From once lining the streets of Daryaganj to now being held at Mahila Haat, the Sunday book market remains a haven for book lovers in Delhi. While booksellers have yet to fully adjust to the market’s relocation in 2019, they continue to set up their stalls each week with the same zeal and fervour that has attracted readers since 1964, when the market was first established.
However, these sellers face numerous challenges in sustaining this bazaar, which has become a part of Delhi’s living heritage.
The Tale of Declining Sale
Known for its eclectic collection of second-hand books at highly affordable prices, the Daryaganj Sunday book market has something to offer everyone who stops by.
It features books ranging from classics by Leo Tolstoy, Charles Dickens, and Jane Austen to study guides, textbooks, and competitive exam books, attracting students like me from a wide range of academic backgrounds.While visitors to Mahila Haat every Sunday leave satisfied, the outlook is less promising for sellers.
Sanjay, one of the booksellers, laments the decline in sales since the market was shifted from its previous stretch between Delite Cinema and Golcha Cinema.
"Previously, when the market was held along the roadside, passers-by would frequently stop to buy books. People would even pull over in their cars to purchase their favourite reads. However, many readers are unaware of this new location, and even those who do know about it often avoid coming all the way here just to buy books. Only those who visit specifically to purchase books, usually students, make the trip, which has hampered sales."Sanjay, Bookseller
Mahila Haat is on an elevated platform, accessible via a short set of stairs or a crude ramp. Transporting books up is a challenge in itself. Many sellers have to hire loaders, which increases their costs and hurts their pockets.
Sellers say that trolleys sometimes overturn while carrying books, and for elderly sellers, climbing the stairs or the ramp with their stock is nothing short of a struggle.
Another vendor, Jagdish, points out that, owing to the change of location, their work has reduced while costs have surged.
He says that his sales improved for two to three months starting in March, but the rest of the year was marked by a slump. There are other issues too.
"This place is regularly used for weddings, and no cleaning is done afterwards. We either have to clean it ourselves or pay someone to do it, which only adds to our expenses."Jagdish, Bookseller
A wedding ceremony had been held just before Sunday, 8 March, when I visited the market, and one could see half-undone tents, rolled-up mats, and sofas still lying around.
Small heaps of garbage scattered around gave off a foul stench, making it difficult to stand in one place for long. Amidst this, the sellers had set up their stalls.
The amount they have to pay to sweepers is in addition to the ₹300 they pay to the MCD (Municipal Corporation of Delhi) every week for a ticket to secure a spot at Mahila Haat. Earlier, this was ₹15 but was increased when the market was shifted, and sellers feared it might rise further.
Only Source of Income For Many
The anguish was clearly visible on Mukesh’s face when buyers asked for books he did not have. He has been coming to the Daryaganj market for the last 25 years, and today, it is his sole source of income, as he had to close down other work during the pandemic. But his earnings are hardly sufficient to support his family.
"This is an open space, and it becomes very difficult to manage during rain or the scorching heat of Delhi. In fact, on many days when it rains or there is a public holiday, we are not even able to put up a stall, losing that week’s income,” he told me.
The place does have some covered structures, but many of them are in poor shape, and their poles are instead used to tie together tarpaulin sheets to provide some respite from the heat in the summer.
But even this comfort is not available to everyone—especially not to those like Mukesh, who are unable to secure a spot near these structures.
I found Mukesh towards the end of the market, where he explained how many sellers capture large areas at the front, forcing others to the back. This affects sales because if buyers find enough books at the beginning of the market, they might not venture further inside.
Just like Mukesh, the market is Asha’s only source of income. Over the 25 years she has spent selling books here, she has witnessed a drastic change in readers' interests.
"Readership has fallen over the past few years. These days, children mostly come here to buy books for competitive exams. There is hardly any interest in quality literature. Many of them just visit because they have heard a lot about this place on social media. With the coming of smartphones, much is readily available online, which has also dampened people’s interest in books."Mukesh, Bookseller
There are many like Mukesh and Asha for whom the Sunday book market is their bread and butter. For others, too, who have an additional source of income—such as working as a salesperson at someone else’s shop—a major portion of their earnings comes from this weekly toil.
Sellers reach Mahila Haat around 6 or 7 in the morning to set up their stalls and stay until 6 in the evening, working for 11–12 hours, but the returns are rarely satisfactory. Regardless, they keep returning in the hope of better times.
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