KOLKATA: Over two lakh book lovers thronged the 47th International Kolkata Book Fair on Netaji Subhas Chandra Bose’s 127th birth anniversary on Tuesday.
With many institutions and offices closed, readers enjoyed exploring their favourite books at the annual event at Boimela Prangan in Salt Lake. Sudhangshu Sekhar Dey, honourary general secretary of Publishers and Booksellers Guild, expressed happiness over the large turnout, exceeding two lakh attendees on Tuesday. Meanwhile, the Kolkata book fair saw the unveiling of renowned late tabla maestro Pandit Shankar Ghosh works, ‘Anaddha Part 1 and 2’, which were originally released in the late ‘90s in Bengali. His son, percussionist Bickram Ghosh reintroduced the English versions of the books at the fair. Reflecting on his late father’s significant contributions, Bickram emphasised the importance of the books and said: “These books are like the Bible for tabla players.” The English version was unveiled at the book fair in the presence of musicians like Tanmoy Bose, Tejendra Narayan Majumdar, Pt Sanjay Mukherjee, Pt Debojyoti Bose, Pt Samar Saha, and Anindya Banerjee. Bickram added a modern touch by including QR codes in the book, allowing readers to access an archive channel dedicated to his father’s tabla expertise.
Remembering his early days, Bickram shared how his father was a strict teacher. “As a teacher, he was extremely strict. After I passed my MA in English, he said what I wanted to do. When I said I was interested in tabla, he said he would never promote me, and as part of the family, I need to take certain responsibilities,” he recalled. Bickram also conveyed similar sentiments to his own sons. The book launch ended with an exciting performance by Bickram, showcasing the Bir Bickram Taal, a rhythm created by his father when he was born, adding a personal and emotional touch to the event.