Thursday, February 4, 2016

International Kolkata Book Fair 2016- Books and Entertainment

Visiting the International Kolkata Bookfair always gives me the feeling of de ja vu; hundreds of stalls, thousands of heads, smell of books, unbeatable collection, the dust and also the heat (sometimes) reminds me why I love this place. I visit the fair every year yet cannot have enough of it and my mind wants to spend more time at each and every book stall exploring its collections. Kolkata Book Fair 2016 seems to be the same in its imposing presence except for a huge Bolivian center. Long queues in front of book stalls, people pushing each other to lay their hands on their favorite books makes one forget that we belong to the 'E' generation where Flipkart and Snapdeal governs our minds. No, nothing can kill the allure of books and the enthusiasm of book lovers. 

If you are thinking that this is only the place for serious readers, your idea is bound to change after a single visit. It has loads of comic moments and some irritable ones to offer. There are some visitors who can spend an entire day sitting at the food corner with all sorts of food items as if they are food critics and then there are others who are willing to waste time fighting over silly issues like "why did you place the chair on my foot'? Of course, how can you miss the ones clicking selfies at every step they take towards another book stall or the pseudo intellectuals who arrive with a particular attire to intimiadate others. Bookfair is not just confined to books anymore, probabaly it never was. But for book lovers it is still a paradise and the others quite a humorous adventure. 

All in all, I had a great experience once again.