Like the famous line by J R R Tolkein, “Not all those who wander are lost”, there are some of us who look for books even when we travel. We get the same greed on seeing books, that a house-elf might get on seeing a sock.
For all such people, there are some destinations in India that offer the best kind of street shopping. Heaps and heaps of books, stacked on street sides, and sold at very economic rates. This is not to promote piracy, but often you find good quality second hand books of first editions, and unedited copies of literary treasure.
So, if you want to combine your wanderlust with book love, here are some of the best street markets.
Appa Balwant Chowk In Pune
Image Credit: thebetterindia
Little known among outsiders, this street in Pune has shops, and then alleys behind each shop which sell second hand books. Here, in the Oxford of the East, often shopkeepers help you find the copy of a book you may have been searching for long.
Flora Fountain In Mumbai
Image Credit: thecitystory
Many guide books to Mumbai call it the Book Lane, but this historic corner in the bustling city of Mumbai is a book lover’s paradise. As you step out of the Churchgate station, on your right you will start seeing the footpath laden with books. Some of the choicest and rarest books are found here.
Daryaganj In Delhi
Image Credit: davidboyk
One of the favourite haunts of author Khushwant Singh, this street is lined with two storey houses. Every house sells books on the ground floor. Books of all genres are sold here at dirt cheap prices. A bustling market, it is fun just to experience the book love of all visitors here, as they browse though the stacks of books, and stick to Delhiite bargaining when they find their lucky treasure.
College Street In Kolkatta
Image Credit: wordpress
Considered India’s largest book market, it had been lovingly nicknames the Book Town. The street is studded with hundreds of bookstores and also houses some of the biggest names in India’s publishing industry. Be sure and thorough when you visit this place, as often you might find a valuable first edition of a classic amidst a pile of pirated Chetan Bhagat.
Avenue Road In Bangalore
Image Credit: thegalnextdoor
With book stacks taller than men, Bangalore’s Avenue Road is a rite of passage for many book lovers. Also, books of every kind are found in this place, so you can carry the books you want to sell. Shopkeepers are game to a barter here.
So, head to these destinations to feed your booklove.
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