3 days ago
Fourth district book festival in Nagapattinam draws over 3.5 lakh visitors
The fourth edition of the Nagapattinam District Book Festival witnessed enthusiastic participation from around 3.5 lakh visitors, with book sales crossing ₹1.3 crore, Collector P. Akash said on Wednesday.
In a statement, he said the festival, held under the banner 'Nagai Reads', featured over 105 book stalls representing more than 100 publishers from various regions. A wide range of books in Tamil, English, and other languages were on display. To incentivise readership, books priced between ₹10 and ₹1,000 were sold at a 10% discount, while purchases above ₹1,000 earned customers gifts on a tiered basis.
Beyond literature, the festival hosted several cultural and educational exhibitions for public engagement. They included displays of traditional musical instruments, over several hundred varieties of paddy in an agricultural showcase, vintage amusement exhibits, Ponni painting gallery, mobile science exhibition vehicle, live art workshops, terracotta sculpting areas, and planetarium setup.
Daily programmes also featured performances by school and college students, literary discussions by Tamil scholars, and poetry sessions, offering a vibrant mix of knowledge and entertainment.
Certificates of appreciation, trophies, and accolades were presented to volunteers, exhibition organisers, and staff who contributed to the festival's success.