The 28th Delhi Book Fair 2024

This Sunday I visited the 28th Delhi Book Fair (and Stationery Fair) 2024 after so many years! I visited this fair for the first time after Covid pandemic. Even though it is the poorer cousin of the World Book Fair (which happens in February), I have always had a soft corner for the Delhi Book Fair (which happens in August) as it is a much local affair. Local booksellers come here more than national level booksellers and government institutions. This made me realise that I have tribal instincts when it comes to my city despite being a traveler!

The pictures below show my visit to the Book Fair - 

The banner at the Entrance with quotes from Baba Ambedkar, APJ Abdul Kalam and Rabindranath Tagore. 

The book fair was taking place in hall 12A. It is one of the older halls still standing (the rest have been demolished), so I was a bit nostalgic walking through it🥹!

There were two Reading Zones in the Book Fair, which was a very good idea!

While I squatted at the Reading Area I admired this colourful silhouette of Monuments! 

Can you tell which Delhi monuments are shown here 😊?

This was the other reading area.

There were so many stalls selling books on Sale!

The crowds were immense since it was the last day of the Book Fair. 

The Food Court was jam packed, as usual😓! There were huge queues at the Cash Counter so we decided to head outside for Lunch😋!

The best thing about the Book Fair are the Coffee Table books on offer!

This book on Space really intrigued me🤔!

There were a lot of stalls selling books for kids and parents and children were poring over them!

And, there were comics on sale too, much to the excitements of the kids🥳!

There were story books for children in other languages too🎈! This was the stall of National Council for the Promotion of Urdu Language✍️! (They give really good discounts btw🫰!)

The section of biographies etc. in the National Council stall.

And, these are the books I bought😌! 

Let me tell you a bit about my selections. The Perfumed Garden is based on an erotic Medieval Persian Manuscript, it mirrors the Kamasutra. An Era of Darkness by Shashi Tharoor is about the British Rule and exploitation of India (An era of darkness by shashi tharoor is a highly rated book!), Dongri to Dubai is a Non Fiction work on the Mumbai Underworld by a crime journalist S Husain Zaidi. These books were on 'Sale'.

The other three books are in Urdu. Dehli ke Chishti Mashaikh is a book talking about the Sufis of Delhi belonging to the Chishti Silsila (written by Prof. Qasemi), Bazm e Aakhir is about the life in Red Fort right before the Sepoy Mutiny of 1857 CE and lastly, Duniya ke Behtarin Kahaniya consists of select stories form the world, translated into Urdu.

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Ikebanas Day Out

This edition of Delhi-iteful Tuesdays is a continuation of the Flowers Day Out series. Today I will show you some of the best Ikebanas to be found in entire India. Ikebana is the Japanese art of Flower Arrangement.

So, before going ahead and showing you a selection of some of the most beautiful pictures I clicked for my post, I wish to let you know a bit more about the Ikebana flower arrangement. The word Ikebana originates from the Japanese 'ikeru' (to place, to arrange, life, birth) and 'hana' (flower). Possible translations of the word also include 'giving life to flowers' and 'arranging flowers'.

Nageire is a style is characterized by a tight bundle of stems that form a triangular three-branched asymmetrical arrangement which was considered classic.

More than simply putting flowers in a container or a vase, ikebana is a disciplined art form in which nature and humanity are brought together. Contrary to the idea of floral arrangement as a collection of particolored or multicolored arrangement of blooms, ikebana often emphasizes over other areas of the plant, such as its stems, leaves, and draws emphasis towards its shape, line, form. Though ikebana is a creative expression, it has certain rules governing its form.The artist's intention behind each arrangement is shown through a piece's color combinations, natural shapes, graceful lines, and the usually implied meaning of the arrangement.

Seika style consists of only three main branches, known as 'ten' (heaven), 'chi' (earth), and 'jin' (human). It is a simple style that is designed to show the beauty and uniqueness of the plant itself.

Another view of this flower arrangement

These Ikebanas were exhibited at the exhibition organized by the Rose Society of India.

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Chrysanthemums Day Out

Traveling recently in a cold winter evening brought me to an exhibition being organized to display beautiful Chrysanthemum flowers from all over India. The beauty of the displayed flowers and the cultural significance associated with them could simply not be ignored. Therefore, I dedicate this edition of Delhi-iteful Tuesdays to these Flowers who enhanced the beauty of the city of Delhi that evening.

Pink Chrysanthemum in full bloom

Chrysanthemum flowers belong to the genus (Chrysanthemum) constituting approximately 30 species of perennial flowering plants (plants which have a life of more than 2 years) in the family 'Asteraceae' which is native to Asia and northeastern Europe. The name Chrysanthemum is derived from the Greek words, chrysos (gold) and anthos (flower), along with the name the Chinese initially gave to the flower,mums.

Sea of Chrysanthemums

Chrysanthemums were first cultivated in China as a flowering herb as far back as the 15th century BC. The plant is renowned as one of the Four Gentlemen in Chinese and East Asian art. The plant is particularly significant during the Double Ninth Festival.

Different varieties of the flower present at the exhibition have been shown as follows -

It is believed that the flower may have been brought to Japan in the 8th century AD, and the Emperor adopted the flower as his official seal. There is a "Festival of Happiness" in Japan that celebrates the flower. The flower was brought to Europe in the 17th century.

The season of the Chrysanthemum flower is during Autumn. It is the official flower of the month of November.

This exhibition was being hosted by the Chrysanthemum Society of India.

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Roses Day Out

On a warm Sunday afternoon I started from my place to visit an exhibition but little did I realise that i would find myself walking amidst some of the most beautiful flowers I have ever came across. These Roses were arguably the most beautiful to be found in entire India. The show at which these flowers were being displayed was organized by the Rose Society of India.

So, before going ahead and showing you a selection of some of the most beautiful pictures I clicked for my post for Delhi-iteful Tuesdays, I wish to let you know a bit more about the Rose flower. A Rose is a woody perennial (a plant that lives for more than two years) of the genus Rosa, within the family Rosaceae. There are over 100 species of the rose plant. They form a group of erect shrubs, and climbing or trailing plants, with stems that have sharp prickles.

Rose flowers are large and flashy, in colors ranging from whites, yellows and reds. Most species are native to Asia, with smaller numbers native to Europe, North America, and northwest Africa. Species, cultivars and hybrids are all extensively grown for their beauty and fragrance.

Observe this hybrid rose plant which bears Roses of different colors

Rose plants range in size from compact, miniature roses, to climbers that can reach 7 meters in height. Different species hybridize easily, and this has been used in the development of the wide range of garden roses.

 Group of plants bearing White Roses

A different variety of Little Roses

The name rose comes from French, itself from Latin rosa, which was perhaps borrowed from Oscan, from Greek rhodon (Aeolic wrodon).

Observe a honey bee sucking the nectar of the flower

In the following pictures I have made an attempt to show you some select Roses which enhanced the beauty of the Rose Show conducted by the Rose Society of India.

These bouquets of flowers were exhibits from the Presidents Garden at the Rashtrapati Bhawan. They were not participating in the competition.-

Flowers speak for themselves

The following pictures are of other very beautiful roses I came across. These roses were arguably one of the best to be found in New Delhi-

Roses of this color are my favorite

As the tag suggests, this bouquet was named the 'Kiss of Fire'

A top view of this bouquet reveals the color combination

Another rose of a different variety. Notice its petals which are unlike other commonly known roses.

Roses with a greenish tinge

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