VRUTHA KARMALI
Here’s a question to all the book lovers, do you always seek a cosy home-like space surrounded by books where you can spend all your time doing what you love the most - reading?
If your answer is yes, then that is exactly what Kaushik’s Book Kaffe offers you – a quaint place dedicated to those who enjoy and indulge in reading. Located in the bustling Margao city, near Holy Spirit Church, the Book Kaffe is essentially a library with an extensive and well-curated collection of books.
“I had bought it (the house, now converted into a library) in 2004 from a friend of mine and then we were staying here from 2009 or so. This place is quite big even for a big family. In fact, we would use the hall as a cricket pitch” says Ivan Almeida, the owner and the curator of the library while discussing the origin of his privately-owned library.
The library is purely a labour of love. The thought of creating a free and accessible library came to Almeida after the demise of his eldest son-in-law Kaushik Banerjee, who was an avid reader himself.
“In 2020, during the Covid time, my eldest son-in-law passed away from a cardiac arrest in Australia and that put us off completely. After a week or so of his passing, I thought why don’t we turn this place into some sort of a book place”.
He wistfully added; “I had a collection of about 1,500-odd books at that time, so I told my wife that I wanted to create a library, a reading space in his memory”. This backstory of the library explains its name – Kaushik's Book Kaffe. The namesake book place was inaugurated on Almeida’s eldest son-in-law’s birth anniversary on January 14, 2022.
During the challenging time of COVID-19, Almeida took up the project of converting his house into a book haven. This involved making a list of all the books, cataloguing them, buying new ones and renovating the space to accommodate bookshelves.
Much thought went into designing the space – new furniture was added and doors were turned into bookcases. The room, where Kaushik would spend most of his time, is now a reading room.
Almeida is extremely passionate about history and politics, which is why a major chunk of his collection consists of books written on and by various world leaders and politicians. Aside from history, he is also a cricket enthusiast so you will find a ton of books related to this sport too.
A fascinating feature of the place is there is no entry fee, it is free for all. “You don’t do everything for money, there are some things you do because you want to do it or you like to do it,” says Almeida.
You don’t do everything for money, there are some things you do because you want to do it or you like to do it
Ivan Almeida, the owner and the curator of the library
He insists that he simply wants people, especially students, to come to the library and spend time engaging with the books from his collection to expand their knowledge. His dream is to see this place grow into one of the best privately-owned libraries in Goa.
So, if you're looking to be in the company books to widen your knowledge, head to this place and drown yourself in books.
DETAILS
WHERE: 226, near Holy Spirit Church, near Old Presentation Convent, Old Market, Margao, Goa 403601