Hindu Religious & Charitable Endowments pens success story at Chennai Book Fair

It started off as an experiment, as the department wasn’t sure if the public would be keen on buying books in the age of e-pujas. But, the response during the first few days was a pleasant surprise. J Sasikumar, an official from the department overseeing the stall, said they had to order reprints of certain publications. 

“The temple tour guides published by the department are especially popular and have been selling out fast. In fact, the tour guides for Kancheepuram, Madurai, Tiruchy, Thanjavur and Ramananthapuram sold out within the first few days and we had to order for reprints. Now, we have enough stock to deal with the demand,” he said.  Also popular among the crowd are the glossy printed calendars, featuring principal deities and popular temples in Tamil Nadu. 

“The calendar featuring temples such as Madurai Meenakshi Temple, the Sri Ranganathaswamy temple in Srirangam and many others, was well received by the public. In addition, the magazine Thirukkoil published by the department, featuring articles on religious rituals, temple traditions and even snatches of mythology in contemporary cartoon format, has found many takers,” said Sasikumar, adding that the calendars are priced at Rs 60, temple tour guides at Rs 100 and the magazine at Rs 15. 

According to the official, the pricing is on a cost-tocost basis.The department is thrilled by the public response, especially since app-based pujas and online darshans have become the norm. The brisk business was also aided by cashless transactions. 

“On Sunday, we had sales of more than Rs 2 lakh within half a working day. We have POS machines that have really helped us through demonetisation and is convenient for the public,” he added. Udumalai Senthil, a Bharatanatyam dancer, said he loved the quality of the books. “The paper and print quality is superior. I wish they print more books on practical matters — such as how to conduct certain pujas, code of conduct in temples and nuances of donations,” said the avid reader. 

Some, like K Bhaskaran, who runs a pharmacy, felt that these books should be stocked in all temples. “The stall will be around only for a few days and we may not have the money to purchase all the books. If there is a permanent stall in the HR&CE offices, we can buy these books throughout the year,” he concluded.