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One With Nature: These Indian Cities Are Building Community Reading Spaces

People across India are reclaiming public spaces, practising mindfulness, and expanding their social circle by joining the community reading initiative.

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Kavya Shukla
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Kochi Reads

Credits: Kochi Reads

The age of Internet has made it seem that we are all aloof and the need for social interactions is even less. But, the internet has taken another story: fostering the spirit of community across people by sharing the common love for reading. You can socialize at the end of the session, make new friends, discuss theories, go around for a sip of coffee or chat along on your way to the metro. The camaraderie part is incidental, but the reading is mandatory. Across countries, there are many silent reading communities, follow along to know more:

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India's silent reading movement

Cubbon Reads

This Bangalore based community, based out of Cubbon Park, meets every Sunday from 9 AM to 1 PM. The community was started by Shruti Sah and Harsh Snehanshu, as an attempt to create nostalgic memories from childhood: reading books under the canopy of a tree on a breezy day. Till date, Cubbon Reads has hosted about 100 editions starting from its very first session about two years ago in 2023.

Lodhi Reads

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A Delhi based silent reading community, Lodhi Reads meets every sunday from 10.30 AM to 1.30 PM in the lushful greens of the iconic Lodhi Gardens of Delhi. For the past seven months, readers have been assembling near the lawn in front of the Bada Gumbad every Sunday to quietly read by themselves. Speaking to The Hindu, a 27 year old women shared how Lodhi Reads gave her an escape from her hectic life. “I travel for an hour from Gurgaon to be just by myself while sitting amidst fellow readers. With my demanding corporate job, reading took a back seat and I am happy that I am able to revive the habit here,” she shared.

There are many community readings happening in Delhi, in Sunder Nursery, Dwarka, Vasant Vihar, Deer Park, etc. Akanksha Golcha, one of the three co-curators of Dwarka Reads, says the newest chapter of “the reads” movement in the Capital was born out of a simple conversation between her and her neighbour about the need to have a community reading space in different parts of the city. 

Bandra Reads

For Abhimanyu Lodha and co-curators of Bandra Reads, reading in public places has been an activity they have always enjoyed. “Even before Bandra Reads, we used to read in public spaces often. The idea behind Bandra Reads was to make the solitary activity of reading a community initiative and also make it a regular habit,” Lodha says speaking to YourStory. It sees around 25-40 people every week. The readers call the sessions like a breath of fresh air in the high-paced city life. They meet every day at 8 am to 10 am and have hosted successfully 82 editions so far (including a Secret Santa event special for Christmas)

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Kochi Reads

Meeting every Sunday at Central Park at Panampilly Nagar, Kochi Reads is Kerala's take on the silent reading movement. Curated by Vachas Amrita (founder) and Nidhin M, the group has an average of 20-odd members show up for the sessions, which are from 4:30pm to 6:30pm. Unlike reading groups which mandate that members read the same book, there are no such conditions here. The point is reading. “The ambience is ready, we want to inculcate reading,” says Nidhin.

The best part is you can also start your "reads" movement. Just grab a book, find a spot and indulge in reading at the lap of Mother Nature.

India Reading
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