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Bahrisons Booksellers, Khan Market, Delhi
Bahrisons Booksellers is the family-run bookshop opposite the main gate of Khan Market in New Delhi, open since 1953. It is small, and its selection does the work that floor space does elsewhere: new Indian writing, signed editions and staff recommendations. Khan Market metro station on the Violet Line is the nearest stop; the shop's website does not list opening hours.
The Khan Market corner shop that Balraj Bahri Malhotra opened in 1953, having arrived in Delhi as a refugee of Partition; the first thousand books were reportedly funded in part by selling his mother's gold bangle. Three generations on it is still family-run and still small, with the curation doing the work that square footage does elsewhere: new Indian writing, signed editions, staff recommendations that land. Newer branches have opened across the city, but readers make the trip to this one. The shop published its own chronicle for its seventieth year.
Seventy years of family curation in a shop that started with a sold gold bangle
A shop that started with a gold bangle
Balraj Bahri Malhotra was 19 when he fled Malakwal, now in Pakistan, during the Partition of 1947. He settled in the Kingsway Camp refugee area in Delhi, worked on trains and sold pens, and in 1953 opened the bookshop at Khan Market, using one of his mother's gold bangles as starting capital, with help from Prem Sagar of Lakshmi Bookstore.
His son Anuj Bahri joined in 1978 and now runs the shop with his wife Rajni. The family added a publishing house, Tara-India Research Press, in 2002 and the Red Ink literary and film agency in 2008. For the shop's seventieth year in 2023, Anuj Bahri and his daughter, the oral historian Aanchal Malhotra, published an updated edition of Chronicle of a Bookshop.
What to look for
The shop is still small, and three generations on it is still run by the family. The India GO guide singles out new Indian writing, signed editions and staff recommendations that tend to land. The online catalogue on the shop's website runs across fiction and non-fiction, history and politics, art and architecture, and a large children's section. The family has opened newer branches in the city, but the Khan Market shop is the original.
How to get there and timings
The address on the shop's website is Opp. Main Gate, Khan Market, New Delhi 110003. Khan Market metro station on the Violet Line opened in 2010 and is the nearest stop. Delhi Metro runs roughly 05:30–23:30; a smart card costs about ₹150, of which ₹50 is a refundable deposit, and gives 10% off fares. By auto, book through an app (Uber, Ola, Rapido) so the fare is fixed before you get in.
The website gives no opening hours, and the India GO database holds none, so the card above shows no times. If you are coming for a particular book, the shop also sells online.
When to go
Delhi is most comfortable in October and from February to March. May and June bring heat of 45°C and more, and from November to January smog can be heavy, which makes an indoor stop like a bookshop a sensible part of the day.
❓ FAQ
Who are the current owners of the Bahrisons bookstore?
The Bahri family. The founder's son, Anuj Bahri, who joined in 1978, runs it with his wife Rajni.
When was Bahrisons founded?
In 1953, by Balraj Bahri Malhotra, a refugee of the 1947 Partition.
Where is Bahrisons Booksellers?
Opposite the main gate of Khan Market, New Delhi 110003. The nearest metro is Khan Market on the Violet Line.
What are Bahrisons Booksellers timings?
The shop's website does not list opening hours, and no confirmed hours are on record. Check before a special trip.
Can I order books from Bahrisons online?
Yes, the shop sells through its website, booksatbahri.com.