<p>Mangoes droop from the tree like earrings. The sunbirds chirp merrily behind the dark green foliage. Sitting next to a single-pane window overlooking the greenery, I devour a book as well as a delicious carrot cake speckled with a generous amount of dry fruits. For a moment, I forget I’m in Central Bengaluru.</p>.<p>Hidden in a narrow lane just off Queen’s road, ‘Champaca Bookstore, Library, Cafe’ is a new entrant to Bengaluru’s burgeoning book store scene. The ambiance at the ‘Champaca’ is ideal for anyone who wants to grab a bite and a book without being assaulted by loud music.</p>.<p>The store is named after the once ubiquitous Sampige of Bengaluru, Champaca Magnolia and the logo consists of the flower, a drongo bird and a sambar stag – all endemic to the forests of Southern India. Apart from being an ode to the flora and fauna of Bengaluru, the logo also signifies the hope and intention of Champaca being a community space, where “different creatures coming together” for their shared love of food, books and nature.</p>.<p>“We wanted a small selection which was very thoughtfully curated and at the same time we wanted to bring in coffee, tea and some food into it,” says Radhika Timbadia, founder. “Because those [books and food] are two of the most comforting things that can go together.”</p>.<p>Pavitra Shankar, marketing head at Champaca, says that they have tried to bring as much diversity as possible. “We have tried to have reasonable collections of biographies and memoirs, of Dalit women and we have tried to have writings by people from the North-East, both fiction and non-fiction.”</p>.<p>The shelf has an impressive collection of translations of Indian writing, including a considerable number of rare Sahitya Akademi translations. But that doesn’t mean you can’t find best-sellers here. “If we stacked the shelf with only the things people were already familiar with, were already read a lot of, then we wouldn’t be serving our purpose as a book store,” says Pavitra. “We want to introduce readers to newer kinds of writing, authors, ideas and ways of writing within the same genre.”</p>.<p>A book store with a library philosophy wants to take on the role of the ever reliant – but now on the brink of obsolescence – the librarian. In many countries, the libraries have transformed into a community space, where a wide range of activities are held for the locals and the children, while also retaining the traditional function of <br />a library.</p>.<p>An ecologist and conservationist, Radhika worked at Wildlife Research and Conservation for about a decade, where she used books as a medium to have conversations with kids about conservation. Through Champaca, she plans to conduct many free events around books, especially for children. A section of the library is dedicated to the children below 12.</p>
<p>Mangoes droop from the tree like earrings. The sunbirds chirp merrily behind the dark green foliage. Sitting next to a single-pane window overlooking the greenery, I devour a book as well as a delicious carrot cake speckled with a generous amount of dry fruits. For a moment, I forget I’m in Central Bengaluru.</p>.<p>Hidden in a narrow lane just off Queen’s road, ‘Champaca Bookstore, Library, Cafe’ is a new entrant to Bengaluru’s burgeoning book store scene. The ambiance at the ‘Champaca’ is ideal for anyone who wants to grab a bite and a book without being assaulted by loud music.</p>.<p>The store is named after the once ubiquitous Sampige of Bengaluru, Champaca Magnolia and the logo consists of the flower, a drongo bird and a sambar stag – all endemic to the forests of Southern India. Apart from being an ode to the flora and fauna of Bengaluru, the logo also signifies the hope and intention of Champaca being a community space, where “different creatures coming together” for their shared love of food, books and nature.</p>.<p>“We wanted a small selection which was very thoughtfully curated and at the same time we wanted to bring in coffee, tea and some food into it,” says Radhika Timbadia, founder. “Because those [books and food] are two of the most comforting things that can go together.”</p>.<p>Pavitra Shankar, marketing head at Champaca, says that they have tried to bring as much diversity as possible. “We have tried to have reasonable collections of biographies and memoirs, of Dalit women and we have tried to have writings by people from the North-East, both fiction and non-fiction.”</p>.<p>The shelf has an impressive collection of translations of Indian writing, including a considerable number of rare Sahitya Akademi translations. But that doesn’t mean you can’t find best-sellers here. “If we stacked the shelf with only the things people were already familiar with, were already read a lot of, then we wouldn’t be serving our purpose as a book store,” says Pavitra. “We want to introduce readers to newer kinds of writing, authors, ideas and ways of writing within the same genre.”</p>.<p>A book store with a library philosophy wants to take on the role of the ever reliant – but now on the brink of obsolescence – the librarian. In many countries, the libraries have transformed into a community space, where a wide range of activities are held for the locals and the children, while also retaining the traditional function of <br />a library.</p>.<p>An ecologist and conservationist, Radhika worked at Wildlife Research and Conservation for about a decade, where she used books as a medium to have conversations with kids about conservation. Through Champaca, she plans to conduct many free events around books, especially for children. A section of the library is dedicated to the children below 12.</p>
