Are You a Book Lover? Then you'll like Ahmedabad’s Parks that are now Open-Air Libraries!

In an age where screens dominate our attention, two friends from Ahmedabad had a nostalgically brilliant thought: what if reading could be as spontaneous as a stroll in the park? That simple “Aha!” moment led Your Reading Circle, the latest startups in Ahmedabad, to spring up across public gardens, offering anyone—young or old—a chance to pick up a kitab and lose themselves in its pages. No library card. No late fees. Just pure, unfiltered bookish bliss. Intrigued? Keep reading to discover how Heet Doshi and Om Thakkar are turning ordinary parks into magical mini-libraries, fostering community spirit one Rs. 5,000 box at a time.

From Campus Chat to Community

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When Heet Doshi and Om Thakkar first met at college in September 2023, they bonded over their love for stories and their frustration at the isolation of digital reading. Inspired by Perumkulam in Kerala—the famed “village of books”—they resolved to bring that warm, communal spirit to Ahmedabad. By June 23, 2024, their vision materialised in Parimal Garden: a sturdy mild steel box, costing around Rs. 5,000 to Rs. 6,000, stocked with 30 lovingly donated tomes. It was unlocked, weather-proof and, most importantly, free for anyone to browse, borrow or exchange.

This wasn’t merely a public mini library; it was the seed of a movement. Sourcing books from personal collections, community donations and partners like Bookitup and Keetabikeeda, Your Reading Circle rapidly found its footing. To keep the parks buzzing with fresh reads, they enlisted ten passionate volunteers—two per park—who manage stock, tidy shelves and update a shared spreadsheet tracking each book’s journey. In just months, over 2,000 people have wandered in, with more than 1,000 rekindling their love for the rustle of a real page.

Their approach is delightfully simple yet profoundly effective. By choosing parks—spaces already woven into daily life—they bypassed the barriers of membership drives and formal registrations. Children, college students and retired grandparents alike now flop onto benches with novels in hand, sparking spontaneous discussions about favourite authors or cherished passages. It’s a grassroots revival of the physical book, reminding everyone that there's a certain je ne sais quoi in holding a volume embossed with a title, rather than swiping to the next e-book recommendation.

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Behind the steel boxes lies a tale of determination. Securing permissions from three different municipal bodies took patience and persistence; the duo spent weeks presenting sketches, fielding questions and demonstrating community benefits. They designed each library box to be as unassuming as a park bench, yet as inviting as a café bookshelf. The transparent door, resilient hinges, and neat cubbyholes are all deliberate choices, ensuring a blend of durability and charm.

Looking ahead, Your Reading Circle aims to expand beyond Ahmedabad. The model is readily replicable: gather fellow readers on WhatsApp, secure a public space, commission a weather-proof box and enlist local volunteers to keep the shelves stocked. Social media buzz amplifies every new installation—Instagram posts tagged #ParkLibraryAhmedabad have already drawn inquiries from cities as far as Melbourne and Toronto. The excitement is contagious: when people see neighbours swapping thrillers and poetry collections under the shade of gulmohar trees, they’re reminded that reading is, at its heart, a shared adventure.

This community-driven initiative also shines a light on the power of small acts. A single Rs. 6,000 box may seem modest, but its impact ripples far beyond cost: friendships form over borrowed detective novels, parents introduce children to fairy tales they once loved, and park benches become impromptu book clubs. In a world racing towards digital convenience, Heet and Om are gently nudging us back to the tactile pleasure of turning a page, of dog-earing a corner, of scribbling a heartfelt note in the margin. Ahmedabad’s parks have never felt more alive—or more bookish. Ready to join the revolution? Take a step today, borrow, read, or donate at your nearest park library and help turn every green space into a community reading haven.