Ongole book festival inaugurated

Ongole: The third Ongole Book Festival commenced grandly on Friday, creating a festive atmosphere for booklovers in the city. The nine-day literary extravaganza is being held at PVR School grounds from August 15-24, operating daily from 2 pm to 9 pm.

Social Welfare Minister Dr Dola Sree Bala Veeranjaneya Swamy formally inaugurated the festival by cutting the ribbon.

Following the opening ceremony, dignitaries visited the 34 book stalls featuring over 50,000 book titles from more than 550 publishers. The exhibition offers diverse literature, including novels, stories, general knowledge books, children’s literature, puzzles, and spiritual texts, catering to all age groups.

Ongole MP Magunta Srinivasulu Reddy, MLA Damacharla Janardhana Rao, former MLA and CPI State Secretary K Ramakrishna, MLC Pothula Sunita, and others participated in the programme.