Boimela — an event awaited by bibliophiles in Kolkata and nearby places throughout the year. More than just a festival to sell and purchase books, this grand event celebrates rich culture, art, and heritage beautifully. Kolkata will host the International Book Fair from January 28. Get ready to transport to a visionary world surrounded by heaps of books, artistic excellence, and Kolkata’s vibrant culture.
What Makes The Kolkata International Book Fair A Must-Visit Event?
Every year, Kolkatans and book lovers residing in neighbouring places wait to explore this marvellous event. Celebrated with pomp and glory, Kolkata’s International Book Fair is considered the world’s second-largest book fair. Hosted over a humongous area in the City of Joy, lakhs of visitors visit the venue annually. According to reports, around 27 lakh people explored Boimela last year.
Known as Asia’s largest literary event, the city will witness the celebrations of the 48th edition of the iconic book fair in 2025. Under the same roof, guests, organisers, and the public read, know, and celebrate global literature and different cultural activities together. This year, Germany will be Boimela’s Focal Theme Country. Since its inaugural year, this will be the first time for Germany to be featured as the theme country of the world’s largest non-trade book festival. Germany’s iconic Frankfurt Book Fair is a major inspiration behind Kolkata’s first-ever Book Fair in 1976.
Some of the major highlights of the book fair are cross-cultural exchange, new book launches, literary discussions, cultural performances, and endless food stalls at the venue. Something exciting gets organised each day of the event every year.
Things To Do At Boimela
To reach the venue, you can easily get an auto or a bus from Bidhannagar railway station and travel to Boimela Prangan in Saltlake. The nearest metro station to the Boimela is Salt Lake Sector V.
Wear comfortable shoes as you will walk a lot to explore the entire book fair. Explore book stalls of your choice and purchase your favourites to add to your collection. Every year, tons of food stalls line up at the event venue and serve mouth-watering dishes and desserts to visitors. From Kolkata’s famous phuchka to iconic rosogolla, you will find loads of appetising options here.
Also read: From Soulful Concerts To Literary Fests, 11 Kolkata Events You Can’t Afford To Miss In January 2025!
Are you excited to explore the Kolkata International Book Fair?
Where: Boimela Prangan, Karunamoyee, Saltlake
Dates: January 28 — February 9, 2025
When: 12 PM — 8 PM
Cover Image Courtesy: Instagram/ Kolkata Book Fair (@internationalkolkatabookfair)
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