Mumbai's Iconic Strand Bookstall To Close Down: 'End of Something Great' Says Old Timers and Customers
Bibliophiles and those who loved visiting book shops in Mumbai will miss the Strand because it gave them a chance to visit old ‘Bombay’ once again, as soon as they entered its space.
After nearly 70 years in business, the Strand book shop in Mumbai, perhaps the most iconic and memorable book stall for lovers of letters, will shut down next week. The news was confirmed by Vidya Virkar, daughter of founder Padma Shri TN Shanbhag, who manages the book store with her brother Arun Shanbhang.
As soon as the news broke on social media, customers have been making a beeline for buying the remaining stock. The stock has been depleting quickly as discount is being offered on books too.
Twitter mourned the closing down of the iconic book stall with many patrons expressing grief over their favourite book corner. Some even pointed out how after Rhythm House- the iconic music store which closed down in February 2016 after 68 years of existence, Strand was among the last remaining retail shops which reminded patrons of the ‘old and classy’ Bombay. Pritish Nandy also lamented the loss of Mumbai’s iconic shops one by one in his tweet:
The comedian Atul Khatri, also tweeted on the same tune saying that with Strand book stall closing, a little bit of Bombay has also come to an end. He tweet also had a hilarious suggestion on the possibility to keep Strand running. Check out the tweet:
The book stall counted India’s first Prime Minister Pandit Jawaharlal Nehru and ‘Missile Man of India’ APJ Abdul Kalam as its customers among others writers. It used to be frequented by customers but with the advent of online shopping websites like Flipkart and Amazon, book shops have been facing a tough time. Customers have been preferring the convenience of buying books from home and the online shops also offer discount on rare books. However, bibliophiles and those who loved visiting book shops in Mumbai will miss the Strand because it gave them a chance to visit old ‘Bombay’ once again, as soon as they entered its space.
(The above story first appeared on LatestLY on Feb 23, 2018 11:31 AM IST. For more news and updates on politics, world, sports, entertainment and lifestyle, log on to our website latestly.com).