Iconic bookstore to move out of MG Road

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The city’s popular thoroughfare, M.G. Road, lost its boulevard, an open, green space in the crowed CBD area. It lost the Plaza Theatre property constructed during the British regime. And, now, it is going to lose the iconic Gangaram’s bookstore, a city landmark for more than three decades. The relocation of the bookstore has been tentatively fixed for June 1.

Heritage buildings in the Central Business District (CBD) are being replaced by new ones or are giving way to infrastructure projects like the Namma Metro. The Plaza Theatre property was acquired to facilitate concourse work on the metro project. The concourse will connect the busy, commercial Church Street to the M.G. Road Metro station.

Right next door is the building that houses the multi-storied Gangaram’s bookstore. It is not impending demolition, but rising rent prices of commercial property on M.G. Road, that has forced the owner to look for a new place.

Says Atmaram Gangaram, co-owner of the iconic bookstore and grandson of the founder: “We are now looking for a new and good place. If somebody owns 10,000 sq feet of space and is willing to give it us on rent, we will shift. Our landlord wants to up our rent and we simply can’t afford it.”

He said there are several ideas chalked out for the new bookstore, which will be more reader friendly by accommodating all the books on one floor.

For close to four decades, Gangaram’s Book Bureau at #72 MG Road was the one-stop address for bookworms in Bengaluru. There has been a constant stream of old customers and patrons trickling in during the last few days to bid adieu to a much loved hangout.