The vibrant footfalls at Hyderabad's iconic Abids Sunday Book Market are fast diminishing, as smartphones and the widespread adoption of e-commerce platforms reshape reader habits across the city. For decades, this historic open-air market hosted book lovers searching through sidewalk displays every weekend. Today, vendors find themselves waiting through quiet Sundays with significantly fewer visitors.
Two Decades of Decline: Sales Plummet by Up to 80 Percent
Farooq, operator of the Rahaba Book Center, along with his elder brother Mohammed Arifuddin, has been selling literature in Abids for 40 years. According to them, business has contracted by 75 to 80 percent over the past two decades. Farooq recalls that 15 to 20 years ago, Sunday crowds were so dense that sellers barely had a spare moment to pause or converse, as readers eagerly scouted for secondhand titles.
E-Commerce, E-Books, and Screen Time Take Their Toll
The digital shift has fundamentally transformed how people access reading material. The convenience of shopping apps such as Amazon, paired with the popularity of digital e-books and seamless internet connectivity, keeps potential buyers from visiting physical stalls. Vendors also point to a noticeable drop in reading enthusiasm among younger generations. Rather than spending time with physical books, children and teenagers increasingly allocate their leisure hours to smartphone screens.
A Haven for Affordable Books and Competitive Exam Prep
The hallmark of the Abids Sunday Market has long been its extensive diversity of titles offered at deep discounts. Visitors could browse through general literature, fiction, novels, comic books, and children's storybooks alongside specialized study material for competitive examinations, all available at fraction of original retail costs.
An Appeal to Preserve Reading Habits for Future Generations
Faced with an uncertain future, local vendors are appealing to parents and community members to keep the culture of reading alive. Farooq emphasizes that learning should remain a lifelong pursuit. He believes that when parents regularly read books, children naturally follow their lead into the world of literature. Spending money on books is never a wasted expenditure, he notes, but rather a long-term investment in a child's future that also sustains the livelihoods of historic booksellers.
