Lucknow: The 10-day Lucknow Book Fair began on Friday at the main lawn of Ravindralaya Charbagh}, drawing book lovers, students and literary enthusiasts from across the city. The fair will remain open daily from 11 a.m. to 9 p.m. until March 22, offering visitors a wide range of books with a minimum 10 percent discount.
Inaugurating the event, Uttar Pradesh Higher Education Minister Yogendra Upadhyay said that books act as friends, guides and teachers and urged college students to visit the fair to enrich their knowledge. He also emphasized the importance of understanding Indian culture and traditions through literature.
The fair features around 60 stalls displaying books on diverse subjects including literature, science, education and technology. Major participants include organizations such as National Book Trust, along with publishers like Hind Yugm, Shubhi Publications (Gurugram), Upkar Prakashan, Nikhil Publishers & Distributors (Agra), Bharatiya Kala Prakashan and several others from across the country.
The event also includes digital publishing products, stationery and educational materials for teachers and schools. Organizers said the fair has been designed to promote reading habits among the younger generation and provide a platform for interaction between readers and authors.
Patron Murlidhar Ahuja highlighted the importance of maintaining a collection of books in every household, while T.P. Haveliya said that books pave the way for intellectual and social development. Fair convenor Manoj Singh Chandel announced that following the request of the Higher Education Minister, a similar book fair will be organized in Agra next year.
Visitors can also enjoy literary discussions, book launches, poetry sessions and mushairas, along with opportunities to interact with writers and poets. The fair will also host student competitions and cultural programmes, while a special Awadhi cuisine festival will add a local flavour to the event.
Among the highlights, young artists will create paintings on a 15-foot canvas to commemorate 150 years of the patriotic song Vande Mataram.
Programme for March 14:
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11:00 a.m. – Book launch by Navsrijan Prakashan
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3:30 p.m. – Discussion on a book by Dr. Shipra
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5:00 p.m. – “Authors’ Adda” interaction session
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5:30 p.m. – Book launch: Avadh ke Mandir
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7:30 p.m. – Poetry gathering by Sahitya Sadhak
Organizers have also ensured adequate parking facilities for visitors attending the fair.
