which was inaugurated at the Exhibition Ground here today.
Around 300 kiosks displaying a wide range of books have been set up at the fair touted as the oldest book fair in the city. Publication houses from across the country, including cities such as Bangalore, Calcutta, Delhi, Mumbai and Hyderabad, have also set up kiosks at the fair that is in its 31st year.
An expansive variety of novels, children's literature, short stories, classics and bestsellers are found on the shelves. Books on engineering, medicine, astrology, ayurveda and architecture catering to the needs of people of various age groups are also on sale.
Some kiosks are exclusively displaying Odia books. A number of local publishers and booksellers have taken prominent locations at the fair. Some of the publication houses from the state that have set up their kiosks are Vidyapuri, Friends Publishers, Odisha Book Store, Cuttack Book Store and A.K. Mishra Agencies.
"Our literature is rich and youngsters should be acquainted with our writers and their writings. Books on Odia literature are not available everywhere and so, fairs are a good option to dig into these books," said Barendra Krushna Dhal, secretary of the festival committee.
A large number of literary works by Odia writers such as Gopinath Mohanty, Manoj Das, Nityananda Mahapatra, Surendra Mohanty are also available. Besides, publishers are promoting works of young and promising Odia writers. Various illustrative books depicting tales from Odisha's folk legends and mythological adventures can also be found here.
Sellers are upbeat and hope for a profitable business. "Being a reputed book fair, it attracts a large number of visitors. Though books are easy to order online, there is still a big section of people, who love to wander about and shop for books," said Manoj Kumar Mohapatra, owner of Cuttack-based publication house Grantha Mandir. They have been coming to the fair since its inception.
"We are promoting children's books because it is extremely essential that good books reach out to them and they build a habit of reading them," said Akshaya Rautaray, who has set up a Duckbill and Karadi Tales books stall at the fair and is expecting brisk sale.
Last year, a business of around Rs 3 crore was garnered from the fair.
On the inaugural day, youngsters were seen exploring the shelves and hunting for books of their choice. "Books are my best companions, and I never miss a chance to come to the fair. Moreover, buying books at the book fair is much more fun and satisfying than ordering them online," said 23-year-old Rashmi Senapati.
Poetry and interactive sessions with literary exponents will also be conducted at the fair. Around 12 books will be released in the course of the fair that concludes January 22.
