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Bengali Book cum Handloom Fair Inaugurated At New Delhi Kalibari 

Dilip Guha

A Bengali Book Fair cum Handloom Fair is being organised by New Delhi Kali Bari (NDKB), which has started on Saturday the 22nd of April 2023., on the eve of World Book and Copyright Day at its premises Mandir Marg New Delhi, in association with Publishers and Booksellers Guild of West Bengal, Ministry of Textiles, Govt. of India and Sahitya Kala Parishad and Govt. of Delhi.

The fair was formally inaugurated on 22nd April, 2023, on the eve of World Book and Copyright Day by Shri Pradip Bhattacharya, life member of NDKB and MP along with other dignitaries Shri Satyam Roy Chowdhury, Chancellor Sister Nivedita University, Shri Mrinal Chatterjee, IRS, Chairman Book Fair, and Dr. Ashok Kumar Dutta, President New Delhi Kali Bari. This fair will continue till April 30 and will remain open from 11 am to 10 pm. There are a total of 33 book stalls at the fair. Cultural programs will be organised at the fair premises every evening.

That this book fair is completely different from other book fairs where people come and only buy books there. The idea of this book and handloom fair is conceptualised by NDKB, a premiere hub for Bengali art and culture in Delhi NCR in such a way it becomes a grand festival with attractions such as handloom and handicraft exhibition, food festival, seminars, and cultural performance by various Bengali schools students and artists, among others.

Shri Swapan Ganguly, Secretary, of New Delhi Kali Bari, said “Our motive is to promote Bengali literature and culture during these nine days, simultaneously people can enjoy shopping from the handloom stalls put up by weavers from seven different states who are participating in the festival and also enjoy Cultural programs at evening. This makes the fair unique in itself that ever happened in the past at Delhi”. “The book fair has thirty three book stalls out of which 30 stalls are put up by Publishers and Booksellers Guild of West Bengal, one from Ramakrishna Mission New Delhi, one from Nikhil Bharat Bangiyo Sahityo and One of Children book stall. And in the Handloom section, we have 12 stalls out of which 10 stalls are put up by the Ministry of Textiles, Visitors can purchase quality products at affordable prices directly from the weavers” he said.

NDKB in association with Tapan’s Fine Arts Academy is also organizing Art Workshop at the Art and sculpture stall where a live demo will be held on art and sculptures.  He said, “To make it more attractive ‘Artist in Action’ will also be there wherein painters and sculpture will perform live. Visitors will be able to enjoy authentic and sumptuous Bengali food at our food court. ” On the spot HandWriting Competition, Instant Reading Competition, and Elocution Competition for school children will be held during the festival. Eminent speakers from Delhi and outside shall enthrall the audience on different topics during seminar and book launches. “Renowned artists from different states shall perform to make the cultural evenings enjoyable,” he added.

On the inaugural day musical performances Presented by troops of Nikhil Bharat Sahitya Sammelan (Nagpur branch) And songs by Sounak Chattopaadhyaay (Kolkata) kept the audience captivated. On the occasion of World Book and Copyright Day, educationist Satyam Roychowdhury two of his insightful books titled ‘Mahatma For You’ and ‘Bangabandhu For You’ were re-launched.’ The books were released in New Delhi in the presence of Delhi Education Minister Atishi at a special seminar on India and Bangladesh that was organized on the occasion in which Former High Commissioner of Bangladesh Deb Mukherjee, Satyam Roychowdhury, eminent journalist Jayanta Ghoshal and Rajya Sabha MP Pradeep Bhattacharya participated. Speaking on the occasion, Shri Roychowdhury informed that the books were released in 2021 for the first time. “We could not host any event for the release of the books in 2021 due to the pandemic,” he said. “Book Fair is an event not to be missed. It provides a unique opportunity to connect with authors, publishers, and fellow book enthusiasts, and offers a vast collection of books ranging from classic literature to contemporary fiction, as well as events and activities for all ages. And this fair gives us a great opportunity to see how literature is celebrated in Delhi, says a visitor.

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