'Everybody wants peace in life,' says a prominent publisher, explaining why books on the philosophies and meditation techniques of spiritual gurus, general religion, self-help guides and Indian mythology are fetching brisk business at the ongoing Delhi Book Fair.
The boom in religious books trade at the fair, say publishers, reflects the larger trend in the market, which has seen a sharp rise in the demand for spiritual books over the last three years.
'The demand for religious books is unbelievable. Everybody wants peace in life. There has been too much of crime and fiction. Over the last three years, we have seen a sharp rise in the demand for yoga, meditation, self-help and spiritual books. Even teenagers are buying spiritual books,' Ajay Mago, publisher of Om Books, told at the book fair.
Consequently, books on Swami Vivekananda, Osho, Baba Ramdev, Sri Sri Ravi Shankar, J. Krishnamurthi and a host of new age gurus - some written by the spiritualists themselves - are disappearing from the shelves by the dozens, along with the new reprints of the Bhagavad Gita, Ramcharitmanas, Vishnu lores, Buddhist texts, translations of Vedas, mythology and new tomes on palmistry and yoga.
The buyers are mostly high school and college students, young professionals and homemakers - in the age-group of 17 to 35.
A week ago, Om Books launched 'Journey Home', a biographical account of Radhanath Swami, an American yogi who migrated to India from the US 40 years ago.
'It is one of the biggest Om titles this season and a hit,' Mago said. The book is priced at Rs.395.
The publisher is also betting high on 'Sacred Secret' by Ravi Kapoor, 'about the seven wonders of the world and the spiritual secrets behind them'.
Gorakhpur-based Gita Press, which started in 1923 and is one of the oldest publishers of religious books in India, substantiates the trend.
'In 2008-2009, we sold Rs.32 crore worth of religious books - up from Rs.29.5 crore in 2007-2008 despite the downturn. We have had a print run of 80 million for Bhagavad Gita, 75 million for Ramcharitmanas and 76.5 million for Bhakt Charit over the decades. These are our three most popular titles till date - even at the fair,' production manager of Gita Press Lalmani Tiwari told on behalf of Gita Press trustee Baijnath Agarwal.
Prices of books at Gita Press range from Re.1 (for the Hanuman Chalisa) to Rs.1,350 (for six volumes of the Mahabharata).
Spurred by growing demand, the Ramakrishna Mission Society has published 50 new titles this year - all of which are on display at the R.K. Mission stall at the fair.
'The most popular titles are 'Vivekachudamani' by Ranganathananda ji Maharaj, 'Understanding Consciousness', the fourth in 'Our Consciousness' series of books, 'Meditation as Spiritual Culmination: Yoga Aphorisms of Patanjali' by Swami Sarvagatananda and 'Encyclopedia of Hinduism' in three volumes,' said Swami Adi Purushananda, head of the Delhi publication division of R.K. Mission.
The books are priced between Rs.600 and Rs.1,500.
'Last year the Delhi R.K. Mission unit alone registered an increase of 30 percent in business and we have 150 centres across the world,' the seer said.
He cited two reasons for the growing demand in religious books.
'The younger generation is finally accepting spiritualists like Swami Vivekananda to overcome psychological stress. He is a national hero. Moreover, the prices of spiritual books are more reasonable,' Adi Purushananda said.
Harpreet Narang, a young Delhi-based professional and homemaker, felt 'that a time would come when Indians would no longer require spiritual guides and astrologers going by the number of religious books being published every year'.
Jagriti, a Delhi-based doctor, who bought books on palmistry and spiritual self-help from the fair, echoed the sentiment: 'I usually look up the internet, but the books are a big help.'
'As India is getting more materialistic, spiritual books are filling a huge void. Readers are starting young - and buying more spiritual books as they have a whole life to read,' Akash A. Shah, publisher of Jaico Publishing House, told.
The total turnover of the Indian publishing industry is nearly Rs.100,000 million.link
Monday, 31 August 2009
Delhi Book Fair : Some interesting stalls for you
With the first big weekend out of the way, some interesting book stalls out of 600 at the ongoing fair at Pragati Maidan. The list excludes prominent stalls of publishers like Penguin or Rupa, which enthusiasts are likely to visit anyway
Sahitya Akademi (Hall 10, Stall 10)
In keeping with its well stocked library at Mandi House, the Sahitya Akademi stall represents the country’s linguistic diversity with books in Konkani, Malayalam, Assamese and many others. Documentaries on literary heavyweights such as O V Vijayan, Nirmal Verma, Bhisham Sahni and others are available for as little as Rs 90. “I am glad Sahitya Akademi is still dedicated to showcasing writers from Indian languages,” said R Manikandan, a retired government official.
Rave Media (Hall 11, Stall 60)
This is an astonishingly diverse exhibitor, carrying books from across genres. From Thorstein Veblen to DC Comics, and books on Che Guevara to this year’s bestselling novel, Amit Varma’s My Friend Sancho, this stall can satisfy all age groups at the same time. After getting hold of a copy of The Lord of The Rings, 11-year-old Ankush Gupta said, “I want to finish the book, so that I can understand the film better.”
Viva Books (Hall 11, Stall 35)
For the academically inclined, Viva Books has been bringing out books by philosophers like Deleuze and Guattari at affordable prices. This year’s stall has all that and more, including all titles of the popular Beginning series. You might just find that one academic book that you have been hunting for a long time. “Most books by western philosophers are extremely expensive; these cheaper editions allow us access to that sphere of thought,” said Saurabh Kumar, a MA student in JNU.
Vani Prakashan (Hall 10, Stall 2)
For lovers of Hindi literature, this is a must-visit stall. From Premchand’s entire oeuvre to poets such as Firaq Gorakhpuri, it houses a formidable collection of genres and authors. The work of writers such as Saadat Hasan Manto and Ismat Chughtai is available in Hindi, along with many others. “The dominance of English sometimes makes one feel that our books do not exist,” said Kalpana Sharma, 55.
Shrijee’s Book International (Hall 9, Stall 5)
With books selling at a flat rate of Rs 100, this is heaven for pulp fiction readers. There are some lovely second-hand picture books by Life magazine. If you look hard enough, you may find an Joyce Carol Oates or a Saul Bellow lying amid the Sidney Sheldons and John Grishams. “The books here are affordable and in good condition, even though most are second-hand,” Delhi University student Rahul Kumar said.
Sahitya Akademi (Hall 10, Stall 10)
In keeping with its well stocked library at Mandi House, the Sahitya Akademi stall represents the country’s linguistic diversity with books in Konkani, Malayalam, Assamese and many others. Documentaries on literary heavyweights such as O V Vijayan, Nirmal Verma, Bhisham Sahni and others are available for as little as Rs 90. “I am glad Sahitya Akademi is still dedicated to showcasing writers from Indian languages,” said R Manikandan, a retired government official.
Rave Media (Hall 11, Stall 60)
This is an astonishingly diverse exhibitor, carrying books from across genres. From Thorstein Veblen to DC Comics, and books on Che Guevara to this year’s bestselling novel, Amit Varma’s My Friend Sancho, this stall can satisfy all age groups at the same time. After getting hold of a copy of The Lord of The Rings, 11-year-old Ankush Gupta said, “I want to finish the book, so that I can understand the film better.”
Viva Books (Hall 11, Stall 35)
For the academically inclined, Viva Books has been bringing out books by philosophers like Deleuze and Guattari at affordable prices. This year’s stall has all that and more, including all titles of the popular Beginning series. You might just find that one academic book that you have been hunting for a long time. “Most books by western philosophers are extremely expensive; these cheaper editions allow us access to that sphere of thought,” said Saurabh Kumar, a MA student in JNU.
Vani Prakashan (Hall 10, Stall 2)
For lovers of Hindi literature, this is a must-visit stall. From Premchand’s entire oeuvre to poets such as Firaq Gorakhpuri, it houses a formidable collection of genres and authors. The work of writers such as Saadat Hasan Manto and Ismat Chughtai is available in Hindi, along with many others. “The dominance of English sometimes makes one feel that our books do not exist,” said Kalpana Sharma, 55.
Shrijee’s Book International (Hall 9, Stall 5)
With books selling at a flat rate of Rs 100, this is heaven for pulp fiction readers. There are some lovely second-hand picture books by Life magazine. If you look hard enough, you may find an Joyce Carol Oates or a Saul Bellow lying amid the Sidney Sheldons and John Grishams. “The books here are affordable and in good condition, even though most are second-hand,” Delhi University student Rahul Kumar said.
Arjun Rampal launches his bar-cum-restaurant in Delhi
Bollywood-town’s hunk and the ‘Rock On’ star Arjun Rampal was the man of the moment on Friday as he launched his new plush lounge- ‘Lap’, in Hotel Samrat in New Delhi.
Dressed in a black suit and looking handsome as ever, Arjun was accompanied by his supermodel wife Meher Rampal.
‘Lap’ is Arjun’s joint venture with restaurateur A.D. Singh. Spread over an area of 17,000 square feet, the lounge would be a blessing for all the party goers as it offers good food, good music together with safety and privacy. The downside is that it is open exclusively for members.
The decor of the lounge is a blend of Victorian era as well as Indian royal heritage. Shahrukh Khan’s wife, Gauri Khan, and designer Tarun Tahiliani and Rohit Bal have contributed to the decor of Lap and Arjun, too, has designed some tables in the restaurant.
Some of the biggies of the Bollywood, including Shahrukh Khan with wife Gauri Khan, Hrithik Roshan and Suzanne, Abhay Deol, Imran Khan and Dino Morea, fashion designers Rohit Bal, JJ Valaya, Reena Dhaka and Tarun Tahiliani, models Indrani and Sonalika Sahay, DJ Akil, hotelier Vikram Chatwal had come to grace the occasion.
Showing his love and support for Arjun, Shahrukh Khan, who was with his wife Gauri said, "Gauri has designed it with Arjun and Meher. I think it would be fabulous.
"I wish them all the best. I am from Delhi and want everyone to visit this place."
"He's my brother, he's my friend. I wish him the best always," said Hrithik Roshan.
About his latest venture, Arjun said, "You have to become a member to know how incredible this place is. It`s for people to enjoy. India can proudly say, we have a place to party. It`s about privacy, a discovery of yourself."
The actor maintained that it would be one of those few places where like-minded people meet and also a perfect place to hang out after a hard day’s work.
He also said that all the guests would get to listen to some of the finest music and it would sure be a delight for the music lovers.
And about the menu, the star gushed, "I am a complete foodie who definitely wants to see Biriyani on the menu."
Arjun insisted that every woman would feel safe at this place. He said, “Today, if you look around at other clubs, people just come from anywhere and everywhere. They have opened their doors for everyone.
"The problem with that is that female partying gangs feel uncomfortable and not at all safe. But with this constraint, I want every women who comes here to feel safe.”
He quipped, “I love women and I want all of them to feel safe in my lap (restaurant).”
‘Lap’ that promises to be a posh and exclusive joint for all the party-lovers is all set to open its doors for the members this week.link
Dressed in a black suit and looking handsome as ever, Arjun was accompanied by his supermodel wife Meher Rampal.
‘Lap’ is Arjun’s joint venture with restaurateur A.D. Singh. Spread over an area of 17,000 square feet, the lounge would be a blessing for all the party goers as it offers good food, good music together with safety and privacy. The downside is that it is open exclusively for members.
The decor of the lounge is a blend of Victorian era as well as Indian royal heritage. Shahrukh Khan’s wife, Gauri Khan, and designer Tarun Tahiliani and Rohit Bal have contributed to the decor of Lap and Arjun, too, has designed some tables in the restaurant.
Some of the biggies of the Bollywood, including Shahrukh Khan with wife Gauri Khan, Hrithik Roshan and Suzanne, Abhay Deol, Imran Khan and Dino Morea, fashion designers Rohit Bal, JJ Valaya, Reena Dhaka and Tarun Tahiliani, models Indrani and Sonalika Sahay, DJ Akil, hotelier Vikram Chatwal had come to grace the occasion.
Showing his love and support for Arjun, Shahrukh Khan, who was with his wife Gauri said, "Gauri has designed it with Arjun and Meher. I think it would be fabulous.
"I wish them all the best. I am from Delhi and want everyone to visit this place."
"He's my brother, he's my friend. I wish him the best always," said Hrithik Roshan.
About his latest venture, Arjun said, "You have to become a member to know how incredible this place is. It`s for people to enjoy. India can proudly say, we have a place to party. It`s about privacy, a discovery of yourself."
The actor maintained that it would be one of those few places where like-minded people meet and also a perfect place to hang out after a hard day’s work.
He also said that all the guests would get to listen to some of the finest music and it would sure be a delight for the music lovers.
And about the menu, the star gushed, "I am a complete foodie who definitely wants to see Biriyani on the menu."
Arjun insisted that every woman would feel safe at this place. He said, “Today, if you look around at other clubs, people just come from anywhere and everywhere. They have opened their doors for everyone.
"The problem with that is that female partying gangs feel uncomfortable and not at all safe. But with this constraint, I want every women who comes here to feel safe.”
He quipped, “I love women and I want all of them to feel safe in my lap (restaurant).”
‘Lap’ that promises to be a posh and exclusive joint for all the party-lovers is all set to open its doors for the members this week.link
Friday, 28 August 2009
Delhi half-marathon on November 1st
It's that time of the year when Delhi gears up to come together and run on a common platform. Come November 1, the Capital will experience the joy of running while celebrating the second edition of the Airtel Delhi Half-Marathon.
This time, two Australian legends - sprinter Cathy Freeman and former cricket captain Allan Border - would be encouraging the runners as brand ambassadors.
Vivek B Singh of Procam International, the race promoters, said that to encourage runners to attempt the distance seriously, it has been decided to make the timing chip mandatory for all half-marathon participants from this year onwards.
He also said that the event continues to remain the world's richest half-marathon with the prize money standing at $210,000. Recipient of the IAAF Gold Label, it is expected to attract the leading long-distance runners from around the world who would be fighting for top honours over a distance of 21.097 km.
The male and female winners of the half-marathon stand to gain $25,000 each, with prize money percolating down to the first ten places. The male and female Indian winners stand to gain $4,000 each. link
This time, two Australian legends - sprinter Cathy Freeman and former cricket captain Allan Border - would be encouraging the runners as brand ambassadors.
Vivek B Singh of Procam International, the race promoters, said that to encourage runners to attempt the distance seriously, it has been decided to make the timing chip mandatory for all half-marathon participants from this year onwards.
He also said that the event continues to remain the world's richest half-marathon with the prize money standing at $210,000. Recipient of the IAAF Gold Label, it is expected to attract the leading long-distance runners from around the world who would be fighting for top honours over a distance of 21.097 km.
The male and female winners of the half-marathon stand to gain $25,000 each, with prize money percolating down to the first ten places. The male and female Indian winners stand to gain $4,000 each. link
Thursday, 27 August 2009
Delhi Book Fair begining on August 29
The literary treasure of North-East will be the focus of the the nine-day Delhi Book Fair begining on August 29.
"The theme for this fair will be 'Literature from North-East' and the focus will be to promote the vast and rich literary treasure of the region," Subas Pani, Chairman and Managing Director of Indian Trade Promotion Organisation (ITPO), said.
Union Minister of State for Minority Affairs Salman Khurshid will inaugurate the fair organised by ITPO and Federation of Indian Publishers.
More than 230 publishers from India and abroad are participating in the fair and about 90,000 books will be on show, R C Govil, President of Federation of Indian Publishers said. The publishers include those from Abu Dhabi, China, Iran, Pakistan and USA.link
"The theme for this fair will be 'Literature from North-East' and the focus will be to promote the vast and rich literary treasure of the region," Subas Pani, Chairman and Managing Director of Indian Trade Promotion Organisation (ITPO), said.
Union Minister of State for Minority Affairs Salman Khurshid will inaugurate the fair organised by ITPO and Federation of Indian Publishers.
More than 230 publishers from India and abroad are participating in the fair and about 90,000 books will be on show, R C Govil, President of Federation of Indian Publishers said. The publishers include those from Abu Dhabi, China, Iran, Pakistan and USA.link
Delhi judge held for immoral activities
A metropolitan magistrate of Tis Hazari courts in Delhi and three others, including a woman, were arrested in the wee hours of Thursday from a house in Samalkha town of Panipat, on charges of indulging in immoral activities. The police caught them during a raid following complaints by neighbours.
Confirming the arrests, SSP Shrikant Jadhav said they raided the premises after a resident of Punjabi Colony here got suspicious about the activities in his neighbourhood and complained to the police. "We arrested all the four persons, including the civil judge, present inside the premises. While the three accused were produced in a local court and sent in 14-day judicial custody, we are following the Supreme Court guidelines in dealing with the judge," he said.
A raiding team arrested the inmates after finding them in a compromising position and booked them under sections 3 (punishment for keeping a brothel or allowing premises to be used as a brothel), 4 (punishment for living on the earnings of prostitution), 5 (procuring, inducing or taking person for the sake of prostitution) and 6 (detaining a person in premises where prostitution is carried on) of the Immoral Traffic (Prevention) Act, 1956. It also found a Santro car bearing the sticker of New Delhi-based judicial officer.
The accused have been identified as Rajkumar Aggrawal, magistrate in Tis Hazari court, Subhash Duhan, a Sonepat resident who runs NGO Lok Kalayan Foundation in Samalkha, and Shamsher, from Hansi. According to the police, Shamsher was the pimp, who arranged the girl from Kolkata. link
Confirming the arrests, SSP Shrikant Jadhav said they raided the premises after a resident of Punjabi Colony here got suspicious about the activities in his neighbourhood and complained to the police. "We arrested all the four persons, including the civil judge, present inside the premises. While the three accused were produced in a local court and sent in 14-day judicial custody, we are following the Supreme Court guidelines in dealing with the judge," he said.
A raiding team arrested the inmates after finding them in a compromising position and booked them under sections 3 (punishment for keeping a brothel or allowing premises to be used as a brothel), 4 (punishment for living on the earnings of prostitution), 5 (procuring, inducing or taking person for the sake of prostitution) and 6 (detaining a person in premises where prostitution is carried on) of the Immoral Traffic (Prevention) Act, 1956. It also found a Santro car bearing the sticker of New Delhi-based judicial officer.
The accused have been identified as Rajkumar Aggrawal, magistrate in Tis Hazari court, Subhash Duhan, a Sonepat resident who runs NGO Lok Kalayan Foundation in Samalkha, and Shamsher, from Hansi. According to the police, Shamsher was the pimp, who arranged the girl from Kolkata. link
Nannes picks Delhi Daredevils over Victoria
Dirk Nannes, the Australian fast bowler, has opted to play for the Delhi Daredevils in the inaugural Champions League instead of his home team, the Victoria Bushrangers. This makes Nannes the only player to pick his IPL team over the other possible side he could have represented in the Twenty20 tournament.
Delhi will have to pay Victoria US$200,000 for Nannes' services in the 12-team event. Nannes, who regularly bowls around 140kmh mark, had kept Glenn McGrath out of Delhi's XI with a string of impressive performances in this year's IPL, and was a instrumental in Victoria's third successive domestic Twenty20 victory last season.
Nannes had also spearheaded Netherlands' bowling during the World Twenty20 in June, and has since been selected by Australia for two Twenty20 games against England next month.
The other players who were eligible for multiple teams in the Champions League will compete for their 'home' teams in the tournament, while Dwayne Smith - considered an 'away' player for both Deccan and Sussex - will represent his English team.link
Delhi will have to pay Victoria US$200,000 for Nannes' services in the 12-team event. Nannes, who regularly bowls around 140kmh mark, had kept Glenn McGrath out of Delhi's XI with a string of impressive performances in this year's IPL, and was a instrumental in Victoria's third successive domestic Twenty20 victory last season.
Nannes had also spearheaded Netherlands' bowling during the World Twenty20 in June, and has since been selected by Australia for two Twenty20 games against England next month.
The other players who were eligible for multiple teams in the Champions League will compete for their 'home' teams in the tournament, while Dwayne Smith - considered an 'away' player for both Deccan and Sussex - will represent his English team.link
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