Bookshops in India

jonnybardo · Oct 17th, 2003, 15:16

After being in India for a bit over two weeks I've come to appreciate bookshops that sell English-language fiction when I come across them, because I've quickly learned not to take them for granted. Anyways, I'm wondering if people could post bookshops that they've come across that they've liked, especially ones that stock a good selection of English fiction.

I'm currently in Pondicherry and the pickings are rather slim--Higginbotthams had almost nothing, but Focus on Mission st had a decent selection.

The best selection I've seen thus far is DC Books in Trivandrum--it is off MG road and worth a browse.

EDIT NOTE: Thread moved to correct forum.

czoona · Oct 17th, 2003, 15:52

It's not anywhere near where you are I guess, but the bookstore in the Taj Mahal hotel in Mumbai was brilliant - huge selection of every type of book, from coffee table glossies to the latest philosophical musings, via Vogue & kiddies' books!

We weren't guests at the hotel or anything, just went in for a coffee & stumbled on the bookshop.

Alan D · Oct 17th, 2003, 15:59

"Bookworm" just off Connaught Place in Delhi is well worth a browse if you're heading that way.

It's quite a small shop on 2 floors but crammed full of the best of Indian writers in the English language.

steven_ber · Oct 17th, 2003, 16:29

Golden Heart Books in Madgaon (Margao) is the biggest bookshop in Goa.

It is in a side street (but can be seen from the main road) off the eastern side of Abade Faria road about 100m north of the post office.

akuchlous · Oct 17th, 2003, 16:36

I forgot the name of the one in bangalore.. its the best i have seen... wither in delhi or bangalore so far...

well, here's the detail..

one is gangaram... on the MG ROAD bangalore. you can find almost all books there, and quite modern.

But the other one ..the best one is ... it even gives u 20% discount and a respectable old men who seem to know abt every book in the store (must be ard ... cannot guess)...

and &$@% i forgot the name.. its off MGROAD, ..... i wil ltry to find the way to tell

if anyoneis familiar with KOSHY's in bagalore..it easy to find..

from the MG road if u take left u reach Koshy's. and the left turn before the one u take to reach koshy's ... u reach book shop..on left handside.... 2 before end..

hope it helps..which i think has very less chances...

-akuchlous.

cyberhippie · Oct 17th, 2003, 16:51

I find the second hand bookshops In Pushkar, Delhi and McCloudganj amongst the best bookshops I've visited in India. In Delhi the guy just next to the Cinema on Paharganj always has something worth reading and he offers a pretty good buy back scheme 50% of what you paid for the book!!
The other guy a bit further up towards the Metropole on the left opposite the opticians has a good selection as well but his buy back rates are abysmal!!
Both Pushkar and McCloud Ganj offer several bookshops of the same ilk!! Thay also have a great selection of new and used books and each offer a buy back scheme!!
There a pretty good book shop on Cochin island which is a bit close to where you are! This shop has two outlets on Cochin and has a good selection of both new and second hand books!! It's called? Wait I'll check the LP, ah got it the Idiom Bookshop!!
hope that helps!!

Happy Travelling!!

Apana · Oct 17th, 2003, 18:05

The second bookshop mentioned by akuchlous is Premier book shop. It's a stone's throw from Koshy's. If walking up MG road, i.e., from Gangarams towards Koshy's take the first left after GG Welling's photographic store. Premier is at the end of this lane, before the cross roads.

In Hyderabad you can try Walden.

In Madras Landmark.

For orders on the internet, try http://www.firstandsecond.com (or it could be http://www.firstandsecondhand.com). It's India's Amazon, and you don't have to pay for postage from the UK/USA.

For second hand books in Bangalore, try Select book house. When you walk down Brigade Road, there's a little gully to the left at Victory Drycleaners. Select is at the end of the gully.

Apana

akuchlous · Oct 17th, 2003, 22:11

Thx Apana... I have been raking my brains just to rememeber the name... I had gone there couple of years back , so forgot abt it...

Now am present in delhi... and any idea where I can get decent colection of Secondhand books... I hate to pay for first hand boooks, for i do not part with them later... and that ends up burning a big hole in the pocket...

BTW just finished John Le' Carre ... Single and single... was better tahn other spy thrillers i have read.

-akuchlous

cyberhippie · Oct 17th, 2003, 23:01

Hi Akuchlous
Get onto the Paharganj main bazaar, and walk away from the New Delhi Train station end, towards the veg market!! You'll come to a fork in the road go straight past the Vivek hotel and you will come to a cinema!! Just past here on the right is a second hand book stall that has good selection or opposite this guy there is another small shop and then 50 meters further on the left there is a guy with a really big selection of second hand books enjoy!!

shanshas · Oct 17th, 2003, 23:39

In Kolkata, try

Landmark at the Emami Shopping Complex on Lord Sinha Road

Oxford on Park Street

Modern Book Depot and Mohans opposite Lighthouse Cinema, near New Market

Various small bookshops on Free School Street and College Street for second hand books (Remember to bargain)

indiaguide · Oct 18th, 2003, 01:23

coolege Street Book market is the best for old books ans as well as new Books.Park street Oxford is the best book shop in Calcutta.
One can try Sunday old book market in ol old Delhi .

concoran · Oct 18th, 2003, 02:38

Quote:

Originally posted by akuchlous
I forgot the name of the one in bangalore.. its the best i have seen... wither in delhi or bangalore so far...

You're probably talking about Sapna bookstore in Bangalore (near main busstand)..

The best place to buy fiction would be any downtown. You will find endless book sellers along footpath.

wonderwomanusa · Oct 18th, 2003, 06:43

A friend tells me that the Strand Bookstore in Mumbai is not to be missed.

steven_ber · Oct 18th, 2003, 06:55

Also in Mumbai, turn left (east) out of Churchgate station, walk about 200 metres and there's lots of bookstalls.

oldhippie · Oct 18th, 2003, 13:54

Steven
Are these the guys on the sidewalk? I have picked up some interesting stuff from them.
There is also a large bookstore in Ballard Estate, Mumbai which has a lot more books than Nalands at the Taj.

Bill

Oct 17th, 2003, 15:16	#1
jonnybardo Member Join Date: Aug 2003 Location: mysore for now Posts: 78	Bookshops in India After being in India for a bit over two weeks I've come to appreciate bookshops that sell English-language fiction when I come across them, because I've quickly learned not to take them for granted. Anyways, I'm wondering if people could post bookshops that they've come across that they've liked, especially ones that stock a good selection of English fiction. I'm currently in Pondicherry and the pickings are rather slim--Higginbotthams had almost nothing, but Focus on Mission st had a decent selection. The best selection I've seen thus far is DC Books in Trivandrum--it is off MG road and worth a browse. EDIT NOTE: Thread moved to correct forum. Last edited by steven_ber : Oct 17th, 2003 at 17:23.

Oct 17th, 2003, 15:59	#3
Alan D Maha Guru Member Join Date: Aug 2001 Location: Southampton UK Posts: 1,866	"Bookworm" just off Connaught Place in Delhi is well worth a browse if you're heading that way. It's quite a small shop on 2 floors but crammed full of the best of Indian writers in the English language. __________________ What a long strange trip it's been!

Oct 18th, 2003, 06:43	#13
wonderwomanusa Maha Guru Member Join Date: May 2003 Location: Dhaka Posts: 3,570	A friend tells me that the Strand Bookstore in Mumbai is not to be missed. __________________ The map is not the territory. --Alfred Korzybski

Oct 18th, 2003, 06:55	#14
steven_ber Member Join Date: Sep 2001 Location: London, England. Posts: 9,784	Also in Mumbai, turn left (east) out of Churchgate station, walk about 200 metres and there's lots of bookstalls. __________________ . How to get helpful replies to your transport/Itinerary questions. Train information. RAC & Waitlists explained.

Oct 18th, 2003, 13:54	#15
oldhippie Member Join Date: Oct 2003 Location: Mumbai, India Posts: 412	Steven Are these the guys on the sidewalk? I have picked up some interesting stuff from them. There is also a large bookstore in Ballard Estate, Mumbai which has a lot more books than Nalands at the Taj. Bill __________________ Too Many Gandus, Too Few Bullets.

Oct 17th, 2003, 15:52	#2
czoona Member Join Date: Sep 2003 Location: UK Posts: 21	It's not anywhere near where you are I guess, but the bookstore in the Taj Mahal hotel in Mumbai was brilliant - huge selection of every type of book, from coffee table glossies to the latest philosophical musings, via Vogue & kiddies' books! We weren't guests at the hotel or anything, just went in for a coffee & stumbled on the bookshop.

Oct 17th, 2003, 16:29	#4
steven_ber Member Join Date: Sep 2001 Location: London, England. Posts: 9,784	Golden Heart Books in Madgaon (Margao) is the biggest bookshop in Goa. It is in a side street (but can be seen from the main road) off the eastern side of Abade Faria road about 100m north of the post office.

Oct 17th, 2003, 16:36	#5
akuchlous BittenByTravelBug Join Date: Oct 2003 Location: Delhi Posts: 25	I forgot the name of the one in bangalore.. its the best i have seen... wither in delhi or bangalore so far... well, here's the detail.. one is gangaram... on the MG ROAD bangalore. you can find almost all books there, and quite modern. But the other one ..the best one is ... it even gives u 20% discount and a respectable old men who seem to know abt every book in the store (must be ard ... cannot guess)... and &$@% i forgot the name.. its off MGROAD, ..... i wil ltry to find the way to tell if anyoneis familiar with KOSHY's in bagalore..it easy to find.. from the MG road if u take left u reach Koshy's. and the left turn before the one u take to reach koshy's ... u reach book shop..on left handside.... 2 before end.. hope it helps..which i think has very less chances... -akuchlous.

Oct 17th, 2003, 16:51	#6
cyberhippie Account Closed by User's Request Join Date: Jul 2002 Location: the Netherlands Posts: 6,009	I find the second hand bookshops In Pushkar, Delhi and McCloudganj amongst the best bookshops I've visited in India. In Delhi the guy just next to the Cinema on Paharganj always has something worth reading and he offers a pretty good buy back scheme 50% of what you paid for the book!! The other guy a bit further up towards the Metropole on the left opposite the opticians has a good selection as well but his buy back rates are abysmal!! Both Pushkar and McCloud Ganj offer several bookshops of the same ilk!! Thay also have a great selection of new and used books and each offer a buy back scheme!! There a pretty good book shop on Cochin island which is a bit close to where you are! This shop has two outlets on Cochin and has a good selection of both new and second hand books!! It's called? Wait I'll check the LP, ah got it the Idiom Bookshop!! hope that helps!! Happy Travelling!!

Oct 17th, 2003, 18:05	#7
Apana Senior Member Join Date: Feb 2003 Location: Hyderabad, India Posts: 147	The second bookshop mentioned by akuchlous is Premier book shop. It's a stone's throw from Koshy's. If walking up MG road, i.e., from Gangarams towards Koshy's take the first left after GG Welling's photographic store. Premier is at the end of this lane, before the cross roads. In Hyderabad you can try Walden. In Madras Landmark. For orders on the internet, try http://www.firstandsecond.com (or it could be http://www.firstandsecondhand.com). It's India's Amazon, and you don't have to pay for postage from the UK/USA. For second hand books in Bangalore, try Select book house. When you walk down Brigade Road, there's a little gully to the left at Victory Drycleaners. Select is at the end of the gully. Apana

Oct 17th, 2003, 22:11	#8
akuchlous BittenByTravelBug Join Date: Oct 2003 Location: Delhi Posts: 25	Thx Apana... I have been raking my brains just to rememeber the name... I had gone there couple of years back , so forgot abt it... Now am present in delhi... and any idea where I can get decent colection of Secondhand books... I hate to pay for first hand boooks, for i do not part with them later... and that ends up burning a big hole in the pocket... BTW just finished John Le' Carre ... Single and single... was better tahn other spy thrillers i have read. -akuchlous

Oct 17th, 2003, 23:01	#9
cyberhippie Account Closed by User's Request Join Date: Jul 2002 Location: the Netherlands Posts: 6,009	Hi Akuchlous Get onto the Paharganj main bazaar, and walk away from the New Delhi Train station end, towards the veg market!! You'll come to a fork in the road go straight past the Vivek hotel and you will come to a cinema!! Just past here on the right is a second hand book stall that has good selection or opposite this guy there is another small shop and then 50 meters further on the left there is a guy with a really big selection of second hand books enjoy!!

Oct 17th, 2003, 23:39	#10
shanshas Member Join Date: Aug 2001 Location: Calcutta, India Posts: 51	In Kolkata, try Landmark at the Emami Shopping Complex on Lord Sinha Road Oxford on Park Street Modern Book Depot and Mohans opposite Lighthouse Cinema, near New Market Various small bookshops on Free School Street and College Street for second hand books (Remember to bargain)

Oct 18th, 2003, 01:23	#11
indiaguide Account Closed Join Date: Sep 2001 Location: Calcutta(Kolkata) Posts: 330	coolege Street Book market is the best for old books ans as well as new Books.Park street Oxford is the best book shop in Calcutta. One can try Sunday old book market in ol old Delhi .

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