Bengaluru’s unique bookstores, beyond Church Street

Bengaluru’s literary scene is largely kept alive by its legendary bookstores dotting Church Street. From author visits and book signings, to rare books and signed editions, Blossom Book House, Bookworm, Book Hive and a few others in the vicinity have seemingly gained a reputation as Bengaluru’s only literary spaces. While the significance of Church Street cannot be dismissed, readers in other parts of the city have found their favourite nooks. We take a look at bookstores beyond Church Street…

Turning Pages, Jakkur

A two-storey space that includes a café on the ground floor, Turning Pages in Jakkur, houses a collection of books that caters to every reader’s taste. Founded by Vineetha Vijaykumar, it has shelves dedicated to books in regional languages as well as a space for events and community gatherings. Within the bookstore is a roundtable reading space for visitors. “The reason I started Turning Pages is because I enjoy places like this, and it has become increasingly difficult to find them,” Vineetha says. “The idea was to find a space that allowed one to slow down and build human connections, and regain an essence of community.” And Turning Pages does just that, with its welcoming ambience and warmth. 

Vineetha Vijaykumar, founder of Turning Pages
| Photo Credit:
C Madan Mohan

Kadhaigal Bookstore, Sahakar Nagar

Nestled within one of Sahakar Nagar’s quiet neighbourhoods is Kadhaigal Bookstore, a cosy space with a personally curated collection of books for sale, a free library section for children, and a separate shelf for second-hand books. Its founders Ramon and Lakshmi Selvakumaran want to ensure children’s books are easily available in-house for little ones from all backgrounds. Having lived in the neighbourhood for a long time now, their intention to start a bookstore in Sahakar Nagar stemmed from their deep-rooted love for their community.

“Right now, we see readers from a particular bracket in society, but our goal is to be inclusive to people from all backgrounds,” says Ramon. To bring this into effect, Kadhaigal Bookstore has designed events for children and adults such as nature walks and workshops, hoping to build a close-knit community. He hopes to house a larger collection of books and to be able to welcome as many readers as possible. “We don’t want a chain of bookstores across the city or the country; our intent is to build a supportive community here in Sahakar Nagar,” he says.

Ramon, co-founder of Kadhaigal Books
| Photo Credit:
C Madan Mohan

Dragonfly Reads in Jinvara, Yelahanka

Located in a beautiful community complex, Dragonfly Reads is an all-things-literary store, at Jinvara in Yelahanka. As the official bookstore partner of Himalayan Writing Retreat’s Laidback Lit Fest, this bookstore also caters to a wider online community. Established in February 2024, Dragonfly has been hosting readers from across the city for over two years. From having authors in various fields to monthly book clubs meets, Dragonfly Reads offers an all-round space for readers and artistes to connect and form an intimate community in North Bengaluru.

Dragonfly Reads in Jinvara
| Photo Credit:
Special arrangement

Paperback Bookshop, Kammanahalli

A tiny bookstore with a curated collection, Paperback Bookshop is the go-to place for quick purchases or to peruse a personalised curation of books. Originally founded in Mumbai by journalists B Mahesh and Usman Merchant, this bookstore boasts two locations in Bengaluru. Their shop in Kammanahalli is a street store with a good range of books housed in an intimate space, while their second store is a part of Ranga Shankara in JP Nagar. When asked about the growing online market, Mahesh says, “I won’t say people should buy books from my store alone; buy books from any place and support physical bookstores.”

Some of the other notable bookstores and community spaces in the city include Champaca in Vasant Nagar and Indiranagar’s Atta Galatta which partners with the annual Bangalore Literature Festival and Bengaluru Poetry Festival.