Research highlights cultural role of Daryaganj Sunday Book Bazaar

The Daryaganj Sunday Book Bazaar in Delhi serves as a critical hub for the city's reading public and second-hand book trade.

The market functions as more than a commercial space, acting as a cultural landmark that shapes how residents access literature and engage with intellectual communities.

Researcher Kanupriya Dhingra, an assistant professor at BML Munjal University, documented the bazaar through an ethnographic account. Her work explores the dynamics between vendors, buyers, and the physical environment of the market. The study details the cultural significance of the space and the specific world it has built for Delhi's readers ^[1].

For years, the bazaar operated as a weekly Sunday event in Daryaganj. However, the market underwent a significant transition in 2019 when it was relocated to the more organized Mahila Haat ^[1]. This move changed the spatial arrangement of the vendors but maintained the bazaar's role as a focal point for those seeking affordable and rare texts.

In an interview conducted by Jahnavi Sen, the managing editor of The Wire, Dhingra said the bazaar persists as a site of cultural exchange. The interaction between the diverse array of books and the people who seek them creates a unique social ecosystem in the heart of the city.

The study suggests that the bazaar is not merely a place of transaction but a reflection of the reading habits, and intellectual desires, of the public. By analyzing the space and its participants, Dhingra provides a window into the enduring appeal of physical books in an increasingly digital age.