Srushti Ventures has found a way to give those old books a new home. Once in six months, Pusthaka Parikshe, they conduct a book fair in the City. What makes this fair different is that one not only gets to see a variety of old and new books on display, but also gets to take a book home for free. “It’s not a typical fair where you buy books. There will be no buying or selling of books, but we will make sure that no one leaves empty handed and takes back one book,” says Rajkumar, one of the organisers.
The reason behind this unique venture was to promote reading amongst people. “Of late, the habit of reading has come down drastically amongst people and looking at the number of books lying in my house, I thought why not give them to others who can put these books to good use,” says Nagraj, another organiser.
The Parikshe will have a variety of books ranging from literature to children’s novels. “Since it’s a new venture, we have restricted it to only Kannada books. But slowly, we will venture into other languages as well,” adds Rajkumar. The place will also have rare first print copies of many Kannada books and photo copies of those books will also be available. “One can also donate their old books, and if one wants to donate more than 200 books, the organisers are more than willing to come and collect them personally. “The more the books, the merrier, as there is no end to the knowledge that books can provide,” says Nagraj.
Pusthaka Parikshe will be held on July 25 between 10 am and 5 pm at Srushti Ventures, near Pulliogare Point, Basavanagudi. For details, call 9945003479.