For approximately five decades now, the historic Daryaganj Patri Kitab Bazar, or the Sunday Footpath Book Market, has served readers from a...
For approximately five decades now, the historic Daryaganj Patri Kitab Bazar, or the Sunday Footpath Book Market, has served readers from all parts of the city and all walks of life. Every Sunday, from early morning to late evening, the footpath between Netaji Subhash Marg and Asaf Ali Road was occupied by the sellers, and the two landmark cinema halls of the old city – Golcha and Delite – marked the endpoints of this L-shaped bazaar.
In July 2019, however, the North Delhi Municipal Corporation ordered its shutdown. Two months later, in mid-September, it was relocated to a nearby gated complex called Mahila Haat. Although booksellers had been protesting for the market to return to the original footpaths, most of them shifted to Mahila Haat. The protests had been continuing outside Delhi Gate Metro Station exit number 3 when Covid-19 erupted.
The books of Daryaganj
The sort of books that could be found in Daryaganj have changed over time. Used books have always found a home here. In its initial years, the bazaar was a place for magazines, coffee table books, and “useful literature”, or books on self-help and everyday skills. More recently, textbooks for schools and colleges and their supplements had taken over. You...
