THE Walking LIBRARY
Outlook Traveller|July 2021
In the hilly Mothakkara village of Kerala’s Wayanad district, a 63-year-old woman walks several kilometers every day for those who love to read but have no easy access to books
RADHAMANI K.P
THE Walking LIBRARY

FOR AS LONG AS I CAN REMEMBER, reading has been one of my greatest joys. The way authors build a world through their writing and manage to capture a reader’s imagination never fails to amaze me. I believe that reading stays in our minds far longer than what we see.

When I was a child, I would read all kinds of stories to my father, who loved listening to them. He did not get much of an education and therefore, couldn’t read. I took it upon myself to read entire books to him and give him updates about events around the world by reading the news. I would write letters to our relatives and friends on my father’s behalf, and then read them out loud so that he could check what I had written. That was perhaps how my love for reading began, and it grew with age.

It was the same love that made me choose the job of a ‘walking librarian’ at Pratibha Public Library — an offshoot of Library Movement in Kerala. The library was built in 1961 in my village Mothakkara, in the Mananthavady taluk of Kerala’s Wayanad district. This region is home to beautiful rivers, small waterfalls, farms and a wide diversity of birds and plants, and is surrounded by lush green mountains.

Although the library has been around for almost 60 years, people in the village — women in particular — had no easy access to books until a few years ago. Despite their love for reading, their tight schedules, busy farming lives, and the distance and time to commute to the library made it difficult for them to visit regularly to borrow books.

This story is from the July 2021 edition of Outlook Traveller.

Start your 7-day Magzter GOLD free trial to access thousands of curated premium stories, and 9,000+ magazines and newspapers.

This story is from the July 2021 edition of Outlook Traveller.

Start your 7-day Magzter GOLD free trial to access thousands of curated premium stories, and 9,000+ magazines and newspapers.

MORE STORIES FROM OUTLOOK TRAVELLERView All
Can The Himalayas Outlast Tourism?
Outlook Traveller

Can The Himalayas Outlast Tourism?

Love The Himalayas, But Worried About Its Future? Hear From Three Experts On The Future Of The Region And How It Can Be Protected

time-read
4 mins  |
October - November 2024
EATING MINDFULLY
Outlook Traveller

EATING MINDFULLY

SUNITA NARAIN FROM THE CENTRE FOR SCIENCE AND ENVIRONMENT DISCUSSES HER NEW BOOK WHICH COMBINES THE JOYS OF EATING WITH CARE FOR THE LAND AND THE PEOPLE WHO TILL THEM

time-read
3 mins  |
October - November 2024
The Jewels Of Costa Rica
Outlook Traveller

The Jewels Of Costa Rica

A Long-time Birdwatcher Describes His Travels To The Lush Rainforests Of Costa Rica

time-read
6 mins  |
October - November 2024
WINGED WONDERS
Outlook Traveller

WINGED WONDERS

The story of migrating birds is the story of a promise to return, flying thousands of miles beset with dangers.

time-read
2 mins  |
October - November 2024
THE LOOMINARIES
Outlook Traveller

THE LOOMINARIES

THE ROLE OF THE GREAT REVIVALISTS WHO GAVE INDIA'S TEXTILES A NEW LEASE ON LIFE CANNOT BE STATED ENOUGH. WE TRACE THEIR CELEBRATED LEGACY

time-read
8 mins  |
October - November 2024
KEEPERS OF THE CRAFT
Outlook Traveller

KEEPERS OF THE CRAFT

FROM REVIVING TRADITIONAL WEAVES TO CONTEMPORISING THEM WITH MODERN SILHOUETTES, THESE DESIGNERS ARE COMMITTED TO KEEPING THE LOOM TURNING WITH A FRESH TAKE ON HERITAGE TEXTILES

time-read
8 mins  |
October - November 2024
SONGS OF THE SOIL
Outlook Traveller

SONGS OF THE SOIL

WITH INDIGENOUS TEXTILES FACING THE WRATH OF FAST FASHION AND CLIMATE CHANGE, INDIAN DESIGNERS ARE RALLYING TO REVIVE AND PRESERVE THESE PRECIOUS WEAVES

time-read
3 mins  |
October - November 2024
CRAFT CRUSADER
Outlook Traveller

CRAFT CRUSADER

THROUGH HER TEXTILE EXPLORATIONS ACROSS INDIA, DR PRITHA DASMAHAPATRA HAS BEEN PRESERVING ANCIENT CRAFTS, EMPOWERING ARTISANS, AND INSPIRING TRAVELLERS TO DISCOVER THE BEAUTY OF HYPERLOCAL EXPERIENCES

time-read
3 mins  |
October - November 2024
ON THE GRID
Outlook Traveller

ON THE GRID

THE VIBRANT MADRAS CHECKS, NATIVE TO SOUTHEASTERN INDIA, HAS NOT JUST TRANSCENDED BORDERS BUT ALSO TRADITIONS AND STYLES

time-read
4 mins  |
October - November 2024
GOLDEN SILK
Outlook Traveller

GOLDEN SILK

THE PROPERTIES THAT MAKE MUGA SILK UNIQUE COULD SEE IT BEING USED IN THE BIOFUELS AND MEDICINES OF THE FUTURE

time-read
2 mins  |
October - November 2024