48th Kolkata Book Fair 2026 | Boi Mela Dates Location Timings

The International Kolkata Book Fair 2026 began on January 22 and ended on February 3, 2026. The Book Fair is from 12 PM to 8 PM.

The location is Central Park Mela Ground, Bidhannagar, Salt Lake, Kolkata—700064. The focal theme country is  Argentina.

The book fair is not just a book fair; it’s a full-fledged festival, with food, Baul songs, shopping, gossip, and other activities.

How to Reach the Book Fair Kolkata

There are several ways to reach the Mela ground. You can come to Ultadanga and hire an auto, or take the Em bypass to Beleghata, Chingrighata, Kadapara, etc., and reach by auto.

Metro Station Near Kolkata Book Fair

Kolkata book fair’s nearest metro station is Karunamayi metro station. It is right in front of the 8 and 9 Boimela gates, and the 4, 5, 6, and 7 gates are a bit farther away. If your destination is the Kolkata Book Fair, near gates 1 and 2, get off at Central Park Metro.

To reach the Kolkata Book Fair, you can use the east-west Metro or Kolkata Metro Line 2. The most popular route is from Sealdah Metro Station to Karunamayi Metro Station.

Kolkata Boi Mela Special Buses

Many buses are available for this event. From Sealdah railway station, you can quickly take an auto to Kadapara, Beleghata, and other destinations.

Special buses available from:

• Howrah Railway Station
• Esplanade (Dharmatala)
• Dum Dum Railway Station
• Sealdah Railway Station
• Santragachi Railway Station
• Joka and Behala
• Garia
• Shovabazaar
• Jadavpur 8 B bus stand
• Chingrighata More
• Ultadanga
• Dunlop More

Kolkata International Book Fair

According to the Booksellers Guild, the International Kolkata Book Fair will be held at Central Park, Salt Lake—Karunamoyee. West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee will inaugurate it.

Another attraction during this festive season is the Kolkata Literature Festival, which is the glory of the book fair. We will celebrate this occasion on the same book fair premises. The Literature Festival will combine writers, directors, historians, authors, theatre personalities, etc.

Statistics show that 2.2 million visitors came to the book fair last year and sold books worth 22 crores.

The International Kolkata Book Fair’s official name is Antarjatik Kolkata Boimela / Antarjatik Kolkata Pustakmela. It’s a unique book fair for the general public rather than wholesale book distributors.

It is the world’s largest non-commercial book fair, Asia’s biggest book fair, and the most public-attended book fair.

Kolkata Book Fair is the world’s third-largest annual book fair, after the Frankfurt and London Book Fairs. Today,’Boimela’ (book fair) in Kolkata is integral to their lifestyle.

The Kolkata Book Fair is not only a book fair but also an opportunity for writers, painters, singers, musicians and a chance to introduce West Bengal’s food to food companies.

Last year, the United Kingdom, America, Russia, China, Japan, Vietnam, 11 other Latin American countries, and Bangladesh participated. This year, it’s the first time Iran and Pakistan have tried to join the book fair. Other states, such as Delhi, Tamil Nadu, Haryana, Gujarat, Punjab, and Karnataka, have publishers participating in the Kolkata book fair.

• Pareshnath temple, Kolkata | Jain mandir timings, address, location 
• Kolkata Dakshineswar Kali Mandir and Belur Math Adyapith with Skywalk
• Popular places in Kolkata city
• New Year & Christmas Carnival celebration in Kolkata [Park Street]
• Rabindranath Tagore’s house in Kolkata | Jorasanko Thakurbari Museum

Book Fair Address and Location

The Kolkata Book Fair venue is the Central Park Mela Ground at Salt Lake Sector-III, Karunamayee, Kolkata, West Bengal.

International Kolkata Book Fair stalls

The International Kolkata Book Fair has about 580 Book publishers’ stalls, and 200 little magazines will participate this year. However, the authority reduced the stall numbers to 800 and 200 for the little magazine stall this year, said the Publishers & Booksellers Guild.

I bought some Real Estate, Home Improvement Services, software, and marketing-related books this year.

• Bolpur Santiniketan tour plan guide from Kolkata
•  How to reach Gangasagar from Kolkata | Mela tour guide
• Marble Palace in Kolkata (North)

History of Kolkata Book Fair

• The Calcutta book fair was inaugurated for the first time on 5th March 1976. The state education minister, Mrityunjay Bandyopadhyay, inaugurated the Boimela. The book fair is beside the Victoria Memorial, opposite the Academy of Fine Arts. This book fair has 56 stalls and 34 Book publishers in Kolkata. The entry fee was 50 paisa. This year’s Guild organised another book fair and participated in the World and Frankfurt Book Fairs.
• In 1983, the Secretary-General of the International Publishers Association (IPA), Geneva, Mr Koutcowmow, attended the inaugural ceremony.
• In 1988, the book fair needed more space to accommodate the growing number of publishers. The ground opposite Rabindra Sadan and Birla Planetarium made it impossible to organise the book fair. Then, the book fair authorities moved to a new place near Esplanade and Outram Ghat Road, which became the new venue for this international event.
• In 1991, the Kolkata International Book Fair began adopting a focal theme each year, as the Frankfurt Book Fair does. Firstly, they decided on a theme based on the Indian state, and the first focal theme was Assam, followed by Orissa, Tripura, Bihar, and West Bengal.
• In 1997, the book Fair gained international value. For the first time this year, the focal theme was a foreign country: France.
• This year, a disaster happened. On the sixth day of the fair, a fire destroyed it, causing huge losses for everyone. Then, the State Culture and Home Minister of West Bengal, Buddhadeb Bhattacharjee, reconstructed the fair within three days.
• Bangladesh was a focal point in 1999. A remarkable incident was that, after 27 years, Bangladesh’s Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina came to this city of literature.
• 2006, the book fair happened for the last time in the Maidan.
• In 2007, the book fair authorities faced a critical situation. Just before the fair’s inauguration, the Kolkata High Court issued an order to stop the book fair in Maidan. The book fair schedule was changed and shifted to Salt Lake Stadium. Only 8 lakh people came to the fair this year; in 2006, the number was 25 lakh.
• In 2008, a book fair was organised at Park Circus Maidan. But again, just before inauguration day, the Calcutta High Court ordered the book fair halted due to an environmental issue. So, the book fair was postponed. After all the legal issues were resolved, the fair was held at the Salt Lake Stadium in March.
• In 2010, the book fair committee decided to refund the entry fee to people who bought books worth 200 rupees, which naturally boosted sales.
• In 2011, the Guild offered free space to the Little magazine stallholders. The government also took the initiative, telling the Guild to share the profit from the book fair to make the Guild Milan Mela Ground. The state government can also use the ground to organise fairs.
• From 2011 to 2018, the book fair shifted to Salt Lake Central Park because of the ‘Milam Mela’ contractions.
• In 2023, the focal theme was France, and the book fair was held at Salt Lake Central Park.
• 2025 Germany.

Last year’s book fair attention

• CALCUTTA ELECTRIC SUPPLY CORPORATION (CESC) made an app for Android and ISO mobile phones to locate Kolkata book fair stalls.
• The book fair offers special arrangements, including medical assistance, an ambulance with doctors, Wi-Fi zones, shuttle services, and security personnel, for event attendees.
• Maya civilisation and history
• Ancient holy books
• Introduction to 4000-year-old Astronomy
• Two Big kites about 40 feet in height
• Sheff comes from Guatemala and teaches their cooking style.