Aim is to make Bhilar village a tourist hub, says Vinod Tawde

Nearly 25 buildings, which include three temples, two schools, seven houses and several lodges and homestays spread over 2 km in Bhilar, 7-8 km from Panchgani, will open their gates for public reading.

The country’s first village of books will be formally opened for public on May 4, the Maharashtra government has announced. The “village of books” inspired by the Welsh town Hay-on-Wye, is coming up at Bhilar village near Mahabaleshwar. “The country’s first village of books in Maharashtra is a reality now,” the Minister of Cultural Affairs and Marathi Language, Vinod Tawde, said at a press conference on Friday.

Nearly 25 buildings, which include three temples, two schools, seven houses and several lodges and homestays spread over 2 km in Bhilar, 7-8 km from Panchgani, will open their gates for public reading. The village will be inaugurated by Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis, Tawde said. “Bhilar, which was known for its strawberries, will now be known as India’s first village of books,” Tawde said.

“The project’s aim is to promote Marathi language and Marathi books and eventually, make the place a tourist hub, like Hay-on-Wye in Wales. We also plan to organise literary events, interactions with authors and poets, and book-reading sessions during the tourist season, especially during Diwali and summer vacations.”

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All 10,000-15,000 books in the village are in Marathi. Tawde said in future, 80 per cent of the books would be in Marathi and the rest in other languages. “I appeal to all booklovers and admirers of Marathi language to attend the inauguration,” said Tawde. Dr Sadanand More, Baba Bhand, Dilip Karambelkar, Arunatai Dhere, Pandurang Balakwade, Rajan Gavas, Ashok Naigaokar and other noted personalities from the Marathi literary world are expected to attend the programme on May 4.

“The second village of books is expected to come up in the coastal village of Malgund in Konkan,” added Tawde .

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