Nestled in the charming, teeming lanes of Khan Market in New Delhi, Faqir Chand & Sons Bookstore stands as something special while being seemingly just a place that sells books. It is a living, breathing piece of literary history that bridges generations of readers, poet’s storytellers.
Sight for sore eyes
Mostly popular are the visuals of the bookstore. One may find many beauties taking pictures in front of quaint little back entrance, “Faqir Chand & Sons Bookstore Established in 1951” written on top of the yellow, plants-adorned walls. The door is skinny, so is the shop. The small, elongated area overflowing with most book that would one may want to read. From Manto to Doyle, icons have been given a permanent home here. The very few empty little spaces are bedecked with poems of colorful sticky notes. When read, a heart with any amount of pith may swell with indescribable, winsome emotions.
Each book feels special. When bought, books often come with little cards containing a lovely waterpaint painting of the shop, just so you don’t forget the magic. The picturesque nature of the bookstore hasn’t been tampered with— it has survived generations since the 1930s.
readers across borders
The story of the bookstore starts long before it found its current home in Delhi. The original bookstore was founded far to the north in Peshawar (today in Pakistan) by a man named Faqir Chand in 1931. At that time, the Indian subcontinent had not been split into India and Pakistan. After the Partition of India in 1947, Faqir Chand had to abandon his life as well as his highly successful bookstore business. The unrest during this period had made it unsafe for him to remain in the area, so he left with his family for Delhi, India.
Two years on, in 1951, a shop and a flat were allotted in Khan Market, which itself was a rehabilitation effort for traders and refugees from the North-West Frontier Province, who were displaced due to Partition. This is where Faqir Chand reopened his bookstore from scratch, resolute to create something worthwhile out of a new place. Little did he know that this little shop would become one of Delhi’s most iconic cultural landmarks.
The present of the bookstore
Entering Faqir Chand Bookshop is not like going into a typical bookshop. Since 1951, the store has maintained its vintage charm, with books and shelves arranged so that it feels more like a reader’s treasure trove than a normal retail establishment. A timeless atmosphere that invites visitors to lose themselves in stories is created by the casual organization of genres, the smell of paper and ink, and the lack of modern renovation.
The founder’s great-grandson, Abhinav Bahmi, now runs the store and continues his father’s passion for books. Abhinav had a close relationship with the store from an early age, having grown up surrounded by book shelves. In the end, he decided to continue the family custom.
Aesthetic > essenSe?
In addition to being a literary landmark, the Faqir Chand Bookstore has gained popularity as a visual landmark in recent years. Rather than being drawn by a passion for books, many visitors now come primarily to snap pictures at its iconic entrance and nostalgic interiors, attracted by its aesthetic appeal and social media presence. The store’s narrow aisles, vintage signboard, dim lighting, and shelves have all been transformed into a setting for carefully chosen photos that are frequently unrelated to its more profound cultural and historical significance. But on the other hand, digital visibility has boomed the bookstores’ popularity amongst non-readers as well which may have turned some of them into occassional readers or admirers of the literary art. Digital visibility helps big and small bookstores alike to gain their deserved recognition. There is nothing wrong with digital culture, but it mustn’t overtake spatial and historical essense of something as iconic as the Faqir Chand Bookstore.
Over the years, Khan Market has evolved from a modest refugee settlement market to one of India’s most upscale shopping districts. Even as the world around it changes, Faqir Chand manages to stay comfortably timeless and unaltered in its spirit amidst global brands and upscale boutiques.