Cheap wisdom

My experience of buying books in Delhi's Daryaganj where wisdom comes for as low as Rs 10

It was my first trip to Daryaganj. It was also the first time I had become aware of a book market where books were sold for Rs 20 and 50 and so on, pre-used and fresh. The purpose was to buy loads of books for a library for the underprivileged in Kurukshetra. I was to leave the house by eight in the morning so as to catch the Mahila Haat which was the Sunday attraction, that operated mostly until 12 noon, for buying great books in greater price. However, I failed to wake up on time and reached Daryaganj only after noon.

The static shops were in-tact. The first shop I entered had cardboard signs stating one Kg for Rs 150. I picked up novels in Hindi for senior high school students. Some of the titles were ‘Hatimtaayi’; ‘Pracheen Bharat Ka Itihass’; and more. They were fresh books; only the quality of pages weren’t of high grade. A little away from the novels counter were children’s books, for Rs 10 and 30! Bright colored-pages on manners, counting, etc were for Rs 10. Story books with bright hard cover, the kind our aunts brought for us from the US eons ago, were for Rs 30. I picked up lots of fairy tale books.

I moved on in search of Atlas and General Knowledge books which was what the concerned authority in Kurukshetra wanted. Those books were hard to find. Upon walking ahead and further ahead, a young boy led us to a narrow dingy lane which had a narrower book shop. They had the books I wanted, but the prices were high. It was the mall price. I, of course, exited the narrow lane to again search for aforementioned books. Sometime later, I found a large room of books with my needs in them. The price wasn’t very friendly; however, I bought them. I realized even then I would have spent only some Rs 1,000.

While moving shops, my eyes had fallen on Reader’s Digest and English novels up for sale for Rs 20. I bought ‘Great Expectations’ and the tiny magazine as well. I walked back on the pavement browsing through more stores. From one store, I bought Encyclopaedia and similar books of great information and also puzzles. There was a Messi Football team puzzle for adult students, then there were some puzzles on various human emotions and birds/animals. By then the total expense had come to Rs 1500.

Just before leaving, I remembered that the concerned supervisor of the underprivileged had also mentioned biography/autobiography. I re-entered the first shop that I had entered at the beginning to pick up a pocket book on Satyajit Ray. It was a picture book with fewer text as introduction to Ray. Senior students may find inspiration reading the book, I thought. Somebody may chart a career in film-making.

By then, the sum spent amounted to some Rs 1600 for some 40 books.