Hyphenated-Homestead

Part 6: A Brother’s Wisdom & A Hidden Gem: Discovering Pustakanch Gaav

If you are binge reading, please carry on. If you just landed here from internet ether, I request to start reading from the top (Part 1)

Growing up, one thing was always clear—my brother Mahesh (I still call him Dada) and I were cut from very different cloths. If he was the bookworm, I was the one running around with mom, inside the house, finding other ways to entertain myself. While he devoured books as if they were meals, I was more of a casual reader. I often joked that he didn’t just read books—he ate them. Over the years, I’ve come to admire his habit of reading, knowing full well that books are among the best lifelong companions. But even now, I still have to make a conscious effort to pick one up, while for him, it’s second nature.

During this visit, on our short getaway to Mahabaleshwar with his friends, he kept bringing up a place called Pustakanch Gaav (English: Village of Books). As the younger sibling, I sometimes have the habit of half-listening when he gets into one of his passionate recommendations. This was one of those times. I nodded along as he talked about it, but I wasn’t fully paying attention. After all, we were on a vacation—who thinks of books while traveling?

But, as it turns out, sometimes your older brother does know best.

When we finally visited Pustakanch Gaav, I was completely taken by surprise. This hidden gem, nestled in Bhilar, Maharashtra, is a paradise for book lovers. Modeled after the famous Welsh town of Hay-on-Wye, which is known for its bookstores, this government initiative transformed Bhilar into India’s first Village of Books.

Launched in 2017 by the Cultural Affairs and Marathi Language Department, this initiative turned over 35 artistically decorated locations into open libraries, housing thousands of books across multiple genres.

While most of the books are in Marathi, plans are underway to include other languages like English, Hindi, and Gujarati. More than 35,000 books are available to explore free of cost. These books are available at 35 locations, including homes, schools, lodges and temples.

Anybody can visit this town of books and find colorful signboards on roads showing genres of books instead of road or area names. After deciding on genre, anybody can enter the place, like a library or the house of a villager, and browse their catalogs. This facility is available from 9:00 a.m. to 6:00 p.m. While the books can be freely read on location, they are not available for sale or to take home. School trips to Bhilar are also very frequent. The village provides a unique exhibition and library of a vast variety of books, where one can explore various unknown books as well. Many events are arranged in Bhilar, including drama presentations, book publications, musical events, workshops etc. Lodging and food are available as a paid service.

The experience was nothing short of inspiring. Here was a grassroots-level effort by the state government to promote education and literature in a way that was both accessible and inviting. Walking through the village, with books displayed across different homes and public spaces, I realized how much thought had gone into making reading an immersive and community-driven experience.

A few pictures below as we visited one of the open libraries dedicated to the genre of comedy (विनोद) dominated by none other than, P. L. Deshpande (पु.ल.देशपांडे). My brother has read all his books, not just once, but a several of them multiple times. 👌

Looking back, there are a few takeaways from this unexpected yet enlightening detour:

1. Always listen to your big brother. 😁 He’s been around longer, and sometimes, he does have a point (even if you don’t realize it right away).
2. It’s incredible to see local government initiatives that foster education in creative ways. Projects like Pustakanch Gaav remind us that literacy and learning don’t have to be confined to traditional settings.
3. There’s always something new to discover—if only you’re willing to step off the beaten path. I would have completely missed out on this place had my brother not insisted on visiting. Sometimes, the best experiences are the ones you don’t plan for.

This visit was a perfect blend of learning, and realization of what Hyphenated Homecoming is all about. It’s these small, unexpected moments that make a journey back home so much richer.

So, here’s to lifelong learning, unexpected discoveries, and, of course, listening to your older sibling once in a while. 😂

If you missed the opening blog post about this series, please read it here.

Next Up: From Mahesh Dada to another Dada, who holds a special place in my heart. Curious to know who that is? 😊 coming up next.

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