Rare and antique books at World Book Fair

Rare books, some of which are now out of print and written several decades ago, on subjects ranging from history, geography, architecture and politics are available at select stalls at the ongoing New Delhi World Book fair here.
"These books are available nowhere now. All these books are rare and antique. Some of them even have the writer's signature on it," says Sushil Kumar Jaitley, who has put up one such stall.
A book titled 'Memories of the Archaeological Survey of India' written around 1925 is one of the rare books that he has put up on sale. The book is priced at Rs 1200.

Author Welles Hangen's "After Nehru, Who?" which has the writer's signature and message on the book, is another such rare books that is up for sale at Rs 4000.
"Though people may not buy the books, but at least they can come here and take a look at these rare collections which one would not find anywhere now," says Jaitley.
A visitor at the Fair said the common people may not buy rare antique books because they are pricey.

"But such rare books have to be preserved," he said.
Besides books, Jaitely's stall has stocked up also on collections of old posters with pictures of yesteryear's Bollywood actors. They are priced between Rs 800 to Rs 1000.

Another such stall selling rare books has collections of old editions of religious texts.
"We have very old editions of Manusmritis, rare poetry collections of the famous Punjabi Sufi poet Bulleh Shah and many more," says the stall owner.
Other major attractions at the Fair include a special stall selling books ordered from Lahore especially for the fair and written by Pakistani scholars and researchers on Islam.