The 38th edition of Agartala Book Fair-2020 got underway at International Fair Ground of Hapania on Wednesday evening.
Tripura chief minister Biplab Kumar Deb inaugurated the 12-day long Book Fair in the presence of other dignitaries.
This year, the theme of Book Fair is ‘My Tripura, My Culture’.
In his speech, Biplab said Agartala Book Fair is one of the oldest and biggest of its type in the Northeast and has its own significance.
He said books are the real friends of any man.
He appealed to everyone to come and buy books.
Around 3000 artistes from all eight districts and a team from Bangladesh will perform in cultural events during the Book Fair. Besides, kabi sammelan and seminars will also be organized.
Meanwhile, Maharaja Bir Bikram Kishore Manikya Bahadur Debbarman award that carries cash of Rs one lakh will be given for the first time for the technical field, on the closing day of Agartala Book Fair.
This was informed by education minister Ratanlal Nath.
He also saidthe Atal Bihari Vajpayee award would be given as lifetime achievement in the field of literature and Pandit Deendayal Upadhyaya Sanhati award would be given for contributions in social activities.
Apart from this, many other awards would also be given during the book fair.
As many as 129 stalls – 39 from West Bengal, six each from Delhi and Assam, one from Bangladesh, 75 from Tripura, and the remaining from Daman and Diu and Allahabad – are participating in the 38th Agartala Book Fair.
This is for the first time that the Agartala Book Fair has been organized at Hapania and the initiative is expected to attract more book lovers.