The Metro train chugged slowly as it reached the next station — Puratchi Thalaivar Dr. M.G. Ramachandran Central Metro. As the doors slid open, I stepped out eagerly towards my destination.
This is a place where history is documented through stories and struggles, where lived experiences are passed down as guides, and where fiction opens the doors to a quaint and chaotic world. It is the Chennai Book Park, showcasing hundreds of books ranging from history to politics, children’s storybooks to school textbooks, novellas to prose.
Chief minister MK Stalin inaugurated the library on June 10. Spread across 5,000 sqft, the establishment is set up by Tamil Nadu Textbook and Educational Services Corporation (TNTB&ESC) and built at a cost of `1.85 crore.
Taking bigger and longer steps filled with curiosity, I asked a Metro staff member where the library is. He pointed, “Nera poitu leftu (Go straight and take left).” I punched out my card, turned left at the A3 exit, and there it was on my right, Chennai Book Park. The clock struck four in the evening, but the glass walls of the library gave no hint of the time.
Words and wanderers
Two kids with their noses and hands pressed to the glass door moved their eyes, scanning the book titles. As I passed them, I walked around, from shelf to shelf, book to book, page to page, glancing through the words on the blurbs.
I was surrounded by bibliophiles. Some working professionals stole a quiet moment before starting their workday, others lazed around after work hours, students searched for trending books, and parents spent time buying schoolbooks for their children.
Jothi Sankar, an advocate returning home after winding up work at the high court, stopped at the book park. Rejoicing in the diverse collections there, he said, “I glanced in and I saw a Constitution book and I was amazed. Usually, law-related books are found in niche shops, but looking at them here made me happy. That is why I came in to look at other books. I wish more such libraries were open at bus stops, railway stations, and public spaces so that people read more.” To bring books closer to citizens is also one of the reasons the park was opened in a metro station
The location is easily accessible to Chennaiites from the nooks and crannies of the city. Kannagi, a mother of a class-8 student, shares, “I went to the Moore Market to get an old book for my child’s classes. They directed me to go to DPI or come here.” Pushing the task for the next day, Kannagi, reached the Metro to go home. “I was headed home, but wanted to check here once. And I found the book here, that too on a discount. My child will be happy when I take the book home,” she adds.
To encourage more individuals to cultivate the habit of reading, every book is sold at a 10% discount. Utilising this opportunity was Asvitha, a college graduate, who says, “I usually buy books from exhibitions because they are on sale. Knowing that the books here are also sold at a discounted rate, I decided to make a visit.”
Stories on shelves
Around me, I saw people smiling while reading a few pages, someone conversing about a character from a book with a friend who had not read it, and some others contemplating whether to add one more book to an already long list. One such duo was Sri Vigneshwaran and Subash Chandra Bose. “I am coming to Chennai for the first time, and finding such a library at a centralised place is a new experience for me. I found all genres of books here useful to everyone, from children to adults. I will not say they have a huge collection, but all the important books that everybody should read are available here,” points out Vigneshwaran, a cybersecurity graduate from Tenkasi. He picked up Kavitha Rao’s Spies, Lies and Allies: The Extraordinary Lives of Chatto and Roy, and Manoj Mitta’s Caste Pride: Battles for Equality in Hindu India. “I was instantly happy looking at these books here because I have been wanting to get my hands on them for a long time now,” he adds.
Meanwhile, his friend, Subash, from Perambalur, noticed that the books are placed strategically. With a tinge of disappointment, he says, “Only the books that highlight the good initiatives of the state government and the adverse consequences of the Modi government’s schemes are stocked. This can send the wrong message.”
Beyond career guides and technical texts, books of cultural and philosophical importance also made their mark on the shelves. “I noticed the English translation of Thirukkural here, and that makes me so happy. I have heard many people talking about the Kural,” mentions Janvi K, from Telangana. “There are books in Tamil, Malayalam, English, and many other languages. I have never seen such a store in Andhra Pradesh or Telangana.”
Another visitor from Mumbai, who is in the city to meet his parents, found it surprising that there is no advertisement or awareness about the opening yet. “I was just walking this side and found the store. I think once the word goes out, more audience can come and make use of this knowledge ka bhandaar (storehouse of knowledge),” says Guru Prakash. He picked up Maperum Tamil Kanavu by CN Annadurai and similar books.
Some people found the books they wanted, while others were still in search. Browsing slowly, they moved from one shelf to another, eyes scanning book spines, fingers trailing along rows of titles. For some, it was nostalgia; for others, discovery.
A section of books missing from the racks was of engineering and communication, according to Murugesan V, an ICF employee. He opines, “We have the highest number of youth in the country looking for jobs. Books that help them land a job should also be displayed, especially mechanical engineering books. India has the full potential to manufacture the heavy machines that are otherwise sourced from foreign countries. Books that equip us with the knowledge to produce them should be made available at locations like this that record people from all backgrounds.”
Yet, the initiative seems to have become a hit in just five days. “Until Saturday afternoon, 5,000 titles have been sold,” says G Balajee, superintendent of TNTB&ESC. He adds that except textbooks, all the other books will be sold at a 10% discount permanently. “In the future, we have plans to add a rare book section and showcase them. It all depends on the availability. Until then, many more publishers will be alloted shelves to display their books in the space.”
Books and beyond
Beyond just selling books, the park also has a ‘Book Release Hall’, where approximately 30 seats are neatly arranged to hold events. Next to that, tucked in a corner, is a cafeteria manned by three people — two men and one woman. They are part of Chennai Mission, an NGO, and hired by the government on a contractual basis. On anonymity, they say, “Since it is behind a bookshelf, many people do not know about the cafeteria. Since the inauguration, we have been waiting for customers to come since morning. But not many walked in. People should know about the cafeteria.” The outlet sells doughnuts, pastries, sandwiches, coffee and more, priced from `45 to `140.
As I walked out the door, more readers entered with curiosity, rustling pages, clutching books, and making digital payments. My tote was full of stories of distant lands, unforgettable revolutions, wild imaginations, and more.
Chennai Book Park at Puratchi Thalaivar Dr. M.G. Ramachandran Central Metro is open on all days from 9 am to 9 pm.