In Kolkata’s iconic “boi-paara”, College Street, where the air is thick with the ancient smell of old, crumbling papers, the warmth of shortly pressed inked pages, and the nostalgic yet ephemeral history, the oldest surviving bookshop has stepped into a new chapter. Dasgupta and Co., a cornerstone in the city’s literary and academic sphere since 1886, has opened the doors of a free public library on its historic premises. The initiative, as exceptional as it is generous, has already begun to attract more than a hundred visitors every week—among them students, scholars, and curious foreigners drawn by the allure of this cultural institution.
Seeing as modern bookstores allow patrons to either skim through best-sellers and long-standing classics, Dasgupta and Co., which is deeply embedded in the city’s intellectual fabric, has opted for a more noble route. To date, the second floor of their heritage building is a public library and, as such, provides invaluable services to students who cannot afford to purchase books. The way in which this particular bookstore, still owned by the members of the founding family, has shifted their legacy is truly astounding: transforming a commercial centre into a paradigm of education as well as solitary escapism.
“Education is our fundamental right, and books are our best friends. This bookstore, still standing at this age, has been the witness of so many minds, shining bright like the Sun. Yet, many stood before the store, eyes brimming with tears as their empty pockets reminded them of their financial distress. Thousands of such minds could have contributed hugely to the progress of our nation, but scanty resources are more than enough to inculcate in them a sense of insecurity- insecurity of giving up an academic career due to lack of materials. This library hence, is a small effort to disseminate knowledge and make education more accessible to all, especially the marginalised and downtrodden. And we do not mean to cater to academic purposes only, people from 8 till 80s can come up and read any book that suits their interest”, remarked Arabinda Dasgupta, the current managing director of the firm and descendant of its founding family. The library, an idea long in gestation, was formally unveiled on 24 July—Mr Dasgupta’s birthday—after nearly three years of preparation.
On any given day, the new reading room welcomes between 30 and 40 visitors, many of whom linger for hours, absorbed in the quiet company of rare and precious volumes. “Old customers from all over the city have responded favourably to the initiative so far, and several benefactors have contributed rare books to the expanding collection. This indeed proves how even in today’s age, where people have almost forgotten the art of reading books, there are people who still love and yearn to feel each letter with their fingertips”, Mr Dasgupta added, his voice swelling with pride. Nobel laureate Mr Amartya Sen, a long acquaintance of the Dasgupta family, extended a congratulatory message, applauding it on being enlisted as one of the heritage sites of Kolkata. He also explored the lanes of the wooden bookshelves on a virtual video conference, expressing avid enthusiasm.
One of the visitors remarked, “Our generation probably is the last generation to actually garner enough time from our busy schedules to run around bookstores, searching for a particular book. A bibliophile, as you young people nowadays call it, not only loves to read books. There is a different worldly feeling that can’t be deciphered. You might not always find the book you want, but the book you need always finds a way to reach you. Here are such rare collections of books which one can buy, but why take it for yourself when others too can have access to stumble across it and read it? Maybe someone else needs it more than I or you do, and this notion of a public library perfectly fits the frame.” Some students of the nearby universities mentioned how they couldn’t afford to buy such expensive books for their courses, but the existence of such an open library has come down as their Messiah.
“The visitors often include people from Germany, France, Italy, the U.K., and the U.S. Such people are always found to be keen on learning about our history. And being able to hand them over a piece of it contents me,” said Mr Dasgupta.
Girish Chandra Dasgupta, a native of Kaliagram in Jessore, modern-day Bangladesh, founded Dasgupta and Co. in 1886. The village was thought to be more literate than other villages in the area at the time, and perhaps this was the sole motivation behind the opening of a bookstore on College Street, which at the time was the epicentre of learning and literature in India’s erstwhile capital. The store now has Grade IIA heritage status and serves hundreds of customers a day, the majority of whom are looking for academic titles.
The store also intends to launch an online library following the forthcoming Durga Puja celebrations, which have been on the cards for a while. Mr Dasgupta also hinted at the probability of receiving a sponsorship proposal that would fund the reconstruction of the dilapidated infrastructure as well as provide access to the digital space, so that any reader from any corner of the globe can have access to any book. Planning for the commencement of internships in publishing has also been attended, since the NEP has made it compulsory for students to complete internships for overall holistic development.
From India’s struggle for independence to the immense bloodshed during the two World Wars, from 1971 partition horrors to the Naxalbari era, Dasgupta and Co. have seen it all. It still stands today, with the family leading the dream that was once dreamt by Girish Chandra Dasgupta. It is not only a bastion of scholarship but also a rare continuity in the cultural life of the city—perhaps even of the nation. Having surpassed such upheavals, Mr Dasgupta expresses quiet confidence that the shop will endure the contemporary challenge of online bookselling as well.