Ruchira shares a nostalgic literary journey on DifferentTruths.com, exploring Delhi’s historic Sunday book market at its new Mahila Haat location.
AI Summary
·Nostalgic Roots: The author revisits childhood memories of affordable secondhand books gifted by her late father, triggering a lifelong passion for reading.
· The Iconic Relocation: Delhi’s legendary 1960s Daryaganj Sunday book bazaar has successfully moved to its new, spacious home at Mahila Haat.
· A Bibliophile’s Paradise: The bustling market features over 150 stalls, offering everything from textbooks and classic literature to dirt-cheap foreign comics.
Many moons ago, when I was still in high school, I fondly recall how my dad (who has long since departed) had gifted me three books, viz. Lamb Tales from Shakespeare, Anderson’s Fairy Tales, and Legends from Greece and Rome. Dad had reportedly bought these precious volumes from a “second-hand book market.” And he was pleased they were dirt cheap.
Over the decades, due to transfers and moving houses, the first two titles have gone missing from my collection, although the latter still nestles comfortably on my bookshelf.
It was not until many years later that I discovered that what Dad had visited was the iconic open-air market for old books, which operates during daylight hours every Sunday.
It has been around for donkey’s years (as they say) since its inception in the 1960s. As the confessed avid reader—book lover that I am, I felt rather awkward about not having visited this site till now.
So, last week I finally made up my mind to leg it to the haat. For general know-how, over the years, the unique haat had operated in Daryaganj, an old printing and publishing hub in Delhi. Only recently, owing to certain constraints, it was relocated to Mahila Haat, a stone’s throw from two prominent government hospitals – GB Pant and LNJP.
On a typical Sunday morning, while the city gradually shook off its sloth, the Pink Line metro provided easy access to the venue.
I have always loved the ambience of a bookstore; you could sit or stand in a corner and browse books at leisure. In contrast, this place has milling crowds; in fact, you need to jostle your way around. The majority of visitors (read buyers) are school and college students or individuals pursuing technical courses.
Genuine readers, bibliophiles, are indeed sparse.
Out of the ‘more than 150’ stalls at the market, a significant section is dedicated to academics, ranging from primary education to advanced research. There is an abundance of education-related accessories—chart papers, wall maps. Alphabet charts, globes, pens & pencils, exercise books, et al.
The novels section had on display authors as different as chalk and cheese. Agatha Christie, the queen of murder mysteries, shared the shelf with Shakespeare, Russian author Fyodor Dostoevsky, Pandit Nehru, and self-improvement writer Dale Carnegie.
Classic European novels like The Count of Monte Cristo (by Alexander Dumas), Gulliver’s Travels (Jonathan Swift) and Heidi (Johanna Spyri) were available, but alas!—they were in abridged versions—presumably designed for schoolchildren or other juvenile readers. I had always planned to obtain these titles for my personal use, but I have now abandoned that idea.
Notable authors from recent generations and decades just passed include J.K. Rowling, famous for the “Harry Potter” series; Jeffrey Archer; Paulo Coelho; Khaled Hosseini (known for The Kite Runner); and ‘desi’ Booker winner, the feisty, maverick Arundhati Roy, whose works are widely available for purchase.
Amish Tripathi is an Indian writer whose novels centre around ethnic legends, myths, and folklore. He gained significant popularity, especially among the youth (Millennials and Gen Z), at the turn of the century. His works, too, are available aplenty at the book market. I also caught a fleeting glimpse of Chetan Bhagat’s novels. Contemporary, down-to-earth. Correct. But one can’t really boast of a Bhagat collection. Can he?
Last but not least, the prices had me floored! All the novels hovered between 100 and 150 rupees. The upmarket, exotic, foreign comics—Asterix, Tintin, and Donald Duck included—were priced between 150 and 200 rupees. It seems reasonable since the original prices of these titles range from 400 to 600 rupees, as I inquired at a reputable bookstore on College Street in Kolkata during my last visit.
Well, a visit or two to this ‘open-air-old books market’ is certainly worthwhile…you might be able to get a good haul. However, it is advisable to be an ‘early bird’ if you sincerely wish to avoid crowds.
Photos by the author
Ruchira Adhikari Ghosh brings a liberal, wide-ranging outlook shaped by extensive travel across India and abroad. Educated at Holy Child School, New Delhi, Sacred Heart Convent, Ludhiana, and Panjab University, Chandigarh, she holds a Master’s in English Literature and a postgraduate diploma in Journalism and Mass Communication. With three decades in media, she writes on travel, books, music, performing arts, women’s issues, and especially food, drawing inspiration from rich life experiences. She is our Features Editor.
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