World Book Fair 2012- Pargati Maidan

I have considered myself avid reader always quite true also, Kabari Bazar in Dehardun mute spectator to my plunderings..repeatedly like Nadir shah each time I went to back home after an outing I was full of booty, it was this place which introduced me to most unlikely books( in normal times never would have spent money on) ..it was true bargain to buy ‘Lolita’ or ‘The Good Earth’ or’Catcher in the rye’ all classics.
Now I buy books from shelf and still make it a point to spend atleast one Saturday in a month browsing through rows of books in upmarket ‘Om Book shop, Gurgaon’ or book container importers-marketers on Mehrauli Gurgaon road or roadside market in Sector-14, 31 of Gurgaon.
In NCR since 2005 its been first time I ventured out for this pilgrimage, alongwith Seema and Bijal(Joshita is still two months away from summer vacations)..i drove down to Pargati Maidan, parking near Old fort..i entered with set agenda
- No Fiction of English Indian or Foreign authors( This is my stock reading but is easy to browse on portals like Flipkart.com with heavy discounts, this was deliberate on my part or else I would have spent everything on Amitav Ghosh)
- Maximum buys for almost teen and kids with Bijal and Joshita in mind.
- Best buys on Hindi literature, never owned but always cherished literary gems by top authors.
- Visit specialized stalls on Spiritual & religious books( It ultimately turned out to be heaviest investment for me)

When I got out after 5 hrs of soul satisfying, knee crushing stall hopping I had just about covered 25% of the space earmarked for books but contented to the heart my shoulders ached from all the baggage I carried, the teasure trove contained
- Ramayana(Hindi) by Amritlal Nagar for children, Mahabharata(English) a special Rupa edition got with 20% discount.
- Special Sketch book –Harper Collins edition with a pretty friendship band thrown in for Bijal.
- A super Vedic Mathematics book by a old Delhi Publisher only into publishing of Indian culture and Philosphy.
- Two Philosphy books by Ace Philospher and Guru J Krishnamurthi on meaning of life and parents interaction with kids( English + Hindi)
- Set of three small books for teenagers again by J Krishnamurthi (English)
- ‘Raag Darbari’ the hindi classical by Srilal Shukl( Rajkamal publishers are like Rupa and Harper Collins of English) and my heart really gladdened by seeing so much crowd thronging to read in mother tongue.
- Selected works of Mohan Rakesh(Ace Hindi writer- author of classic like ‘Aashad ka ek din’)
- ‘Sathyrath Prakash’ the Arya Samaj Philosphy by Swami Dayannad Saraswati(Glossy thick edition was given for INR 10/-)
- Five glossy multicoloured religious comics(English) for reading to Bijal(She is still iiliterate) by Geeta press, these people are doing faboulous job of spreading Hindu Dharma.
- Sansrit(Valmiki) version of Sunder kaand…I carry tulsi version already.
- A small version of Geeta, I have elaborate thick volume already at home(Yet to go through same)

Seems like a days work done honestly…isn’t it!