Kolkata's 'Boiparay Boi Utsab' Book Fair Begins at College Square

Kolkata's 'Boiparay Boi Utsab' book fair kicks off at College Square, featuring 70 publishers, literary events, and celebrations ahead of the Bengali New Year.

on Apr 02, 2025

Kolkata's 'Boiparay Boi Utsab' Book Fair Begins at College Square

A book fair, with a wide array of books from various publication houses, was launched at College Square in Kolkata on Tuesday. Kolkata, Apr 1 (PTI) A book fair, with a wide array of books from various publication houses, was launched at College Square in Kolkata on Tuesday. Dubbed 'Boiparay Boi Utsab', the seven-day book fair in the city's book district is to comprise about 55 booths accommodating 70 publishers, said organisers Publishers and Booksellers Guild.

The book fair, organised about two months following the International Kolkata Book Fair, was opened by noted Bengali author Sanjib Chattopadhyay, and included performances by noted poets like Joy Goswami, Srijato Bandyopadhyay, and Subodh Sarkar.

Chattopadhyay referred to the book fair as 'Boi Parbon' (book festival) since it is taking place before the Bengali New Year. The book fair will conclude on April 7, whereas the Bengali New Year or 'Poila Boisakh' is on April 15. The book fair will conclude on April 7, whereas the Bengali New Year or 'Poila Boisakh' is on April 15.

Sarkar remembered the 1980s and 1990s when 'boi bazaars' (book fairs) were held side by side with book fairs in various regions of Kolkata so that bibliophiles could take home their choice books at prices as low as peanuts. He appealed to the organisers to continue such efforts in favour of book lovers in the future.

Goswami added that book fairs of this kind keep alive the expectation about the survival of printed materials in the time of e-books and social networking.

The 'Boiparay Boi Utsab' or book fair in the book hub kicked off in 2013 in College Square as a project of West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee.

Launched as the 'Nababorsho Boi Utsab', keeping with Bengali New Year celebrations, it was then moved to the spring season and renamed 'Basanta Boi Utsab' to beat the scorching summer heat and weather. sultry

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