The Beginning
Book worm - The Beginning
I HARBANS SINGH HAVE INTERESTED IN READING SINCE CHILDHOOD. LADAKH IS A COLD PLACE AND ONE CAN NOT DO MUCH WORK OUTSIDE SO I HAVE STARTED TO SPEND MY FREE TIME IN INDOOR ACTIVITY. SO THERE WAS LOT OF TIME TO READ. I WAS INSPIRED BY MY FATHER (HARBJHAN SINGH) AS HE WAS FOUND OF READING BOOKS IN URDU . AFTER GIVING EXAMS OF HIGH SCHOOL I SPEND MOST OF MY TIME IN READING BOOKS IN URDU. SO IN THIS WAY I CAME ACROSS MANY WORLD FAMOUS AUTHORS. USUALLY MOST OF THERE BOOKS WERE TRANSLATED IN URDU AT THAT TIME .
LADAKH IS VERY ISOLATED PLACE OF THE COUNTRY AND THERE WAS NO OTHER BOOK STORE IN LEH AND I DECIDE TO OPEN A BOOK STORE. IN THE BEGINING THERE WAS ONLY CHILDREN BOOKS IN HINDI LANGUAGE. LATTER WHEN LADAKH WAS OPEN FOR FOREIGN TOURISTS AND LOTS OF FOREIGN TOURISTS STARTED TO VISIT LEH LADAKH AND ALSO USE TO BRING ENGLISH BOOKS ALONG WITH THEM AND SLOWLY-SLOWLY I GOT CHANCE TO READ ENGLISH BOOKS. AFTER SOME TIME COUPLE OF BOOK SHOPS OPENED BUT THEY WERE SELLING ONLY COFFEE TABLE BOOKS ON LADAKH AND SOME BOOKS ON BUDDHISM. IN JUNE 1996 I STARTED A BOOK SHOP CALLED "Book Worm". I STARTED TO KEEP SECOND HAND BOOKS IN ENGLISH. I USED TO BUY SECOND HAND ENGLISH BOOKS AND SELLING THEM TO OTHER TOURISTS. LATER ON AS I GOT MORE EXPERIENCE AND I STARTED TO KEEP BOOKS IN FRENCH,GERMAN, AND FEW JAPANESE BOOKS AS WELL. NOW IAM DEALING WITH COFFEE TABLE BOOKS,TRAVEL BOOKS,MAPS,POST CARDS. |