World Book Fair in Delhi turns into a fish market as crowd loots books: 'These are so-called educated people' | Video

Literature enthusiasts’ love affair with book fairs is no secret. Be it libraries, exhibitions, or bookstores, books have been celebrated for centuries. Each year, book fairs and literary events are organised to exhibit hundreds of varieties of books and draw massive crowds of avid readers.

This year too, the World Book Fair 2026 was held at Bharat Mandapam from January 10 to 18. However, it made headlines not for its diverse collection of books, but for the chaotic scenes that unfolded when the crowd’s book madness turned into a free-for-all. What was meant to be a celebration soon descended into chaos and went viral for all the wrong reasons.

What began as a joyful celebration at one of the world’s largest literary festivals turned into an unexpected frenzy. Several videos showed excited crowds spiralling out of control as people attempted to grab books placed on the shelves.

One viral video showed hordes of people gathered at a stall, hopping to snatch books while completely ignoring the usual order and decorum of the event. As seen in the video, several individuals had their hands raised to grab the books, while one man stood elevated and reached upwards towards books placed on a high shelf near the sign.

Another commented, “These are apparently so-called well-read and educated people. Indians skip civics at every moment. We instantly become animals if we get the opportunity to steal something.”

A third user said, “A place meant to promote reading, learning and values… turned into a reminder of why those books are needed in the first place.”

A fourth user wrote: “Seems like a fish market.”

Meanwhile, military heritage, defence literature and curated hardware exhibits were among the key highlights of the 53rd New Delhi World Book Fair (NDWBF) 2026. Beyond books, the exhibition featured live military equipment used in border deployments. Major attractions also included the Arjun tank and a detailed replica of the aircraft carrier INS Vikrant, both of which drew strong public interest.