It would certainly be a lot easier to download e-books on to a Kindle or an iPad. No book can run out of stock at any point in time in the e-world. No book is unwieldy or occupies muchspace on a bookshelf, if it is in the digital format.

All said and done, for many, there is still something about holding a book in their hands and physically turning a page. Swiping a few million pixels on screen can never match this pleasure.

This was clearly evident from the number of people who visited a book store on the day of its launch.

Kolkata’s Starmark, a books, gifts and toys store, opened its first outlet in Chennai on Saturday. The 15,000-sq.ft outlet at a busy mall in the city, saw at least a few hundreds of shoppers strolling in on Day 1.

In RK Narayan’s words

N. Ram, Director, Kasturi and Sons, who launched the bookstore along with celebrity actor Anu Hassan, said in India, despite e-books and Kindles, the demand for physical books is still growing.

In his talk, Ram read out from an article by R.K. Narayan that appeared in The Hindu 50 years ago:

“The faint aroma of gum and calico that hangs about a library is as the fragrance of incense to me. I think the most beautiful sight is the gilt-edged backs of a row of books on a shelf. The alley between two well-stocked shelves in a hall fills me with the same delight as passing through a silent avenue of trees. The colour of a binding-cloth and its smooth texture gives me the same pleasure as touching a flower on its stalk. A good library hall has an atmosphere which elates. I have seen one or two University Libraries that have the same atmosphere as a chapel, with large windows, great trees outside, and glass doors sliding on noiseless hinges.”

Anu Hassan said her entire family loves reading books and nothing can match the pleasure of reading a physical book.

Gautam Jhatia, CEO of Starmark, said it will take at least another 10 years for demand to taper for physical books.

This store in Chennai, is the sixth in the country for Starmark. The chain is owned by Emami Frank Ross Ltd (a subsidiary of FMCG major Emami Ltd). Jhatia said the company is still keen on expanding its footprint further.

“I am sure, it would be an adventurous journey in which at every step we will take on new challenges. But, any format can convert itself to a different model as and when required.” He supported this with an example of how those old ‘audio cassette’ stores morphed intonew-age ‘mp3 stores’, selling pen drives to SD cards.

The merchandise at the store also include a range of children’s stationery, toys, electronic gadgets (will also stock Kindles!) and gift articles – hinting its flexibility.

>ravikumar.r@thehindu.co.in

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