Blossom Bookstore

Blossom Book House Kids' Section.

My aunt Nita came for a visit. It was her birthday. She really loves books, so we went to Blossom Book House, a famous bookstore in Bangalore. It was my first visit to the store. In the store, I saw books, books, books, and books. There were books everywhere. They were neatly arranged on shelves from floor to the ceiling. They were piled up all over the floor. There were narrow, old, rickety stairways and even narrower passageways to get to the books. Many people were browsing through books and I could hear a lot of rustling. 

It was different than any bookstore that I have been to. It was filled with excitement. I felt like staying until dinner so that I could browse all the books in the store and buy the ones I wanted. I wondered who started this interesting store and why. That's how I got the idea to interview the owner.

Piles and piles of books

His name is Mayi Gowda and he started the store 13 years ago. He comes to the store everyday even though he has many people working for him. He is kind, friendly...and busy!!! He sells a variety of books, new and old, children and adult, and everything in between.






Q and A:

Q. Why did you start a bookstore?

A. That is a long story. The short version is that I love books. I started selling books on the footpath when I was still in college. Later I started selling books from a small 200 sq. ft.store. I then bought more and more space over time to expand the bookstore.

Selfie with Mayi Gowda.

Q. Why do you sell second hand books?
A. I like to spread the love of reading. Selling used books makes them more affordable and so more people can buy them.

 Q. Where do you get the used books from?

A.. I have a network of sources across the country. Also, customers bring their used books here.

Q. How many books do you sell a day?
A. I sell about 1,000 books a day!

Q. Do you have children? What books do they like?
A. I have 2 children. They are 9 and 4.5 years old. The older one loves Roald Dahl books. The younger one is still exploring.

Q.What is you favourite book?

A. Animal Farm

Q. What do you like about running a bookstore?

A. I help many people read books and spread the joy of reading.

Q. What do you not like?
A. I do not like when people mishandle the books and don't put them back in their place.

Q. What are some challenges?

A. It's a lot of work. I don't get to spend much time with my family.

Blossom Book House is a really nice place that you must visit if you like books, They will even buy back your used books and give you 50% of your money back. Here's the address if you decide to visit:

Number 84/6, Church street, Opp. Amoeba, Bangalore, Karnataka, India 560001
Phone number: 25320400, 25559733

We'll visit the store often and I hope I see you there.