BENGALURU: Here is good news for Kannada book lovers. You could soon enter a book park by paying a nominal ticket fee and spend the entire day reading your favourite Kannada book, sipping a cup of coffee amid lush greenery. The department of Kannada and Culture is planning to start book parks at various locations across Karnataka, including Bengaluru, which would eventually be promoted as tourist spots.
Kannada Book Authority (KBA), which is celebrating its silver jubilee, has proposed to start such book parks from Bengaluru on a pilot basis.
KBA chairperson and senior writer Vasundhara Bhoopathi told The New Indian Express that they have proposed to set up a book park at Kalagraama in Bengaluru, which belongs to the department of Kannada and Culture. Minister Jayamala, who accepted the memorandum in this regard, told KBA delegation that she would like to have such parks in Mysuru and Dharwad as well.
“In many countries, including Germany and United Kingdom, there are book parks which are quite popular. We wanted to bring a similar concept here and make people to read more books in this e-era,’’ said Vasundhara.These book parks will have all Kannada books, including old and new ones.
“In Western countries, such parks will have structures as tall as ten floors. Book lovers can pick any book from here and read it amid the greenery outside,’’ Vasundhara added. The parks will also have a small museum where they will be showcasing printing technology’s evolution from the past to the present. “Books are nothing, but part of our history and culture. There will be various stalls where books are sold.”
Official sources said they have plans to make interiors of the parks look like books, including the seating arrangements. There will be statue/painting of noted Kannada writers, including Jnanapeetha awardees . There will be a seminar hall, where interaction with writers or book release events can be conducted.
“We are going to charge nominal fee as ticket, but there will be no time restrictions,’’ said an official concerned.