In Frames: Sanctuary of stories

The Hindu photo feature on Aragam which is now known as book village. Photos and text by Imran Nissar

In the foothills of the Himalayas in Bandipora in northern Kashmir lies a small village of a few hundred households. This hamlet, Aragam, is now also known as book village. It has a network of libraries through which the community here is positioning itself as a tourist attraction.

Book cafes carved out in the old timber-framed houses has become the new signature of this village. While there is a central library, small libraries have been set up in over a dozen houses. They not only help local children engage with the written word organically and independently but have also turned into a creative learning space for visitors.

At any given time, a teenager can be seen buried in a book, be it of classical poetry or a suspenseful thriller.

The village has become a sanctuary for the curious. The walls of the houses are painted with vibrant murals, and the shelves of wood and stone make the act of reading feel warm and special in the ambience of mountains.

Children act as impromptu guides in Aragam and books as icebreakers; the real story is the hospitality of a people who have decided that their legacy will be written in ink and memory.

Quiet corner: Students read inside a school library, one of several learning spaces set up across the village.