Books, bargains and a bit of history: Kolkata's Purono Boi-er Mela

Imagine walking through a sea of books of every size, colour and genre, all available at throwaway prices. Bibliophiles can actually live this dream on College Street, Kolkata's famed Boi Para, on three special days every year.

Come Independence Day (15 August), Saraswati Puja and May Day (1 May), College Street transforms into something more than a marketplace. As the rest of the country marks India's Independence Day with flag hoisting, parades, cultural programmes and football matches, Boi Para — as College Street is better known — decks up for an open-air book bazaar: the Purono Boi-er Mela, or old books sale. It is organised by the second-hand book stalls that line the lane beside Presidency University and Calcutta University.

The mela is not only a treasure trove for readers hunting rare titles; lucky ones could even get their hands on autographed books by literary stalwarts. From literary classics and bestsellers to popular magazines, out-of-print titles and academic and research textbooks, there is a wide array on offer — with prices starting as low as Rs 10 or 15.

Browsing through the pages and taking in the smell of old books, one might chance upon a message for a previous reader, a cinema or bus ticket stub, a pressed flower, or a love note scribbled somewhere — each narrating a story from long ago.

Old books have no fixed rates, and the price you pay depends on the bargain you're able to strike. So go ahead and put your bargaining skills to the test.

The Purono Boi-er Mela opens at 7am on these particular days. Reach early and spend the morning walking along pavements stacked with books; the sale stays open till 5pm.

“This is like an annual event that has been going on for years. Previously, the book bazaar was restricted to the pavement near Presidency University but now it stretches till Calcutta University and even the pavement of College Square,” said Subhankar Dey, director of Dey’s Publishing.

So clear your shelf space and head to College Street on these three days, starting with 15 August — the books won't wait, and neither will the best deals.