Pune book fest begins with a bang, nearly 750 stalls this year

A large crowd gathered as the festival opened, with visitors streaming into the nearly ‘750 stalls’ full of books in different languages and genres. Many paused to explore the vibrant aisles, while others headed straight for the food court and cultural sections.

“This year’s festival is not just about books,” Pande said in his welcome address. He highlighted the ‘Children’s Pavilion’ and a special stall in memory of tribal leader Birsa Munda, which showcases words of ‘Adivasi origin’, a record-setting display that recently earned recognition. He also announced that the ‘literature festival’ will begin on December 16 and reminded visitors about the food court and ongoing cultural performances. “This is a book, literature, food and cultural fest,” he said. He spoke proudly about the ‘Grantha Dindi’, a student-led parade celebrating the ‘Indian Knowledge System (IKS)’, and noted the strong responses the festival drew in the past two years. Attendance this year is expected to be even higher.

Marathe said organisers hope the festival will help make Pune a ‘global centre for books and reading’. He confirmed there are nearly 750 stalls this year and described special plans for librarians across Pune district, with around 450 set to visit and survey books for their libraries, including university and college collections. He also pointed to the success of the ‘Nagpur Book Festival’ earlier this year and said organisers are now looking forward to a similar event in Goa in February. “We urge Punekars to visit,” he said.

Vishwas Patil, the guest of honour and one of Maharashtra’s leading literary figures, offered heartfelt praise for the city. “Congratulations to the people of Pune,” he said, noting that even in just two years, the Pune festival has reached the level of established book fairs in Delhi and Kolkata. He urged people to cut down on screen time and turn to books for learning and enrichment. He called the festival ‘Grantha Pandhari,’ or a sacred pilgrimage of books, and spoke of reading as a lifelong companion, even in lonely moments.

Chandrakant Patil pointed to ambitious goals for the future. He predicted that by 2027, Pune will definitely become the ‘world book capital’, and he set expectations high for the festival’s impact, saying last year’s edition drew about 40 crore people and this year will outdo both earlier years. He also praised the success of the Nagpur festival.

Mohol said he was ‘proud as a Punekar’ to see the festival flourish. “This is not just the NBT’s festival anymore, it is the city’s festival,” he said, adding that organisers hope to expand similar events into ‘rural areas’ where access to books and reading culture can be further strengthened.
Starting off the cultural performances, the band ‘Parashara’ performed at night. With hundreds of stalls, cultural programmes and side events set to fill the coming days, the Pune Book Festival is already shaping up as one of the most vibrant cultural gatherings in the city this year.