1.2 Millon And Counting: Kolkata Book Fair Shatters Opening Records In 4-Day Holiday Rush

Kolkata: Not even a full week has passed, yet the footfall in the International Kolkata Book Fair has already shattered all records. The book fair, dear to the hearts of the city's residents, began last Thursday. ​​Due to consecutive holidays since then, a record crowd has gathered in just four days.

Holiday rush

This year, the book fair coincided with a long holiday period in the state. First, there was Netaji's birthday and Saraswati Puja, followed by Saturday and Sunday, and finally, Republic Day on Monday. ​​All in all, the general public enjoyed a long holiday. And during this time, the 49th International Kolkata Book Fair was held. From Friday to Monday, the book fair grounds were teeming with people.

Another catalyst for the crowd: Expansion of the Metro

However, along with the holidays, one of the main catalysts for this crowd was the Metro service this year. From Sealdah to Howrah, people from all directions flocked to the book fair grounds. And thanks to the convenience of the Metro, book lovers were able to visit various stalls until quite late at night.

This year, the Metro service was an added bonus at the book fair. Since last year, the Metro service connected Sealdah to Sector Five. But this time, there has been a further addition. Instead of Sealdah, the Metro service from Sector Five now extends to Howrah Maidan. At the Esplanade Metro station, visitors can change their route from the Green Line to the Blue Line. This has been a great convenience, according to people visiting the book fair. Additionally, a Metro ticket counter has been set up inside Gate Number Two of the book fair. This has received a tremendous response from book lovers, according to the Metro authorities.

The footfall

As a result, the International Kolkata Book Fair was flooded with ​​people in just four days. According to the Guild, a record has been set in the number of visitors. On Friday, the day of Saraswati Puja, the International Kolkata Book Fair saw a crowd of approximately 250,000 visitors.

On Saturday, that number surpassed the previous day's count, reaching nearly 3,50,000. And on Sunday and Monday, the number reached approximately 400,000. In total, the number of visitors to the book fair so far is approximately 1.2 million. Due to the presence of people of all ages, paper maps are being provided alongside digital maps.

Explaining the reason for this, Sudhangshu Shekhar De, president of the Publishers and Booksellers Guild, said, "There are some elderly people who are not accustomed to mobile phones. They cannot access the map on their phones. That's why paper maps are also being provided." He added, "A huge number of book lovers have been visiting the fair. There has been a record crowd compared to previous years within the first few days. A large number of people have visited in these four days."

A book lovers paradise

Atreyi Bhattacharya, who came from Salt Lake, said, "We got a long holiday. Because of this, we got time to enjoy ourselves after managing the puja festivities." Sucheta, who came from Dum Dum Cantonment, said, "Perhaps the book fair is being held a little earlier this year to make good use of this long holiday. This has been very convenient for us." Although, it goes without saying that this book fair is organised every year according to an international calendar. The book fair is organised according to the time designated for each country.

Parthapratim Sadhukhan, who came from Jadavpur, said, "Earlier, after a certain time, buses were not available. Returning home became a big problem. Now, the metro service has made things very convenient." A couple from Rajarhat said, "The metro is a very good mode of transport. There is no traffic, no problems at all."

Sagnik Das, who came from Kalyani, got his hands full with bags of books. He will take the metro to Sealdah with his heavy bags and then take a train back to Kalyani. He said, "The book fair is a major attraction. There have been days when I didn't buy a single book, but I still toured the entire fair. This extended holiday was a blessing. Because of the holiday, there's no added pressure of rushing to the office the next day. The metro service has further enhanced this convenience. Earlier, I used to race against the clock. Many books would remain unpurchased towards the end. This metro service has made things much easier."

Regarding this, Tridib Kumar Chatterjee, the general secretary of the Publishers and Booksellers Guild, said, "This connection has brought about a revolution. The metro covers the entire sector, including Sealdah, Howrah, and Esplanade. As a result, many people are able to come from places like Tollygunge, Bansdroni, and Asansol. When we first moved from Milan Mela to this ground, everyone said that the Kolkata Book Fair had moved to a corner of Kolkata. That has been proven wrong. That corner location has now become a central location."