Iconic & Celebrated: Here's Why Higginbothams In Mount Road Is Still Winning!

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What Makes It Awesome

One of India's oldest and most iconic bookstores, Higginbothams in Mount Road is still killing it! Founded in 1844 (that’s right, the bookstore is 176 years old!) by an English librarian called Abel Joshua Higginbotham, till date Higginbothams sees hundreds of bibliophiles every day, flocking down to lose themselves in a world of words and the rich history of this place. 

What started off as the only place to score the latest releases and the oldest editions before Landmark, Starmark and Odyssey came around is today a haven for booklovers offering the best of old and new. Higginbothams on Mount Road is, in fact, the first bookstore by the company. The building's heritage structure also adds to the experience giving major art deco era feels. Heavy oak doors, whitewashed brick walls and stained painted glass on the windows have been standing right there as other buildings around it have come and gone. The roundabout staircase and the grandfather clock further add to the colonial charm. 

Even today, you can find a lot of rare books here. They have a large section devoted to Indian writers covering all genres of books. The shelves are overflowing with books for all ages, including the latest in fantasy for young adults along with colourful stationery, comics, drawing books and more for children. Higginbothams' got books for competitive exams, rare journals, greeting cards, gifts and interactive books as well. You can even grab a chair on the first floor of the building and lose yourself into your favourite books here. While the steps into it might have changed, the warmth and set up still harness the culture of the past, making us coming back to the store over and over again. 

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What Could Be Better

While there are no complaints about the heritage of the building, the development of various city projects has been weakening the foundations of it. With the metro project happening right in front of the building, it is now facing its demise with least of government interference.

Pro-Tip

Unlike a lot of bookstores in the city, Higginbothams has a pretty large section devoted to just Tamil writing including fiction, non-fiction and magazines. After the 1989 renovations to retain the original look of the building, the black and white tiled-flooring really takes you back to Old Madras.