Off the beaten shelf: books amid wedding bells wow guests

SANGAREDDY

Wedding functions are mostly about feasting, meeting family and friends, and getting acquainted with new people. But a youth from Zaheerabad added a whole new dimension to his wedding party and is earning praises for his rather interesting idea.

The youth, B. Vishnu, a private company employee, set up a book stall at the marriage hall with the help of a local organisation named Samata Sainik Dal. As expected, it stood out amid all the pomp and glitter. 

Several guests at the wedding, which was held on March 10, were surprised to see the stall. Curiosity led them to explore the books on offer. There were biographies of famous personalities and photos of national leaders. Bibliophile or not, some of the guests even purchased a book or two, and gifted it to the newlyweds.

Mr.Vishnu told The Hindu that the idea behind the stall was to propagate literature on B.R.Ambedkar, the chief architect of the Indian Constitution and a great champion of social and economic justice.

“In addition, there were books on Buddhism, and on reformers such as Jyotirao Phule and Savitribai Phule. People may not specifically look for such books at an exhibition, but I thought if we make them available at a social gathering, they might feel motivated to buy them. About 1,500 books were sold on the sidelines of the wedding function,” he added.

“This idea should be turned into a trend. It will motivate children to pick up books at functions,” said Sridhar, who attended the wedding.