Out-Of-Print Books, Literary Classics And More At This Kandivali Book Stall

Right outside Thakur Mall in Kandivali is a bookstall with over 5,000 secondhand copies to go crazy over – including some books which are out of print.

This is a street book shop to the left of Thakur Mall, which has a range of secondhand books dabbling in genres such as popular fiction, literary fiction, children’s storybooks and activity books and novels. There are also management books and a few hardbound art books you can buy here. The prices start at INR 50, and go up till INR 200 in most cases.

What’s unique about this book seller is his ‘library‘ system of functioning. While you buy a copy you wish to merely ‘borrow’ for an indefinite period of time at full price, you may give it back later. He returns 60 per cent of that price to you on return. The way he verifies that he book was bought from his stall was by signing the last page.

This book stall is run by friendly yet shrewd Ramlakhan Mauriya, 33-year-old immigrant from Uttar Pradesh. He came to this city in 2003 and invested in the books for his book stall. He, himself, studied till the 10th standard, and can read and understand most book titles being sold by him. He also has a good sense of discernment over which books should be priced lower and which are of higher value, such as a great literary work.

Watch a movie at the theatre, and after that pick up the book from the stall right outside for a heated discussion over which wins – the book or the movie. {Always, the book}

Contact him on +91 9930092167 to know if he has a book you are looking for, or request him to source it for you. 

We’d like to thank Amit Erandole, from the reading group Broke Bibliophiles, for giving us a tip about this place.