New Delhi: At Mahakumbh 2025, millions of devotees are taking the holy dip at the Triveni Sangam in Prayagraj. Meanwhile, various exhibition pavilions at the fair are witnessing a continuous stream of literature, culture, and knowledge. The central government ministries have made special arrangements at the Mahakumbh for the intellectual enrichment of the devotees, allowing the general public to not only learn about government schemes and achievements but also to better understand these schemes through modern technologies. In this context, the National Book Trust (NBT), an autonomous body under the Union Ministry of Education, has taken an innovative step by setting up a reading lounge at the Mela, where devotees can read books for free and experience the literary joy of this grand fair of knowledge.

The NBT reading lounge has been established inside the Namami Gange Pavilion in Sector 1, Parade Ground, Prayagraj, and is becoming extremely popular among the devotees. This lounge offers 619 book titles, including literature based on Indian philosophy, Indian culture, and the Kumbh Mela. Considering the interests of the devotees, books like Kumbh Ke Mela Mein Mangalvasi, Bharat Mein Kumbh, and A Visit to Kumbh have been made available. In addition to Hindi and English, books in other languages are also available, allowing non-Hindi-speaking devotees to benefit from this facility. Books written by young authors under the Pradhan Mantri Yuva Yojana have also been displayed, encouraging new writers.

NBT's marketing officer, Ashish Rai, mentioned that books based on India's culture are in high demand at the Mahakumbh. As a result, cultural literature has been given special prominence at this lounge. Non-Hindi-speaking devotees are particularly interested in books like The Ganga, Veda Kalpataru, and Ancient Tamil Legend, which focus on the Ganga River. Another feature of this lounge is that if any devotee likes a book, they can purchase it with a 25% discount.

NBT has also arranged for NBT Pustak Parikrama (Mobile Book Exhibition) at Mahakumbh 2025, which is equipped with 1,150 book titles. A mobile book exhibition bus is operating, allowing devotees to browse and purchase books of their choice while moving around the Kumbh campus. Additionally, information is being provided about the Ministry of Education's National E-Library, where devotees are being guided on how to install the National E-Library app on their mobile phones and scan QR codes to access thousands of e-books.

The NBT reading lounge at the Mela is not only providing an enriching intellectual experience for devotees but also creating a new platform for literature, culture, and digital knowledge. This initiative is bringing devotees closer to religious, spiritual, and contemporary literature, making the Mahakumbh not just a centre of faith but also an extraordinary confluence of knowledge, culture, and literature.

BI Bureau