By TwoCircles.net staff reporter
New Delhi: Sunday was an off day for others, but a very busy day for stall managers at the 18th World Book Fair being held at Pragati Maidan in New Delhi. Book lovers thronged to the stalls of their choice. Same was the scene at Hall No. 8 where publishers from Saudi Arabia, Pakistan and Iran have kept their publications on display.
On entering Hall No. 8, one encounters Saudi stall where novels and rare copies of the Holy Qur’an in different sizes with translation in a number of languages are displayed. CDs and audio cassettes of Qur’anic verses are also there to choose. But you cannot make a dealing here. For this you have to go to the Embassy of Saudi Arabia. Besides the translations of the Holy Qur’an (in more than 50 languages) one can find books on as different subjects as religion, history and science.
Now you are at Stall No. 24. Pakistan’s Jadran Publications have displayed Urdu medium textbooks for open universities, a precious boon for students of Maulana Azad Open University and Indira Gandhi Open University. Iqbal Academy of Pakistan is at Stall No. 23 with ample books on great Islamic poet Allama Iqbal and his philosophy. Oxford University Press of Pakistan, at Hall No. 21, is offering English-Urdu dictionaries at concession rates.
Iran Cultural House has set up two stalls: No. 48 and 49. Masterpieces of Persian language on religion, culture, literature and poetry are displayed here. People are also attracted to a big-sized copy of the Holy Qur’an and rare pieces of Iranian calligraphy and. Tehran’s Ahlul Bait World Assembly, at Stall No. 15 and 16, have displayed books written by prominent Iranian authors.