Date:22/07/2007 URL: http://www.thehindu.com/2007/07/22/stories/2007072252130300.htm

Other States - Orissa

Potter mania grips capital city

Correspondent

BHUBANESWAR: As the world witnessed an incredible impact of a book on the people of the jet era, both young and old, on Saturday with the global release of J.K.Rowling’s "Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows", Potter mania also gripped the capital city of Bhubaneswar.

Nearly 2,000 copies were sold out on the first day of its release in the capital. At dawn, Potter fans were seen rushing towards the select book stores where this bestseller was slated to be released for sale at 6.30 am. "I have booked my copy in advance. Yet I am so excited that I could hardly sleep last night. I just wish to have a glimpse of the book as soon as the shutters open," said Manaswini, an undergraduate student who was impatiently waiting to grab her copy from the Modern Book Depot in the heart of the city.

"My phone has not stopped ringing since 5 in the morning with queries from the customers who just wished to be confirmed that the book has arrived," informed its owner who offered each buyer a copy of "Orissa, a visitor’s guide" as gift apart from a cash discount of Rs.75 on each copy sold.

Celebration time

A few furlong aways, it was a scene of celebration at the Jyoti Book Depot that sold out nearly 500 copies as hot cakes within hours. A huge cake was ready for the fans with a picture of Harry on it. "We tried our best to put a personal touch to this event by hosting this celebration. A cash discount of 15 per cent apart, we offered a lot of gifts to our buyers including two game boxes the cost of which would come around Rs.600," said a jubilant Sandip Agarwal, the proprietor.

"More than 300 people had booked the copy in advance with us.

Most of our customers were students of different institutes and we ensured hat the books were delivered at their doors by 6.30 along with a cash discount of 10 per cent," disclosed the salesperson at Padmalaya, a popular book shop for school and college students.

"We did not offer any gifts and yet we sold out the maximum number of copies of the book in the twin cities of Cuttack and Bhubaneswar today," claimed A.K.Mishra and Sons.

"We were worried over the rapid fall of children’s interest in books. The Harry Potter series has proved that the printed word can cast a captivating effect on people," felt Bijaylaxmi Dixit, one of the buyers, who wanted to present it to her granddaughter.