Stall crowds prove books can't be relegated to pages of history

The other browsing thrives

Bookstalls were a crowd-puller at the Sahitya Sammelana, even in the age of e-reader Kindle and only movie streaming mediums like Netflix.

People at the Sammelana did not miss the opportunity to buy books of their choice. Youths preparing for competitive examinations like those of UPSC and KPSC were seen thronging the bookstalls to purchase study material.

Competitive exam books

According to the book-sellers, books on general knowledge, current affairs and competitive exams commanded high demand on the first and second of the Sammelana.

Santosh Kumar Patil of S S Patil Book Sellers told DH that people below 30 years of age were buying books related to competitive exams only. A few youths ask for literary books. Book sales are higher than the previous Sammelana held in Dharwad, he said.

Suresh H of Bengaluru Hariprasad Book House said, youths and students were asking only for books related to National Eligibility Test (NET), State Eligibility Test (SLET), Teachers Eligibility Test (TET), SDC, FDC and other competitive exams.

Prabha Borgaonkar of Sahitya Pustaka Publication said it is good that youngsters were thinking about their career.

Bhimashankar, a third-year BSc student at Vishwabharati College, said, "I purchased a book related to the Constitution of India in addition to books related to competitive exams as I am aspiring to be an IPS officer."

Priyanka H Sajjan, another degree student at Kaleshwara Degree College in Kalagi said, she had bought a general knowledge book as she was preparing to appear for a competituve examination.

As many as 400 bookstalls have been set up on the right side of the main stage of the Sammelana venue. Literary enthusiasts continued to throng the bookstalls, despite the intense heat.