JAGATSINGHPUR: The aroma of freshly brewed coffee, baked cookies and the sweet smell of new books draw people to ‘Chapter - 1’ cafe at Jagatsinghpur town. Step inside it and you will witness a sweet change - people of all age groups reading books.
‘Chapter - 1’ has recently been opened by Basanta Barik and his wife Baijayanti Barik of Kantaballavpur under Jagatsinghpur municipal limits. A first-of-its kind initiative in the town, the cafe was started by them with a purpose - to inculcate reading habit in people again.
And the Barik couple has been successful at meeting their purpose. Because, people have started frequenting the spot at College Square to indulge in reading and eating. Here, while one has to pay for a coffee or a snack, sitting down to read a book throughout the day does not come with a price tag.
Baijayanti is a writer and researcher in Sanskrit language. A voracious reader herself, she wanted to inculcate the habit of reading among people, particularly youths and the elderly. “It is no secret that people across all age groups love spending time scrolling through social media on their mobile phones. Chapter - 1 is an effort to make reading for them an enjoyable experience which they can combine with food. At the cafe, access to books is free,” she said.
Basanta, who is a software engineer, said while mobile shops are mushrooming in the town, there is hardly any new book shop coming up. “Because, youths have lost interest in reading under the influence of mobile phones and social media,” he added.
The cafe has close to 1,500 books of different genres and the space can accommodate 20 readers at a time. For snacking, there are sandwiches, burgers, patties, pastries, coffee, tea and more on the menu. Baijayanti said the money that they make from the cafe goes into maintaining the library and paying the staff salaries.
As Basanta is based in Pune, it is Baijayanti who manages the cafe. It has sparked a new curiosity for books among people of all age groups in the town. Principal of SVM College Sujata Otta said the cafe-cum-reading space is a huge draw among her college students as they get to read different kinds of books in a cafe setup. Although the culture of cafes with reading spaces is a hit among youths in the Twin City, the concept is relatively new in Jagatsinghpur town. The couple is now planning to open a second such venture ‘Chapter - 2’ in the city.
Prior to this, the couple had done their bit for the society by donating financial help to needy patients, distributing saplings and renovating old temples.