November or December 1969. Had come to Bombay for an interview at the Times of India. Trainee journalist. Interview over, lunch was declared, results promised by 4 in the evening. Went on a lone walk and bought me first book in Bombay at Flora Fountain. Footpaths, more books than bricks. For eight annas picked up an yellowed, Death in the Afternoon by Ernest Hemingway. About bull fighting in Spain. Had the book for years, lost it. Becoming a Trainee Journalist in 1970, used to walk the book streets, never book stalls. Simple had no cash for first hand books. And when Dilip Raote and Komilla Raote walked into me life, went to Strand Book Stall. They are in New Delhi. Miss them. They introed me to Bombay. They searched for Ibn Batuta, whoever he is, me was into Enid Blyton. Never chatted with the owner Shanbag, paunchy and spectacled, bit of a high school master. He was too far away for me. Never exhanged Hais. Over years, became friends with assistants. That was when me latched on to Jejuri Arun Kolatkar. Have the Strand Book Stall receipt, dated 29.9.2004, Rs.48 with a Thank You. All the English writings of Kolatkar bought at Strand Boom Stall. And then Tukaram Says Tuka by Dilip Chitre. Possibly, Strand Book Stall needled me into Bhakti poetry, A.K. Ramanujan, In the Dark of the Heart by Shama Futehally, on Meera (Rs.150).... at the Stall prices were pencilled in the right hand corner of the flap without discount. And when amazon came, ordered Essential Kabir by Arvind Krishna Mehrotra ... sorry Stall.... should have taken a local to Churchgate, walked to 15 C, Dhannur, Sir P.N. Road, Fort... And today me carried the Tuka and Kabir to sunning Tuka and Kabir on Marine Drive. They had heard of the Stall closing, sounded like Vitho and Rakkumai closing business at Pandharpur... they were regulars... were offered free books on Hinduism ... but never read any as Ram, Krishna, Hari sufficed. They are into songs and prayers.... with Kabir intoning: Pothi padi padi jag muva, pandit hua na koi, dhai akshar prem ka pade so pandit hoi.... Books are not a habit for them. After mawa cakes at Yezdani, they walked to Strand to say their regrets as they wanted the world to write books, read books, had no objection to reading and discussing any and every book... after all abhangs and dohas make literature ... and today there is no Stall, no books, a Bombay, a Mumbai diminished.... Mumbaikar is hurting.
Thursday, February 22, 2018
Strand Book Stall
November or December 1969. Had come to Bombay for an interview at the Times of India. Trainee journalist. Interview over, lunch was declared, results promised by 4 in the evening. Went on a lone walk and bought me first book in Bombay at Flora Fountain. Footpaths, more books than bricks. For eight annas picked up an yellowed, Death in the Afternoon by Ernest Hemingway. About bull fighting in Spain. Had the book for years, lost it. Becoming a Trainee Journalist in 1970, used to walk the book streets, never book stalls. Simple had no cash for first hand books. And when Dilip Raote and Komilla Raote walked into me life, went to Strand Book Stall. They are in New Delhi. Miss them. They introed me to Bombay. They searched for Ibn Batuta, whoever he is, me was into Enid Blyton. Never chatted with the owner Shanbag, paunchy and spectacled, bit of a high school master. He was too far away for me. Never exhanged Hais. Over years, became friends with assistants. That was when me latched on to Jejuri Arun Kolatkar. Have the Strand Book Stall receipt, dated 29.9.2004, Rs.48 with a Thank You. All the English writings of Kolatkar bought at Strand Boom Stall. And then Tukaram Says Tuka by Dilip Chitre. Possibly, Strand Book Stall needled me into Bhakti poetry, A.K. Ramanujan, In the Dark of the Heart by Shama Futehally, on Meera (Rs.150).... at the Stall prices were pencilled in the right hand corner of the flap without discount. And when amazon came, ordered Essential Kabir by Arvind Krishna Mehrotra ... sorry Stall.... should have taken a local to Churchgate, walked to 15 C, Dhannur, Sir P.N. Road, Fort... And today me carried the Tuka and Kabir to sunning Tuka and Kabir on Marine Drive. They had heard of the Stall closing, sounded like Vitho and Rakkumai closing business at Pandharpur... they were regulars... were offered free books on Hinduism ... but never read any as Ram, Krishna, Hari sufficed. They are into songs and prayers.... with Kabir intoning: Pothi padi padi jag muva, pandit hua na koi, dhai akshar prem ka pade so pandit hoi.... Books are not a habit for them. After mawa cakes at Yezdani, they walked to Strand to say their regrets as they wanted the world to write books, read books, had no objection to reading and discussing any and every book... after all abhangs and dohas make literature ... and today there is no Stall, no books, a Bombay, a Mumbai diminished.... Mumbaikar is hurting.
Subscribe to:
Post Comments (Atom)
No comments:
Post a Comment