Terming it a “historic occasion”, Maharashtra Chief Minister Devendra
Fadnavis on Thursday inaugurated India’s first ‘village of books’ in the
picturesque mountain village of Bhilar in Satara district, 110 km from here.
‘A pivotal moment’
Mr. Fadnavis said, “With this concept, the residents of Bhilar have
carved a niche for themselves in the country’s social scene. Henceforth, Bhilar
will be the definitive destination for bibliophiles and I urge litterateurs and
publishers to freely host events here for the promotion and preservation of
literature and literary ideas.” The Chief Minister said the opening of the
‘village of books’ was a pivotal moment in the country’s socio-cultural milieu.
Geographically modelled on the similarly idyllic market town of
Hay-on-Wye — the Welsh mecca for bibliophiles — Bhilar, with its robust
collection of literature in Marathi, aims to be the one-stop destination for
lovers of vernacular literature.
The idea of a book village sited close to the hill-station town of
Mahabaleshwar was to transform Bhilar into a haven where bibliophiles can
devour books.
With a population of 5,000, an overwhelming majority of whom are engaged
in strawberry farming, the village, nestled in the Sahyadri hills, is a major
producing-hub of strawberries, which draws a lot of tourists.
Education Minister Vinod Tawde, for whom the project has been a labour
of love, said, “With this novel venture, tourism and the preservation and
promotion of Marathi language and culture can go hand in hand. The government
will use the village as a unique platform to promote literature.” It is with
the aim of preserving and documenting the Marathi language’s rich heritage that
this concept first took root, Mr. Tawde said.
About 75 artists have striven hard to give the village a literary
veneer. Their paintings on the temple, houses and walls in the village evoke
images of words and literature and are expected to draw in book lovers.
The walls of schools and community halls in Bhilar have been adorned
with paintings of saints like Tukaram and national leaders like Bal Gangadhar
Tilak in a bid to resonate with the literary fervour of the place.
Officials said around 15,000 rare books and old magazines in Marathi,
including copies of old Diwali issues, have been stocked and kept on display.
The collection of English and Hindi literature will be steadily updated.
According to authorities, a nominal
deposit fee would be charged from readers to ensure proper maintenance of
books. They said as the area is prone to heavy rainfall, special provisions
would be made to preserve books from damp weather.
Source:THE HINDU-5th May,2017
