TIRUPATI : Tirupati District Collector Dr S Venkateswar emphasised the importance of book reading as a valuable habit, comparing a good book to a true friend.

He encouraged everyone, especially the youth, to dedicate time daily to reading quality books and make it an integral part of their lives.

On Saturday, the Collector, along with his family, visited the 17th Tirupati Book Exhibition, which has been ongoing for over a week at the TTD’s Vinayak Nagar quarters grounds opposite ISKCON temple. Speaking on the occasion, he acknowledged the efforts of Bharatiya Vidya Bhavan in organising the exhibition, which has been well-received by the people.

He highlighted that the exhibition offers a vast collection of invaluable books and urged Tirupati residents to visit and benefit from it. He reiterated that cultivating a reading habit enhances knowledge and personal growth. The Collector and his family explored the exhibition and purchased several books.

The book fair features 70 stalls from various States and will conclude this Sunday. Dr N Satyanarayana Raju, Director of Bharatiya Vidya Bhavan (BVB), along with associate secretary Prof S Dakshinamurthy Sarma and committee member Yugandhar Raju, briefed the Collector about the exhibition’s success. They also mentioned that literary and musical programmes are being conducted every evening as part of the event. Several literary enthusiasts shared their appreciation with the Collector, stating that the book exhibition has been highly beneficial.