The Hindu : An inspiring new world that is open to all

Online edition of India's National Newspaper
Saturday, Sep 13, 2003

Southern States

Southern States - Karnataka-Bangalore

An inspiring new world that is open to all

By Our Special Correspondent

Bangalore Sept. 12. It promises to be a booklover's dream come true. The Bangalore Book Festival, which began on Friday, has over 170 Indian and overseas publishers occupying stalls spread over 50,000 sq.ft. on Palace Grounds.

The festival, which will be on till September 21, is open to the public from 11 a.m. to 8 p.m. on all days. The entry fee is Rs. 10 (entrance from the Mehkri Circle side. The stalls are covered, and are free from dust and the season's rains. There is a 10 per cent discount on all books displayed.

The organisers, Bangalore Booksellers and Publishers' Association, emphasise it is the first such effort by the book trade in the city. The last book fair of a comparable size was held 12 years ago, and was sponsored by National Book Trust, which is represented in the festival committee this time. The association expects around one lakh visitors.

The association president, Balram Sadhwani, told presspersons that one important aim, apart from the business angle, was to revive the reading habit, which appeared to be on a decline with the combined onslaught of other media. Students would be allowed free entry on producing their identity cards, and free passes had been distributed in most schools and colleges, he added.

The Minister for Urban Development, D.K. Shivakumar, inaugurated the fair. During the 10 days of the festival, a number of literary figures of Karnataka, such as the former Sahitya Academy President. K.S.Nisar Ahmed, Chandrasekhar Kambara, the poet Siddalingaiah, the founder of the Karnataka Janapada Parishat, H.L. Nage Gowda, the novelist, Shashi Deshpande, and the educationist, H. Narasimhaiah, will visit the fair.

On Tuesday, thousands of schoolchildren will form a human chain from Mehkri Circle to Cunningham Road to spread the message of promoting literacy and the reading habit.

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