Ahmedabad International Book Festival 2026 Opens on the Sabarmati Riverfront With 700 Stalls and 125 Publishers

AHMEDABAD, India, October 25, 2026 — Gujarat Chief Minister Bhupendra Patel opened the Ahmedabad International Book Festival 2026 on Saturday, October 24, at the Ahmedabad Riverfront, launching a nine-day celebration of reading that will run until November 1 with more than 700 bookstalls and over 125 leading publishers.

Illustration: A riverside book festival with stalls along the promenade. This is an AI-generated illustration, not a photograph of the event.

What Happened

The festival was inaugurated on October 24 at the Ahmedabad Riverfront, jointly organised by the Ahmedabad Municipal Corporation and the National Book Trust, according to a report by the news agency ANI. Alongside the book fair, the Chief Minister also opened the CHHAAP Exhibition, organised by the Union Ministry of Textiles, which presents traditional artworks by more than 92 artisans, reimagined by students of the National Institute of Fashion Technology (NIFT).

During the inauguration, the Chief Minister and other dignitaries released the Gujarati edition of a book on Sardar Teja Singh Samundri, a freedom fighter and pioneer of the Gurdwara Reform Movement, ANI reported. The Lieutenant Governor of Delhi, Taranjit Singh Sandhu, was also present at the ceremony. The Chief Minister said the festival, held as Prime Minister Narendra Modi completes 25 years of public service, would open new avenues for the exchange of knowledge, literature and culture.

The festival is open to visitors from 11 a.m. to 10 p.m. each day until November 1. Its programme covers Gujarati literature, poetry, ghazals, music, book creation, writing, children's literature and intellectual discussion. Major attractions include a stage, the Children's Pavilion and the Authors' Corner in Dome 1, along with the Gyan Ganga Writing Workshop and Vichar Manthan in Dome 2.

Illustration: Children and parents reading together in a festival pavilion. This is an AI-generated illustration, not a photograph of the event.

Background

The Ahmedabad book fair traces its roots to 2012, when the Ahmedabad Municipal Corporation organised the first National Book Fair at the Sabarmati Riverfront. That initiative grew out of the "Vanche Gujarat" reading campaign launched when Narendra Modi was Gujarat's Chief Minister, ANI reported. Over the years, the fair has grown from a national event into an international one, and organisers say it has strengthened Ahmedabad's cultural identity.

At the inauguration, the Chief Minister said improving citizens' quality of life, expanding their knowledge, strengthening critical thinking and encouraging creativity were integral to the Prime Minister's vision of holistic development. He also said the state government was committed to preserving and promoting Gujarat's cultural heritage, Gujarati language and literature.

That commitment, he said, is reflected in the 2026–27 state budget, which allocates 182 crore rupees for education, library development, cultural activities and the promotion of Gujarati. The budget also allocates 100 crore rupees for a state-of-the-art "Namo Central Library" in Gandhinagar, and the government is taking steps to establish libraries named after freedom fighter Bhagwan Birsa Munda in tribal areas, as well as to build, expand and modernise libraries at district and taluka levels.

The book released at the ceremony, "Sardar Teja Singh Samundri: Life and Legacy," chronicles a figure described by speakers as a pioneer of the Gurdwara Reform Movement and founder of the Shiromani Gurdwara Parbandhak Committee. Sandhu said Samundri's life was an inspiring example of social reform, public service and dedication to the nation, and that translation serves as a bridge allowing ideas and history expressed in one language to reach readers of another.

Why It Matters

Book festivals of this scale matter because they bring publishers, authors, students and ordinary readers into the same space — and because they signal how a city sees itself. Ahmedabad's festival, with more than 700 stalls and 125 publishers, is now large enough to shape what gets published, translated and taught in the region, particularly in Gujarati literature, where new readers are the lifeblood of the language's publishing industry.

The festival's emphasis on children is equally important. A dedicated Children's Pavilion, workshops and school-friendly programming aim to build reading habits early, at a time when screens compete fiercely for young attention. Organisers and speakers at the inauguration repeatedly linked reading to nation-building, arguing that knowledgeable, sensitive and innovative citizens are as essential to India's development as technological progress.

The pairing of books with crafts is another deliberate choice. By staging the CHHAAP Exhibition alongside the book fair, the festival connects two forms of cultural expression — literature and handmade textiles — and gives artisans a national platform. For the more than 92 artisans whose work is featured, reinterpreted by design students, the exhibition is both a showcase and a potential route to new buyers.

Illustration: Handwoven textiles and artisan crafts at an exhibition. This is an AI-generated illustration, not a photograph of the event.

What Happens Next

The festival continues daily until November 1, with its programme of literary sessions, poetry, music, children's events and discussions running across both domes. Visitors can browse the 700-plus stalls, attend author sessions and visit the CHHAAP Exhibition throughout that period.

Beyond the closing day, the test of the festival will be quieter: whether the library investments announced alongside it — the planned Namo Central Library, the Birsa Munda libraries in tribal areas and the modernisation of district and taluka libraries — are delivered on schedule, and whether the reading habits encouraged during these nine days survive once the stalls come down. For now, the riverfront fair gives Ahmedabad's readers a full week to find out what is new in books — and to be reminded, as the Chief Minister urged at the opening, to make books lifelong companions.

Sponsored: explore today's featured sponsored offers

FAQ

When does the Ahmedabad International Book Festival 2026 take place?

The festival opened on October 24, 2026, and remains open to visitors until November 1, from 11 a.m. to 10 p.m. daily.

Where is the festival held?

It is held at the Ahmedabad Riverfront in Ahmedabad, Gujarat, and is jointly organised by the Ahmedabad Municipal Corporation and the National Book Trust.

How big is this year's festival?

According to ANI, this year's festival features more than 700 bookstalls and participation from over 125 leading publishers.

What is the CHHAAP Exhibition?

It is a textile and handicraft exhibition organised by the Union Ministry of Textiles alongside the book fair, in which traditional artworks by more than 92 artisans have been reimagined by NIFT students.

What programmes can visitors attend?

The programme includes Gujarati literature, poetry, ghazals, music, book creation, writing, children's literature and intellectual discussions, plus a Children's Pavilion, an Authors' Corner, the Gyan Ganga Writing Workshop and Vichar Manthan sessions.

Sources

• ANI, "Gujarat CM Bhupendra Patel Inaugurates 'Ahmedabad International Book Festival 2026,'" via LatestLY, October 24, 2026.
• Ahmedabad International Book Festival programme details (stalls, publishers, hours, venues), as reported by ANI, October 24, 2026.