Will Bhubaneswar’s Modern Book Depot Be A Closed Chapter Soon?

Bhubaneswar: A few yards from the Bhubaneswar Railway Station, a small yet richly-packed bookstore –the Modern Book Depot—has scripted a vibrant chapter of books and the love for reading in the temple city. For more than 54 years, it remained a hotspot for ‘everything about books’ in Bhubaneswar.

It may have been operating from a tiny space of only a few square feet, but book lovers in Bhubaneswar swear by its collection of all kinds—rare ones, out-of-prints, imported collections to the bestsellers and new launches. No wonder, it had remained safely ensconced in the folds of the city at its present location, off the dusty and busy Master Canteen square, and elevated its status from being just a bookstore to a landmark in the city.

Its customers: one and all! From tiny tot first-timers, teenaged bibliophiles, research scholars, and random visitors from foreign lands to celebrities, bureaucrats and former Chief Minister, Naveen Patnaik, himself, this bookstore & its owner—Om Prakash—had hosted all, over the years. But, even after surviving the onslaught of digital vending for years, the iconic bookstore may now shut down on account of space issues.

‘Where will I shift my store?’
Om Prakash, who is known for his knowledge of books and a favourite among book lovers in Bhubaneswar, has been running from pillar to post to save his depot. As he puts it, the shop’s lease agreement with the property owner has come to an end on July 31 and he has been asked to vacate the place at the earliest. And, thus the shop is in the middle of an existential crisis at this juncture. “Where will I take my books along? Where will I shift my store? It has been a heritage outlet for years and a landmark,” says Prakash, who had set up the shop in 1970.

‘Lease agreement over’
According to Prakash, he had no written agreement with the property owner for years since 1970 until two years back when he had to sign a paper contract. “The agreement is now over. But, the owners are not keen on renewing it despite me having requested them and telling them about the significance of the shop in Bhubaneswar,” he says. Prakash has moved the court to seek some legal help and urge the owners to let him run the shop from the same address.

Book lovers want their ‘depot of memories’ to be saved
News of Modern Book Depot shutting down has disturbed book lovers in Bhubaneswar. From writing nostalgic posts on social media to calling up Prakash to stand in solidarity they have been doing whatever little they can to save the ‘depot’ of memories and verses. One such enthusiast, Kuldip Gupta, took to his Facebook account and recollected how he was introduced to the shop in 1978 when he shifted base from Kolkata to Bhubaneswar.

‘Wish this landmark doesn’t disappear…’

“…I was directed to the Modern Book Depot for books and the Bhubaneswar Railway Station stall for Magazines. I visited the Modern Book Depot and spoke with the owner about another Book shop with an identical name in Kolkata, opposite the New Empire Cinema. He told me that it was owned by his elder brother. I must have visited the shop at least 100 times in the next 20 years or so. Yes, the owner would talk about books, that I picked up. He was quite conversant with the titles he stocked. My wife used to ask for Hindi books. Then he began to cater to her needs too. An evening visit to his shop used to be a pleasant experience. I would sincerely wish that this landmark does not disappear in the Concrete Jungle that this small town is poised to become,” Gupta wrote.

‘It’s as if taking a part of me…’

Educationist, Panchami Manoo Ukil, who has several childhood memories attached to the shop finds the news to be terrible and disheartening. “It is as if they are taking a part of me away from me. Books without The Modern Book Depot and Om Prakash Uncle would no more mean the same to me,” she says.

Biswajit Mohanty, the famed environmentalist, also has his share of memories. He would come to fetch books with his father from Cuttack. Many readers recalled how they would browse the contents for hours and even receive personalised book recommendations from Prakash.

When VS Naipaul came to the store
It was the only bookshop in the state which stocked imported books. According to historians in the city, the bookstore played a significant role in the state’s library movement. There are several anecdotes attached to it and its celebrated clientele. Once, VS Naipaul and his wife Nadira visited the shop asking for a book by the author. Unfortunately, the shop had sold all his copies. Tarla Dalal, the famous cook, also came looking for an English cookbook about Odia recipes, during her visit to Bhubaneswar. The store has also been featured in the Lonely Planet travellers’ guide, where it has been referred to as “the place to buy books in Bhubaneswar”.

How did the bookstore start in Bhubaneswar?
It was started in 1970 by a Punjabi book lovers’ family, originally from Multan in Pakistan. The family had bookstores in places like Agra, Shillong, Siliguri and Kolkata. Prakash didn’t join the defence services for the love of books and shaped the store over the years into an iconic spot like the Kolkata-based popular store at Chowringhee Street, which also belongs to the family.