Bhubaneswar: The 7th Odisha Book Fair, organised under the aegis of the Odia Language, Literature and Culture Department, concluded on a high note here on Wednesday evening, generating an impressive business of Rs 6.5 crore.
More than 100 books were launched by multiple publishing houses during the 12 days festival in the state capital.
The concluding ceremony was attended by several prominent guests including Speaker of the Odisha Legislative Assembly Surama Padhy who described the book fair as a “triveni sangam” (confluence of three rivers) of authors, readers, and publishers. “Books are timeless and immortal. I applaud the Culture Department for this effort to enrich our language and literature,” she said.
She added that literature contributes to the growth and d
evelopment of society.
Eminent litterateur and Sahitya Akademi awardee Yashodhara Mishra, who was the guest of honour, emphasised the timeless value of books. “Books are the priceless treasure of human civilization. They are the mirror of society. A developed society is unimaginable without books. Even in today’s era of globalisation and the internet, books have carved a unique place for themselves, and the younger generation is showing keen interest in buying and reading them,” she observed.
The fair, which was held from December 6-17, provided a platform to 200 publishers and booksellers who set up around 550 stalls. This year’s theme was ‘Open the Pages, Awaken the Dream,’ which aimed to attract the new generations to embrace literature in paperback in the digital age. The main stage was named after poet Ramakant Rath, the inner stage after Baji Rout, the main entrance as Ma Ramadevi Pravesh Path, and the inner entrance as Santhakabi Bhimabhoi Pravesh Path. Two theme pavilions were set up by the Culture Department — one dedicated to Odisha’s distinguished women freedom fighters and another based on the biography of Sardar Vallabhbhai Patel (Sardar@150).