The Hindu : New Delhi News : A record 40,000 visit Delhi Book Fair

Online edition of India's National Newspaper
Sunday, Jan 02, 2011
ePaper | Mobile/PDA Version

New Delhi

New Delhi

A record 40,000 visit Delhi Book Fair

Madhur Tankha

Photo: Shiv Kumar Pushpakar

Just one more day to go: Book lovers taking their pick on the second last day of the 16th Delhi Book Fair on Saturday.

NEW DELHI: The second last day of the “16 {+t} {+h} Delhi Book Fair” saw a record footfall of 40,000 visitors at the sprawling Pragati Maidan here on Saturday.

The crowd predominantly comprised students and young professionals, who were eagerly scouting for academic books. “We attracted 40,000 visitors today, mostly from Delhi and National Capital Region and expect the same number of visitors on Sunday,” said India Trade Promotion Organisation senior general manager Safdar Khan.

Visitors could be seen scouting for books on Swami Vivekananda at Ramakrishna Mission stall. “Besides a plethora of books on Swamiji that speak about ways and means to improve one's life and give a glimpse into his life, this year we have come with calendars, lamination with quotations and other interesting souvenirs,” said a spokesperson from the Mission.

For 21-year-old Ramesh Garg, who is preparing for Civil Services examination, the wide range of academic books available at Indira Gandhi National Open University's stall proved to be an excellent opportunity. “Initially I had reservations whether the ongoing Delhi Book Fair would be the ideal place to look for books relevant to me. But I am glad I made it to the fair. I have purchased all books which would help me in the examination conducted by Union Public Service Commission,” he said with a sigh of relief.

For Suman Narang, who is studying Chinese at Delhi University, the fair was a disappointment as he had come all the way from Rohini to purchase books from the neighbouring country. “There is not a trace of books as the Chinese stand is empty.”

According to Delhi Book Fair Director Shakti Malik, China always departs early. “The Chinese publishers had not participated in the fair in their individual capacity. They were given specific number of days to stay in Delhi. They left the fair on December 29 for Kathmandu where they are participating in another fair.”

A major highlight on the second last day of the fair was the launch of 1,000 Hindi e-books across genre and titles like mythological epics Ramayana and Mahabharata and stories of Munshi Premchand.

Presenting the new initiative, EC Media founder and director Ravi D. C. said: “This is a momentous achievement in the Indian e-book reading history. India is recognised for its richness in epics and classics and we feel proud and privileged in reviving and protecting our literature and heritage through the digital platform.”

Noting that book readers have varied interest, EC Media director said: “With its rich cultural heritage, India has a plethora of languages so it was essential that we introduce a product that befits that rich heritage and vast history and literature available to us. The idea is to make national and international content including those that are rare, out of print and hitherto paperback editions accessible to readers on the digital platform.”

On the occasion, All-India Educational Testing Services organised a seminar on “Toppers Secrets of Success” and Rachna Sagar launched “Samvaad”, a textbook based on studies from Class 1 to Class 8.

Printer friendly page
Send this article to Friends by E-Mail

New Delhi

News Update

Stories in this Section