Delhi Book Fair: At stall with vintage collection, low turnout a worry

Faiz and Isbah, manning the counter, said, “Since the advent of the internet, demand for printed books has fallen. The rare and ancient collection we offer are not available on the net.”

New Delhi | January 15, 2018 01:45 AM IST

2 min read

At the stall, Sunday

By Kritika Sharad

The Rampur Raza Library, established in the late 1700s, has been setting up a stall at the World Book Fair for the past 15 years. However, the number of visitors, library staff said, has been dipping. Established by the first Nawab of Rampur state, Nawab Faizullah Khan (1774-1794), the library is known for its rare Indo-Islamic collection of ancient manuscripts and specimens of Islamic calligraphy.

The 44th edition World Book Fair was held from January 6-14. Among the books on display at the fair were an illustrated Ramayana translated into Persian by Sumer Chand; catalogues of manuscripts in various languages and translations of Humayun-nama written by Emperor Babur’s daughter, Gulbadan Begum.

Faiz and Isbah, manning the counter, said, “Since the advent of the internet, demand for printed books has fallen. The rare and ancient collection we offer are not available on the net.” The library was initially maintained by the Nawab’s successors. When the Rampur state merged into the United Provinces (present day UP) in 1949, it was handed over to a trust. A conservation laboratory, established in 1995, is responsible for preserving the collection.

The reporter is an intern with The Indian Express

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