Spells of rain and chilly weather over the past few days have failed to dampen the spirit of bibliophiles in the city. The 32nd Hyderabad Book Fair has been witnessing an average of 40,000 to 50,000 footfalls per day since the beginning of the fair on December 15, says K. Chandramohan of the Hyderabad Book Fair Society. “Now, we have a series of five holidays where we expect the footfalls to rise to one lakh a day,” he adds.
As a full moon rises behind it, the huge space of Telangana Kala Bharati at NTR Stadium is lit up by the dozens of LED lights and school children scamper about between the bookstalls arranged in four rows like a maze. There is an announcement for the school children to assemble near the exit gate. Inside, a gentleman speaks in Telugu about a ‘War Without Weapons’.
The booksellers are loving the buzz. “This is the first time we have come here. We are testing the waters. The business, so far, is good. The bonus for us is that it is less chilly here than in Delhi,” says Virendra Tiwari of Shivalik Prakashan, which is into Indological books.
Amid all the search for books, the biggest draw is a big fat red book perched on a wheeled trolley. Called Divyavedavani, the 4,040-page tome is a Telugu translation of Dayananda Saraswati’s translation of four Vedas. It is priced at ₹24,000 and weighs about 30 kg. “We have created a four-volume version and a 21-volume edition as well. I have spent 25 years translating the Vedas and this is the result. We have sold four copies,” says Marri Chenna Reddy, who patiently explains the contents of the book to the curious and also poses for photographs with his massive creation.
On Saturday, the fair will see a book walk between Ashok Nagar to the NTR Stadium.
