The first “Boi Gram” (village of books) in Bengal opened at Panijhora, a hamlet on the fringes of the Buxa Tiger Reserve (BTR) in Alipurduar district on Saturday, for villagers and tourists alike.

“This village has been selected for the project as residents here expressed interest in it and wanted us to come up with mini-libraries for youngsters to develop the habit of learning through books instead of remaining glued to their cellphones,” said R. Vimala, the district magistrate of Alipurduar, after inaugurating “Boi Gram”.

Panijhora is around 12km away from the district headquarters. In all, 72 families dwell in the village with a total population of 320 people. Among them, around 80 are students and half of them study at the primary school.

“Most people are associated with the tourism industry and serve as cab drivers, tourist guides and staff in nearby homestay accommodations. We think villagers will find visitors on their doorsteps as we believe the village will draw tourists, especially those who want to spend some time reading books in serenity,” said Partha Saha, the secretary of Apon Katha, an NGO that has executed the project with the district administration.

According to him, it is the third village of books in India and the first in the state. The other two villages of books are Kerala's Perumkulam and Maharashtra's Bhilar.

Under the project, they have developed five small libraries in five homes of the village for tourists. Another five mini libraries have been readied for local children, youths and anyone else who wishes to read.

“We have painted the walls of each house with messages on reading books and other social issues. Courtyards and the local bus stand have been decorated to draw visitors,” Saha said, adding that a mobile library had also been readied for the convenience of the readers.