2.5 Million Books Sold, Transactions Total ₹40 Crore

Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) leader Rajesh Pande, who is also the organiser of the Pune Book Festival, took to X (formerly Twitter) on Saturday and informed that 2.5 million books were sold during the nine-day festival in December, resulting in a transaction of more than ₹40 crore. Pande added that over one million visitors attended the festival, more than 100 new books were launched and five world records were set during the festival.

“The nine-day Pune Book Festival concluded with great enthusiasm and pride! True to Pune’s intellectual tradition, this festival, much like Ganeshotsav, brought people together and fostered a love for books among the young and old alike. It transcended being just Pune’s festival and etched a place in the hearts of readers across the state,” Pande said.

“This festival was a collective effort by readers, writers and organisers. A heartfelt thanks to the people of Pune and all the book enthusiasts for their immense love and support. Without you, this festival would have been incomplete! Every moment of this nine-day celebration honoured the love for books. Every interaction nurtured the rich tradition of the Marathi language. And every discussion echoed the sound of new ideas. Because books are not just bound pages – they are the wings of our thoughts, emotions, and dreams!” he added.

He further wrote, “The Pune Book Festival is not just a celebration but a movement of ideas! Let’s meet again next year, with even more enthusiasm and new dreams!”

The festival offered a diverse literary feast with 600 book stalls, cultural events, the Pune Children’s Film Festival, workshops for students and other activities. The theme was ‘Celebrating Words, Cultures, and Connections’.