Kalyan: Dombivli witnessed a vibrant literary celebration on Sunday with a 'Book Street Festival' organised to mark World Book Day, attracting readers from across the region. The event was jointly organised by Pai Friends Library and Dr Shrikant Shinde Foundation.
Nearly 85,000 to 1 lakh books across multiple languages were arranged along Nehru Road street, transforming it into an open-air library. The festival commenced at 7 am and saw participation from over 10,000 visitors, including readers from cities such as Nagpur, Pune, Nashik and Badlapur.
In an initiative to promote reading, each visitor was allowed to take home one book of their choice—free of cost—with around 8,500 books distributed during the event. Speaking to TOI, Pundalik Pai of Pai Friends Library said, 'The large turnout, especially of young children, is encouraging. In the age of mobile phones, such participation reflects that reading culture is still alive and reaching the next generation.'
The event also saw the presence of local dignitaries, including MLA Rajesh More, while MP Shrikant Shinde extended his wishes over a phone call. Organisers said the overwhelming response highlights the city's strong literary culture. Earlier this month, over 20,000 books were exchanged under a 'give one, take one' programme, further encouraging community participation in reading.
