Surat. The Swami Vivekananda National Book Fair, Horticulture Fair-Flower Show, Shilpgram Fair, and Food Festival organized by the Surat Municipal Corporation was inaugurated at the Veer Narmad South Gujarat University ground by Gujarat Chief Minister Bhupendra Patel in the special presence of Union Minister of Jal Shakti C.R. Patil. This multi-faceted fair is scheduled to continue until March 1, offering the people of Surat a unique opportunity to witness and enjoy a convergence of literature, horticulture, and handicrafts at a single location.
Following the inauguration, the Chief Minister inspected various stalls and sought details from the exhibitors. As per agency report, he also visited the special theme pavilion titled Visionaries Vault: Words That Build Nation, which is based on books written by Prime Minister Narendra Modi and literature concerning his good governance. The Chief Minister showed deep interest in the books and literature displayed there. During the event, he also listened to the live broadcast of the 133rd episode of the Prime Minister's popular radio program Mann Ki Baat in the seminar hall along with the citizens present.
The event saw the presence of numerous dignitaries including Mayor Daksheshbhai Mavani, MLAs Manu Patel, Sandeep Desai, Arvind Rana, Kishore Kanani, Sangita Patil, District Collector Dr. Saurabh Pardhi, Municipal Commissioner M. Nagarajan, Deputy Mayor Dr. Narendra Patil, Standing Committee Chairman Rajan Patel, Ruling Party Leader Shashiben Tripathi, City Organization President Paresh Patel, councilors, and a large number of book lovers. Considerable enthusiasm was observed among book lovers on the very first day at the grand book fair, which aims to connect nature and art with literature and promote a reading culture.
The National Book Fair, located near the Girls Hostel on Magdalla Road in Udhna, features a total of 11 domes. Five domes are dedicated to the book fair containing 63 book stalls, while one dome houses a food zone with 36 stalls. There is one dome with 44 stalls for the sculpture program and four domes with 40 stalls for plantation. A flower show has been created in the central part of the fair covering an area of 800 square meters. A special theme pavilion displays and sells books written by Prime Minister Narendra Modi as well as books by other authors regarding his life, work, and ideology, featuring a Namo Reading Corner and a section for writing letters to the PM.
The Horticulture Fair and Flower Show remain major attractions. The horticulture section includes stalls from 40 nurseries from Gujarat and Maharashtra, where citizens can purchase 45 different types of flowers, plants, gardening tools, and pots at reasonable prices. The flower show features eight diverse structures decorated with colorful flowers, including two selfie points and two gates, designed to raise awareness about government schemes such as the PM Awas Yojana, PM Jan Arogya Yojana, PM Surya Ghar Yojana, Jal Shakti Abhiyan, and Metro City projects.
The Shilpgram Fair showcases the artistic work of handicraft and handloom artisans, offering items such as Kutchi jewelry, embroidery, shell crafts, show-pieces, torans, and beadwork. The objective of this fair is to ensure that various handicraft and handloom arts do not vanish in the era of science and technology, and to encourage people to learn about and purchase art. The Surat Municipal Corporation held its first National Book Fair in May 2000, recognizing that the city is known not just for industry but also for literature and culture. Following its success, the event was expanded to include the horticulture fair, flower exhibition, and sculpture fair to match the public's enthusiasm.
