Razia Shahab, BeyondHeadlines
If you have just fifty rupees to spend and you want the best of them then plan a Sunday Evening visit to Daryaganj in Old Delhi. Famous Sunday book market has a lot to offer at remarkably low prices. Your longing for books may come to an end here as this very busy street can offer you almost everything written on paper.
One remarkable thing about this market is that here you can find literature, science, medicine, physics, astrology, history, geography, computing, geology (and almost every other ics and logy)
Piled up like throw away waste. Those who know its value get it at best value of their money. Daryaganj book market offers you best knowledge at unbeatable price. All you need is quest for knowledge and patience to find it.
The famous Sunday market not only offers you book but also displays Delhi culture in all its colors. Delhi, the capital of country has adopted different communities and cultures and crowded weekly markets are rooted in its culture. Daryagnaj book market is also one of such markets of Delhi.
It is a real bite to the mind of book lovers. Walk in Daryaganj book market is a treat to mind in heaven of books. The sellers array books wherever they find a small space. Those who can’t find any comfortable space just pile up them on roadside.
Whatever your taste or need is, you will surely find something for you and even for your loved ones here. One interesting thing about this market is that whether a writer is a celebrity like Paulo Coelho or some struggling one, all are equal here, at least in display. Be it Premchand or some unknown hindi writer, everyone is lying in the piles of books. It is a wonderful experience to see Hitler smiling on cover of Mein Kemf with Jawaharlal Nehru on Discovery of India, both lying together on the footpath.
And it is not the readers but many famous writers who reside in Delhi give frequent visits to this market. Those who come to visit Delhi also do not forget to find their lost love of books in Daryaganj. Writers like Kuldeep Nayyar and many others come to purchase the books here. Anuj, a bookseller at the Sunday market recollects, many times famous writers come here but we do not recognize them unless someone tells about them
The Sunday Book Market of Daryaganj is being organized for almost last 30 years and many of sellers are continuing it as their family profession, adds Anuj.
Low Prices are USP here another big reason for success of this market is that most of book here are in best shape and quality. Though most of books are second hand but they are rarely torn off or damaged. A visitor while searching books says, ”I always wait for Sunday whenever I need a book because I can get it at a very low price compared to a shop”.
Although the book sellers are well aware of the taste of readers but most of them do not know much about the books they sell. The lesser the seller know about the book the better is your chance to get it at lower prices. Also, many book sellers have regular customers and they do not hesitate to offer them additional discounts.
Added with the numerous and insisting book sellers, a walk here can make you crazy. Nevertheless, it’s like the whole charm of Delhi. The traffic is just mad, hundreds rickshaws coming from every directions, many bikes and crowd of pedestrians. The crowd may either bore you or excite you, it depends on your taste. If you want to satisfy your mind then it will be a great treat to yourself.
Many times the visitors find themselves lost in piles of books like Alice in wonderland. The best Idea is to have an idea of what exatly you want. If you have specific needs then be ready with a list and if you are visiting just like that to pass a Sunday evening then be ready for surprises. Your mind may be tempted to read a lot and a lot and despite very low prices at the end of the day you may find your wallet a bit lighter.
(Razia can be reached at razia@beyondheadlines.in)
