This is the kind of village that every bibliophile has probably always dreamed of (I sure have!). A village where every street, every nook, and corner is filled with books! This unique village in Maharashtra hosts a collection of almost 15,000 books.This one of a kind village of books, is also the first and only one in India, making it a ‘must visit’ place.
The idea of a book village was to transform Bhilar into a place where bibliophiles can devour books. It was started by the education Minister Vinod Tawde keeping in mind tourism and the preservation and promotion of Marathi language and culture and a platform to promote literature. They hired artists to paint the walls of the houses, temples, and schools to make the whole place look interesting for tourists.
The village has rightly been renamed ‘Pustakanche Gaav’ meaning Village of Books, in Marathi. Located close to Mahabaleshwar, the village is about five hours drive from Mumbai. Books are spread across 25 specific locations around the village. The walls of the houses, temples, schools, and homestays have been beautifully painted with murals almost making it feel like a village straight out of a storybook!
(Image credits: lbb)
Houses and some schools and temples too have put tables, chairs, and beanbags in their courtyards and balconies for people to sit and read. The only drawback is that all the books in the book village are in Marathi but plans are on to include books in all other languages soon. There is a nominal fee to check the books.
(Image credits: lbb)
The book village is a must for every bookworm and also a perfect getaway if you are in the need to be far from the maddening crowd! If you haven’t made plans for your Diwali getaway as yet, this is the perfect quiet, pollution free place to be in.
