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For over 50 years, old Delhi’s Daryaganj has seen a loyal turnout of patrons at its Sunday book market. A weekly affair, the bazaar is a treasure chest of rare and antique books. One can sift through heaps of books, hands coated in dust and bags bursting at the seams, and still not be satiated.
Over a kilometer long, laid out between Delite and Golcha Cinema, ideally the market is best explored at leisure and on foot. But with the sun bearing down, you may want to start early morning (the market opens at 9:30) and wrap up by the time the afternoon heat sets in. Here’s a short guide to hitting the right stalls in a limited time:
Pulp fictions and best-sellers
Amit Kumar Pant has been running his stall since he was in his early 20s. “Maine kabhi baniya ki naukri nahi ki (I’ve never worked for anyone else)”, Pant, now 50, says smugly. Like many of his compatriots, Pant sources his maal from distributors who import containers full of books from Canada, UK or US. “Ab usme kuda aaye ya sona, woh meri kismat,” he quips, describing how he has little control over what books the containers comprise. From Danielle Steel to Barbara Taylor Bradford, Pant has every fast-paced fiction book you can devour in a day.
Landmark: Near Delite Cinema
Old and Irreplaceable
A lot newer than the books it offers, Jyoti’s 15-year-old stall is a repository of old and rare books. Jyoti, 45, has been making a conscious effort to sell old books, and is on the lookout for the right patrons. Some of the books he has are out of print editions, old reference books and short story collections in Urdu, Persian or even Russian. Having spent over a decade in the business, Jyoti now has a sense of how old a book may be just by feeling the paper or looking at the cover. A lover of books, he feels pained to see the books at his stall destroyed. But sadly, that is the fate of some of the books he doesn’t manage to sell so he can make space for the next batch.
Landmark: Next to Yes Bank, near Delite Cinema
The Family Affair
Surinder Dhawan’s 17-year-old son, Rishabh, is constantly attending calls even as he hustles around trying to fend off bargainers. In the last 20 years, Dhawan has managed to expand to over three stalls, and the sheer quantity of books is baffling. From Plato’s Republic, to a 1946 edition of an Arthur Conan Doyle book of short stories, to Jodi Picoult in the more recent variety, Dhawan’s stall covers a large spectrum. But this isn’t all – the Dhawans have thousands of books stowed away at a godown all the way in Nihal Vihar, and only few of those books make it to Daryaganj every Sunday to fill their three vibrant stalls. Also available at their stall are old issues of National Geographic magazines, dating back to the 1980s, for only Rs 20.
Landmark: Near Broadway Hotel
Comics and Peculiar Titles
In the endless row of stalls, 60-year-old Asha sits firmly as one of the only women in the business. Asha has been coming to the market for 20 years and is the cashier of the Daryaganj Sunday Books Bazaar Welfare Association. Her stall sells used copies of Hindi comics like Indrajal, Chacha Choudhary and even translated versions of the Adventures of Tintin. The stall even has peculiar offerings like Chinese Carpets and Rugs and The Jews of Jewish Humour, along with a vast collection of the Reader’s Digest Condensed Books.
Landmark: Near the wine shop, Asaf Ali Road
Books by the Kilo
In a massive, concrete shop, bustling with people, Mukta Books Agency offers much needed respite from the glowering sun. A family of wholesalers, the Ojhas have been in the business for 50 years. There are various colourful hoardings announcing prices of books by the kilo (up to Rs 200 for a kg). While the front is occupied by people jostling over the Twilights and Dan Browns, a whole section at the back is dedicated to vintage editions of books that owner Ramesh Ojha has acquired from collectors. There’s a large variety of rare books, from early Penguin editions, timeworn copies of Grimm’s Tales to Agatha Christie, Proust, and more. The shop recently sold a 400 year old copy of the Bible. If you have a keen eye, you can find anything at Mukta Books.
Landmark: Opposite Daryaganj Police Station, Netaji Subhash Marg
The bazaar has served several generations in the last five decades, and several generations before have found their way to the market, through books dating back a few centuries. In personalised inscriptions, scribbles and fragrances, the ghosts of the previous owners linger on. So pack an umbrella, a water bottle and snacks, and give those ghosts a new life.
Feature image photographed by Kirti Narain for Homegrown.
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