Pune Book Festival: A Literary Extravaganza Igniting the Flames of Reading Across Generations

Honourable Prime Minister Narendra Modiji once said when a citizens read, the country leads. Emphasizing on the habit of reading further during a segment of his ‘Maan Ki Baat’ series, Modiji highlighted the diminishing interest in reading among children, attributing it to the pervasive influence of technology. He lamented the decline in the traditional practice of grandparents or parents narrating stories to the children. Urging us to recognize our role as responsible citizen to instil reading habit, Modiji in January 2022 had also started a campaign ‘Padhega Bharat’ to instil reading habit.
The story of Pune Book festival is the story of a step towards achieving this dream of Honourable Prime Minister. A city which possess profound heritage dating back to figures like Rajmata Jijabai, who imparted wisdom to Bal Shivaji via stories, shaping his future, and also has been a hub of many noted freedom fighters proved to be an obvious choice for the event. Honourable Prime Minister had appealed to parents and grandparents to read stories to their children. Taking a cue, we created a record on 14 December 2023 where 3066 parents simultaneously read stories to their children surpassing China in creating this record.
The second record was a tribute to the saints who have shown us the guiding light and to our beloved country – Bharat. Volunteers orchestrated the organization of 7500 books authored by various saints to form the distinctive shape of ‘Bharat’ on the festival ground on 15 December 2023.
In the third record too, we chose to hail our beloved nation and also get students to walk on the path shown by Honourable Prime Minister. A noteworthy record was established on 16 December 2023 by carving out the words ‘Jayatu Bharat’ using 18751 copies of Prime Ministers book Exam warriors. A record-breaking moment occurred on 21 December 2023 when 11,043 citizens collectively narrated the story of Prabhu Shri Ram within 30 seconds, creating the largest video album of people reading the same content in a given time frame.
The aspiring younger generation, whom we sought to involve in the festival, proactively volunteered to contribute to the organizational endeavours. Noteworthy contributors to the team included dedicated NSS volunteers and students from Savitribai Phule Pune University. Recognizing the significance of the event, officials from both the Pune Municipal Corporation and Savitribai Phule Pune University promptly assumed an active role, guiding the entire process. The ensuing event exemplified an ideal manifestation of "JanaBhagidari" (people's participation), a concept underscored by the Prime Minister.
The inception of the Pune Book festival was conceived during the G20 Education working group meeting held in Pune earlier in 2023. The idea was presented to members of National Book trust who were participating in the G20 meeting. In response to our appeal, the National Book trust graciously consented to organize the festival in Pune. The initial contemplation in the strategic planning for the event emphasized the imperative for it to be a festival for the people by the people.
A committee of experts from diverse background was established with National Book trusts chairperson Prof Milind Marathe and director colonel Yuvraj Malik playing an active role with their constant visits and guidance.

To ensure widespread participation, numerous pre-event activities were orchestrated. An initiative encouraging individuals to dedicate an hour to reading, irrespective of their location, was conducted prior to the festival. Additionally, a symbolic book march (Granth Dindi) was organized to honour the legacy of heroes, freedom fighters, and saints. Books and writings associated with these revered figures were ceremoniously placed in a palanquin and conveyed to the event venue by students hailing from various parts of the city.
An initiative encouraging individuals to dedicate an hour to reading, irrespective of their location, was conducted prior to the festival. Additionally, a symbolic book procession was organised to honour the legacy of our heroes. A slogan writing competition was held, where students were tasked with crafting slogans for Chatrapati Shivaji Maharaj. A creative puppet crafting session by Sharanya Shriram, an interactive and enjoyable mathematics session titled ‘Play with numbers the Vedic way’ aligning with the festivals focus by Vivek Kumar, Ummekulsums enchanting story telling session, Katie Bagli’s story telling session transported the young minds into the world if imagination, fostering love for literature amongst the attendees.
Distinguished personalities such as Kumar Vishwas, Vikram Sampath, Saurabh Dwiwedi and Upendra rai graced the occasion, providing intellectual stimulation. Chandrachur Ghose and Anuj Dhar engaged in a thought- provoking book discussion on ‘Chasing shadows’ offering factual insights into the struggles of Netaji Subhash Chandra Bose.
Malini Awasthi enchanted the audience with a mesmerizing musical performance, infusing the air with rich melodies of folk music. Faisal Ashoor and his band from Kashmir delivered a captivating musical performance.
Notable conversations included an insightful conversation with scientist Raghunath Mashelkar and Maharashtra Deputy CM Devendra Fadnavis along with the participation of other distinguished personalities and politicians.
The festival witnessed a record-breaking footfall attracting 4.5 lakh citizens, not only from Pune, but from various parts of the state. An impressive total of 8.50 lakh books were sold during the 9 days, resulting in substantial business worth 11 crores.