#Bahrisons
Notonly Delhi landmark it’s India’s landmark - whenever am in Delhi, my visiting spot….
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The original Bahrisons Booksellers that opened its doors 71 years ago in Khan Market, continues to thrive. Founded in October 1953 by Balraj Bahri, a 25 year old refugee from Malakwal in present-day Pakistan, it was run in partnership with him and his wife, Bhag, who had also migrated from Dera Ismail Khan during the Partition. From 1978 onwards, their son, Anuj joined the business, and later, so did his wife, Rajni.
This flagship store is a haven for booklovers, nurturing generations of readers in Delhi and beyond. On any given day, its walls are lined with an active stock of almost 90,000 books, lending it character and historic charm. One can find Rajni and Anuj at the store every day, interacting with customers, supported by their incredible team on the floor. Moreover, every member of the team is trained to follow the original traditional practice employed by Balraj, the first bookseller, of working with a notepad to keep track of each customers’ needs, which was the first personal touch that set Bahrisons apart. Today, the notepad is still part of Bahrisons tradition, and each bookseller can be seen carrying one.
Among the seniormost team members at Khan Market is Mithilesh Singh, who joined almost 27 years ago; in 1996, and has catered to clientele including late businessman Ratan Tata, politician-lawyer Kapil Sibal and historian William Dalrymple. Mithilesh is known to even acquire out-of-print books occasionally! Similarly several booksellers, like Alam and Shafique, have forged their own clientele and can be reached on call, like a customer’s personal bookseller on speed dial 
After all these years, stepping into Bahrisons Booksellers feels like experiencing literary history, where the past and present come together to inspire the next generation of readers 
17-11-2024
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