The “Boiparay Boi Utsab”, organised by the Publishers and Booksellers Guild with the support of the Kolkata Municipal Corporation from 1 April to 7 April at College Square Ground (Vidyasagar Udyan), welcomed literary lovers and visitors daily from 3 pm to 8 pm.
Featuring around 55 stalls and 70 publishers, the festival showcased an extensive collection from both Bengali and English publication houses, offering a diverse literary experience. The festival was inaugurated by author Sanjib Chattopadhyay, alongside distinguished guests including Debashish Kumar, a member and Mayor-in-Council, KMC; celebrated poets and writers Joy Goswami, Srijato Bandyopadhyay, and Suparna Dutta, Councillor of ward number 40; Tridib Kumar Chatterjee, the President of Guild; and Sudhangshu Sekhar Dey, the General Secretary of Guild.
Sanjib Chattopadhyay, who till now authored around 20 lakh books, referred to this “Boimela” as “Boi Parbon” because of the festival’s extensive planning and meticulous arrangements.
The Boiparay Boi Utsab began in 2013 at the behest of the Chief Minister of West Bengal, Smt Mamata Banerjee. Launched initially as the “Noboborsho Boi Utsab”, it later shifted to “Basanta Kal” and renamed “Basanta Boi Utsab” to avoid the extreme summer heat. However, as this coincided with the International Kolkata Book Fair, another adjustment was made. Since Chaitra (the first month of the Hindu calendar) marks the end of the Bengali year and transitions into Nobobarsho yet does not fully embody spring, the festival evolved into its present form.