Venue: Pragati Maidan
Date: 9 to 17th Jan 2016

The new year begins with a bang for book lovers. The New Delhi World Book Fair has started at Pragati Maidan last Saturday and the result is evident on the surging crowd at the Pragati Maidan Metro Station even on a weekend.  Organised by the National Book Trust in collaboration with other bodies, this is first of the two book fairs that we enjoy every year. The dates for this one are 9-17 January, 2016 / 11 a.m. – 8 p.m.

Spread across 9 pavilions, the fair exhibits, publications from India and overseas. The guest country for the year is China and a beautifully done up hall no. 7, with a focal bamboo bush,  displays books, paintings, historical and calligraphy material from this country. This hall also carries stalls by many other foreign participants such as France, Poland, Pakistan, Germany, Indonesia etc.

The theme for this year’s fair is “Vividh Bharat / Cultural Heritage of India” and hall no. 8 hosts an exhibition displaying various elements of language and literature from the corners of India.

When we went, we saw a Sanskrit play being enacted in the central arena of this hall.

Children are a major focus at all book fairs.  Hall No. 14 is dedicated to their book and this pavilion, with its colourful décor and host of stalls is drawing the young minds in hordes.

We found many a child in vociferous argument with the parents about the books at hand.

Progressing with times, photo booths dot this hall. In fact, book lover or not, the fair has something for everybody.  Example –  popular cartoon character Chhota Bheema was most obliging in posing away with fans that comprised kids as well as the selfie loving adult kids at heart.

We spent about four hours and barely managed to rush through half the fair. To do justice – one needs about 2 days for covering this event. Here is a glimpse of a part of the booty that we collected 🙂