The Hindu : National : A boost for books on College Street

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Wednesday, Aug 04, 2004

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A boost for books on College Street

By Malabika Bhattacharya

KOLKATA, AUG. 3. College Street in north Kolkata, a magnet for book-lovers, is getting a new look, thanks to an initiative by the Kolkata Municipal Corporation.

The Mayor, Subrata Mukherjee, has announced that the book marts would be given a contemporary look. The top floor of the proposed market complex will house a permanent book bazaar.

The Mayor on Sunday unveiled a weekly book bazaar (popularly known as boi-hat) to provide an opportunity to more people to spend time with books. This will be a Sunday affair, at least for now. There is a plan to have it on Saturday too.

"That part of College Street where the book shops are located is considered a heritage area. The onus is on all of us to protect this place," said the Mayor.

At 10 a.m. on Sunday, College Street was buzzing with activity. The footpaths were teeming with book-sellers, big and small, their wares, old and new, strewn on a table or on the floor on mats. Some publishers had put up umbrellas with their names displayed.

College Street also houses Calcutta University, the Presidency College, the Sanskrit College, the Hindu School and, of course, the coffee house. The last mentioned is a meeting place for intellectuals, who spend hours debating the relevance of Camus and Sartre, Satyajit Ray films, and discussing world politics over endless cups of coffee and pakoras. Efforts are on to keep the coffee house open during weekends.

In the coming days, the place will seldom sleep. On Saturdays and Sundays, readers will be able to buy books of their choice, some if them at half price. They will also get a chance to haggle over the prices. The bazaar is also expected to have rare books on sale.

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