Genres

History and literature are the essential studies of the humanities because they interpret for us the human experience. With sufficient knowledge of these, we are better able to communicate with one another. It is not simply because they are repositories for our cultural heritage, nor is it merely that they help us understand the past. History helps us become more knowledgeable, more perceptive. It helps individuals to gain insight into the forces, individuals, trends, and events that shaped the present; it helps us to discover from our own experience the power of novels, poems, plays, and stories to move, delight, entertain, inform, shock, and reveal us to ourselves.

 

The historical literature helps one gain understanding about how the world came to be, not just our world but the cultures of others. It helps us draw comparisons and aid our problem-solving abilities, providing a better insight for our future generations.

 

Here in this house at Pustakanch Gaav, the glories of the past await the readers, waiting for them in the miniature time machines called books, to transport them to the bygone era. A place where lessons in history come to life, educating and entertaining the young and the old. Come and seek the wisdom of our glorious past, here at Pustakanch Gaav.

Poetry is a literary work in verse, a piece of art with emotional sincerity, a graceful expression showing imagination and deep feeling with beautiful and elegant quality. It is a profound insight that enables a poet to idealise reality and to see the things or situations in a particular way, to express his feelings of his own accord and to represent them in such a way as to delight the readers. Poetry may supply an essential element in the growth of a society such as building fresh, articulate vocabulary and reasoning skills. It also establishes intellectual connections, sometimes sparking insightful opinions through exciting and innovative ideas. Poets use poetry as a vast form of communication across the world to act as a universal transmitter of all thoughts, feelings, and ideas. Poetry is a timeless, resourceful art, which could serve to value the youngest or eldest of readers. With the various types and styles composing poetry, renowned poets have infinite access to expression, which enriches the shared consciousness of a culture.

 

In this cosy hall of the house at Pustakach Gaav, the readers are given a rare opportunity to connect with works of Kavi Grace, Shanta Shelke and many eminent poets that have enriched the Marathi literature with their works. Even in this highly commercialised world, the readers can rediscover the sensitivity hidden in the written word, through poetry, at Pustakanch Gaav.

A modern newspaper is a chronicle and an encyclopedia in miniature. The events that happen are recorded in a newspaper. It seeks not only to inform but to interest, to stimulate, and to excite. It is almost the first thing that greets you in the morning. You read what is happening in all parts of the world and for a while get out of the narrow circle of your personal affairs. But most importantly, reading the newspaper is an ultimate adult-like activity. Growing up, children often tend to imitate the grown-ups around them and slowly get into the habit of reading newspapers. People read a newspaper for various reasons. For Information and Interpretation of Public Affairs, To provide a framework for Daily Living, For respite and even for social prestige.

 

Whatever be your reasons, here at Pustakanch Gaav, there is a home that host newspapers in the Marathi language, for the readers who are a fan of literature in hurry. This section hosts local and leading newspapers in the state made available for the delight of the readers. The open courtyard of the house and the streaming sunlight through the window provide a perfect setting for a day spent lazing in piles of newspapers, and endless cups of tea. Come and grab your copy, for the perfect start of the day awaits you, here at Pustakanch Gaav.

The years between 1647- 1818 are considered as the years when the legacy of the Great Maratha Empire came to life and belief in the ‘Hindavi Swaraj’ was imbibed in each of the Maratha heart. The great Maratha Empire, founded and consolidated under the legendary leadership of Chhatrapati Shivaji Maharaj, is a source of a proud legacy even to this present day.

 

The cornerstone of the Maharashtra’s history is the valour and bravery that is highlighted in the brave deeds of Chhatrapati Shivaji Maharaj and his great Marathas, who graced the land with their just rule and honoured leadership. The books highlight the just and commandeering leadership of the Marathas despite the chaos and misrule that prevailed in the Deccan in the late 17th century.

 

Here in this house at Pustakanch Gaav, the bygone golden era back to life, helping us with a chance to relive the history and enrich our lives with the books that depict the history of the lessons in able leadership, decisive judgment and the rare opportunity to explore Chhatrapati Shivaji Maharaj in the role as ‘the management guru’. Come explore this wealth of history, gaining insights into the picture of a better tomorrow.

As a genre, Humour has existed since time eternal. It has endured throughout history as a form of cultural critique. The question that must be asked is whether or not humour has an impact. A brief glimpse on the global literature shows the extent of its ability to effect change. It is effective in pointing out the flaws of a particular time and place have any capacity to change that which it examines. Humour is one of the most absolutely essential elements of a free society.  It is the humour that points out when we, as a society, are straying from our moral high ground. Humour, through our books, often serve as the harbingers of error in society.  While journalists uncover the horrible events going on in the world, it is the humorist who makes us confront the evils that we ourselves commit, albite with a good-natured jab.

 

Here in this house at Pustakanch Gaav, gems of Marathi literature awaits the reader, ready to provide them with hours of entertainment and endless laughs. Select works of pioneers that mastered the art of words are available for the readers to introspect on life’s ‘bigger questions’ with a generous helping of chuckles and laughs. From P L Deshpande’s character sketches to S D Phadnis’s literal caricatures, readers tend to lose hours at end in this section. Come explore the laughs and giggles in the bylanes of Pustakanch Gaav.

Each year, thousands of books are printed, ranging from a variety of subjects but it’s only a few of them that manage to make a lasting mark on the minds of the readers. And then there are some books that are graced with an epoch-making legacy and these are the books that make all the difference, changing the way we see things.

Such great books are often awarded prestigious awards that add to their value but often as time passes, they too fall out of print and slowly get lost, becoming a footnote in the history of these prestigious awards. Taking this in the right vein, these books have found a permanent home here at Pustakanch Gaav. Here, the readers will find themselves surrounded by books so rare and prestigious, they are often regarded as the markers of our society’s intellectual progress. These books make one think, reflect and often question the world as we know it and work towards its betterment. Housing these books, this house at Pustakanch Gaav is certainly an epicentre of Marathi literature.

 

Reflect on these award-winning books, and contribute to the world around you, here at Pustakanch Gaav.

A great novel reflects that complexity. We may read it several times, as we do with our favourites, and each time it is like finding an old friend and gaining new insights from that friend. We put it down with new understandings of the world around us and, most important, of ourselves. The core of the novels are the stories. Stories organise us culturally and emotionally. Reading stories offers us the opportunity to develop wisdom. Stories stretch our minds and help to grow our moral capacity. Given the role of the novel in a reader’s life, it’s an absolute delight to find some of the best-loved novels, in one place, awaiting its readers.

 

At a house in Pustakanch Gaav, with its warmth and love, awaits the readers to lose themselves in the world of some of the favourites novels that have resonated with the Marathi readers over the ages. It opens up the realm of thoughts and memories that a reader keeps hidden in the pages of their favourite novels, and more often than not, the desire to lose oneself in the world of that particular book is overwhelming.

 

Come and seek the world you once loved and rediscover its magic, here at Pustakanch Gaav.

Hagiography is the body of literature that describes the lives, work and veneration of the saints. The literature of hagiography embraces the biographies of saintly monks, and accounts of miracles connected with saints’ tombs, relics, icons, or statues. The importance of hagiography lies in the vital role that the veneration of the saints played throughout the journey of the communities’ civilization. Additionally, this literature preserves much valuable information not only about religious beliefs and customs but also about daily life, institutions, and events in historical periods.

 

Maharashtra has a rich tradition of hagiography and this temple, where the air is potent with the chimes and the words of the saints. The steady stream of devotees pay their obeisance to the beautifully decorated gods that add to the divine atmosphere of this place. And one corner stands a cupboard that holds the divine words of our saints, waiting to be examined. It hosts the books of hagiography at Pustakanch Gaav, captures its core, bringing the words of the saints, alive for the readers to seek guidance from. The overall atmosphere of this temple allows the reader a chance to introspect and turn within for seeking answers to life’s big questions. Visit and seek more than blessings, here at Pustakanch Gaav.

Travel writing has been a key shaper of people’s perception of the world beyond their borders and of history itself. As human beings, a connection is incredibly important to all of us; it’s the thing we need to keep going. And, so, when we vicariously are connected to a place and an experience that has very much gotten inside of a writer and moved him in some way, it enriches us and expands us– which is why great travel writing has this allure, this influence, this effect. One feels like a bigger, richer, better human being for having read it.

 

It is quite a climb to reach this little restaurant. Situated on a tiny hillock, the experience of getting there, truly help one come close to the theme of this library and add to the physical sphere of the experience. Afterall the theme of the library is travel. In here, the readers can find stories from Everest Summit to cross continent voyages, filling each heart with a sense of unbridled adventure and a thirst to explore. As you open a book, you are transported to the Parisian lanes and the peaks of Himalaya. The mode of transport could be as modern as the state of art Airbus or a humble bicycle. Each of these experiences awaits the eager reader, to live there, one book at a time.

Biographies meld the best of both fiction writing and non-fiction with all of its intricacies. A good biography that tells the life story of a human being is full of drama. Its merits often lie in real-life triumphs over poverty or the hardships and dangers of war, in hard decisions that made all the difference, or the courage to face adversity. Real-life dramas are at the heart of a well-written biography. Imagine a place where you are given a rare opportunity to look into the lives of people who made history and learn a few things. Think of the lessons that made an ordinary individual grow up to the stature of a transformative leader. There’s such a place at Bhilar where we get such an opportunity to look into the lives of such individuals, through their biographies and self-revelations.

 

This house at Pustakanch Gaav, is like that of a time machine, where we get an opportunity to time travel and live the lives of great leaders and powerful personalities through the books that were written by them and about them. We get to see their trial, tribulations and their ultimate success. Come seek the lessons and grow to be a better person, here at Bhilar.

In the age of social media, our favourite authors have now become relatively accessible in the virtual world. But the pristine joy of one on one conversations in the real life is getting lost. The meaning of smile or a moment of silence after hearing the author read his books, these simple can never be replicated in the virtual realms.

 

Addressing this, here at Pustakanch Gaav, there are venues where the readers can assemble and interact with their authors in the old school style, face to face, at the various exhibition centres in the village. These are the perfect location for the meet-and-greet, book launches and passionate discussions on books, surrounded by books. In short, an absolute delight for every reader worth their salt.

 

Come and seek the avenues at Pustakanch Gaav and find the real world connect with the books here.

Similar to that human evolution, the evolution of culture is a rather interesting process that charts the social and emotional progress of a community, as seen in its cultural artefacts. One such home that preserves the essence of Maharashtra’s cultural evolution in form of books. The hall of this house gives an appropriate welcoming feel to this genre of literature, urging us to look deeply into what makes our culture, giving it a distinct identity.

 

In Maharashtra, Diwali was more than just a festival. It is a time for family. Along with the usual rituals associated with this ‘Festival of Lights’, the unique experience sitting together with a Diwali Ank, is something that truly marks the grand celebrations in most Maharashtrian Homes.

 

Stories are such a huge part of our lives that we must be hard-wired not only to love them, but to absolutely need them.  Stories preserve our own history and culture, passing it along in a form that’s easy to remember to the next generation. Beyond just speculation about what might happen, we use stories to answer the great unanswerable questions and help us connect with one another on a deeper level. Here at Pustakanch Gaav, an open courtyard greets, with a rare sight of a green field. It is easy for one to lose oneself in the beauty of this simple home for it hosts the memories of the simple bygone days where the stories and the tradition of storytelling unique to the state of Maharashtra, is not just preserved. It is celebreated. And the collection of Diwali Ank are a witness of this unique tradition that needs to be kept alive for the next generations. Come, let’s lose ourselves in the world of stories and re-live the beautiful magic of storytelling, here at Pustakanch Gaav.

The history of humankind is one of a mixture of gradual and accelerated changes – socially, intellectually and technically. Science and technological changes for the base for the rate of social changes, a rate which increases every day. Science in literature expands the theories being worked on now and explores what may be possible in the future. it has a great importance within our society, especially with its relationship with now-time science, as good science fiction authors look at the current scientific research and ask the “What if?” question. Of all forms of literature, Science in literature is only one that deals primarily with change, whether routinely painting a story against the colourful background of a different society – be it on Mars, post-apocalyptic earth or another planet, Recording path-breaking scientific advances and even becoming an impartial witness to the magnitude of human debacles. Even though there are endless possibilities available to write about, they all have one thing in common; that being that the worlds they describe are like the here and now and that they are on the brink of change.

 

At a cosy corner of a tourist hotel of Pustakanch Gaav, the readers are presented with an opportunity to view the scientific evolution of mankind, from the ages of the caveman era to the android age of today. This opens one’s mind to the immense possibilities and the potential of human curiosity. Explore this section and ignite the power of human curiosity, here at Pustakanch Gaav.

A story, whether it be in oral or written form, is how we make sense of this world we find ourselves in, how we pass along knowledge and values to ourselves and future generations, how we learn about others, and how we try out other people’s lives and learn about other cultures. It is the way in which we can crawl inside the skin of others and see the world through their eyes. In story are expressed our individual and collective hopes, dreams, fears, aspirations… Stories help us understand and find our way in the world. Stories are such a huge part of our lives that we must be hard-wired not only to love them but to absolutely need them.  Stories preserve our own history and culture, passing it along in a form that’s easy to remember to the next generation.

 

It is our shared stories that form a bond, that shapes our collective consciousness. Stories are the ancient traditions that have stood the test of time, right from the Stone Age to the present age of technology, humans always cherished their stories, it is just their forms underwent changes, reflecting changing times. At Pustakanch Gaav, in a nook stands a house that takes immense pride in hosting the best of stories that capture the social, intellectual transformation of the Maharashtrian community, through stories. Explore the world of stories and lose yourself, here at Pustakanch Gaav.

One can think of a healthy mind only in a healthy body. Both physical and mental well being are the prerequisites of great achievements in man’s life. Sports literature brings the best of two worlds and unveils a wealth of knowledge that inspires individuals across ages. Through these books, we get to experience the trials, tribulations, every race, every fight that has carved the making of a legendary sports person and individuals from all walks of life seek this passion and dedication towards a singular goal.

 

Here at Pustakanch Gaav, in a house that needs a bit of athletic strength to reach, the readers get an opportunity to relive the excitement, get in the game mode and seek the thrill, with the turn of each page, book after book, with their heroes. The master blaster, the grand master, the prima donnas, all come together, under one roof, urging the readers to seek inspiration through their life and game.

 

Come and live the game, here at Pustakanch Gaav.

Across ages, Ideology has re-emerged as an important topic of key inquiry when examining the social, cultural and political advancement of a society in any part of the world. Books help us relate to the world and consider the complexities of the human experience. Books on political and social ideologies are essential to chart the evolution and development of a society and by extension, an entire nation and its relation with the global community. These books shine a spotlight and help one identify the eras of social upheavals, the political climate and the overall social structure.

 

Here in the tucked little house of Pustakanch Gaav, the influential ideologies of the world come together under roof, offering the readers their insights, lessons and approaches towards shaping a better society. Here, these books are both the stoic witnesses and impartial judges, which guide the readers and enable them to evaluate an era with the lenses of rationality. Explore the making of a nation and ideas that have influenced the global community, here at Pustakanch Gaav.

In the classical sense, children’s literature includes stories, books, magazines, and poems that are enjoyed by children. However, the true evolution of children’s literature can be traced to stories and songs, part of a wider oral tradition, that adults shared with children. The development of early children’s literature is difficult to trace. Many classic “children’s” tales were originally created for adults and later adapted for a younger audience. In the impressionable young years, these books play a crucial role in child development. Reading builds their imagination, develops their critical thinking skills, and improves their communication skills. Giving children access to all varieties of literature is extremely important for their success. And importantly, children’s literature provides an avenue for young readers to learn about their own cultural heritage and the cultures of other people. It is crucial for children to learn these values because developing positive attitudes toward our own culture and the cultures of others is necessary for both social and personal development. Here at Pustakanch Gaav, decorated with beautiful pictures, walls lined with alphabets, charts reading the names of fruits and flowers, is a classroom that awaits the eager readers. Such a sight is sure to make any grown-up get nostalgic. It is such a sight that makes one grow fonder for the simple days of childhood, the sweet memories of growing up and the simple joys of a stress-free life. In here are nestled the words and books that were a part of each of our childhood. Stories that built aspirations, stories that inspired, stories that made dreams come alive. Here awaits the abundance of stories, of fantasy, awaiting the eager young minds, to explore the wealth of pristine joy.

Folk literature includes all the myths, legends, epics, fables, and folktales passed down by word of mouth through the generations. The authors of traditional literature are usually unknown or unidentifiable. These stories have endured because they are entertaining, they embody the culture’s belief system, and they contain fundamental human truths by which people have lived for centuries. Knowing the characters and situations of folk literature is part of being culturally literate. For every culture across human race, folk art and literature are essential elements of the community as they are able to explain the mysteries of the natural world, articulate our fears and dreams, impose order on the apparent random, even chaotic, nature of life.

 

In the midst of Pustakanch Gaav, the wealth of Maharashtra’s folk literature has found a permanent home and awaits the readers to give them a glimpse into the cultural evolution of the state and elaborate on the finer nuances that bind us together as one. The essence of Maharashtra’s cultural evolution is preserved in form of books, urging us to look deeply into what makes our culture, giving it a distinct identity. The books on our folk art, performing arts, music, and traditional lore, frame a picture of our cultural evolution, marking the path of our progressive thoughts and cultural ethos.

Lalit Gadhya or Anthologies can be broadly defined as a collection of writings, such as poems or short stories or other creative works, centred around a similar theme or topic or time period. The works that appear in the anthology may include both previously published works and original unpublished works. An anthology, therefore, serves as a flexible format to showcase both established writers and new writers. In simpler words, this is a form-less form of literature that lends both the author and the reader, a platform to explore the beauty of the written word without the constraints of ‘definition’.

 

Here, in a quaint house of Pustakanch Gaav, the readers are provided with an immense wealth of literature and a spectrum to explore the aesthetic qualities of language, to express the full depth and breadth of human experience in personally meaningful ways. The books in this house include outstanding examples of a multidimensional form of language and artistic expression, through the medium of free verse, blank verse, rhyme, creative prose, lyric essays, prose poems and much more. Come and explore the beauty of the written word, here at Pustakanch Gaav.