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Gulshan Book Store: The holy grail for bibliophiles that even the floods couldn’t destroy
Sheikh Ajaz Ahmad, owner of Gulshan Book Store tells you the story of how his shop made it’s way into Limca Book Of Records for having a collection of more than 80,000 books. And shares how he rebuild his shop after it was destroyed in the 2014 floods in the valley.
What is that makes Gulshan Book store in Kashmir unique? For starters, it’s surrounded by houseboats, enchanting Zabarwan mountains in the backdrop. And icing on the cake; it’s nestled in the center of Nehru park island, Dal lake, Srinagar. This book shop--a must visit for bookworms, just made its way into the Limca Book of Records for having more than 80,00 books and being the only library- bookshop located on an island, in India. We got in touch with its owner Sheikh Ajaz Ahmad, who in a conversation with us explains how he went into the book business and his book shop is playing a crucial role in reviving Kashmiri history.
On his bookshop making its way into the book of records
I feel proud about this achievement. If you are a book lover then this is the place to be. We have books from different eras to different genres. You will be literally surrounded by books.We also have special reading rooms and a café that offers delicious Kahwah.
On why he started his bookshop
My entire family has been into the book business for generations. I am the fifth generation of my family to get into this line. Before 1947, my grandparents had a bookshop in Pattan area on Srinagar-Muzaffarbad highway. I have grown up surrounded by an ocean of books. It was inevitable that I also ended up being a bookkeeper.
I’ve now opened my bookstores in Maharajganj, GawKadal, Chattabal, Residency Road and Srinagar International Airport, in Srinagar.
On reviving Kashmiri history and helping the local writers
Kashmiri’s always had an interest in their own history. Also, I feel that the Kashmiri youth believes that it’s only through understanding our history, we can deal with the state of the current unrest in the state. Apart from that, I feel it’s my duty to help local writers in publishing their work and guiding them. Since, the state is mostly closed, our local writers hardly get any assistance or guidance from outside.
On 2014 flood tragedy and why his shop is revered among writers
The shop was broken. Entire book shelves were destroyed along with the café. Everything was under water. I had to rebuild piece by piece. However, with hard work, patience and time, I did it. Writers find solace here because it provides a serene environment for them to relax and listen to their our own thoughts, which is imperative for writing. Also, the experience of reading and writing in a library is far superior compared to reading a book on a phone or a tablet, or anywhere.
On his future plans
We are planning to expand in cities like Delhi and other metropolitan cities. We recently opened in Ladakh. I wish that my children carry forward the family legacy by looking after all my bookshops in the country.
