Atta Galatta - A playground for book lovers

Atta Galatta is a bookstore offering sanctuary to several of its customers. The store thrives on the physical space and sense of community. The store opened its doors 12 years ago in Koramangala, Bengaluru. The brick and mortar store was opened by Subodh Sankar and his wife, Lakshmi, who spent her early years in Tamil Nadu, lured by her father’s books, picking up versions of  Johanna Spyri’s Heidi and abridged editions of Dickens’ novels. Flashforward to later in life, when her first job was pragmatic and careful - to do with advertising, and insurance. Like many other English majors however, her dream was to run a bookstore.

Sankar too, had always been an avid reader. After growing up, and successfully pursuing several jobs in technology, he decided with Lakshmi, to repurpose their house in order to accommodate their new venture: a bookstore. The couple created a space that radiates their love for literature, with warm hues in the store, making it a cosy welcoming space for all who may enter. “The romantic notion of owning a bookstore became a reality for us in 2012, and we hope to spend the rest of our lives doing just this.” The past twelve years have been extremely fulfilling for Sankar and it seems like he wouldn’t change it for the world.

“The phrase Atta Galatta is a Kannada word. The word Atta, means play, both children playing, a performance of theatre whilst Galatta is a colloquial word for rambunctious fun,” says Sankar. Through the name, the couple wanted to signify that the store was not just a place of seriousness but also a place where people were meant to enjoy.

Atta Galatta is also a specialty bookstore. They focus solely on Indian writing unlike all other bookshops in Bangalore. The footfall of customers grew organically, through word of mouth, according to Sankar. “The average reader picks up a curious mix of poetry, translations and tones of Indian language literature,” he says, but when one comes to the store, all they should expect is a cup of coffee, a relaxed atmosphere and a good conversation.

Speaking of books that he’d recommend to people who don’t read particularly much, he says that graphic novels act as the perfect mix between the visually rich world of social media and the deeply introspective world of old novels. The books usually have elements of surprise in them too, which are likely to keep a reader hooked, he believes.

Atta Galatta is also not a bookstore that sells popular titles. Its curation tends to be eccentric and full of books that are often lost in time. Sankar believes that in order for people to read and immerse themselves into literature, books should be sold as an experience, immersing the reader in the promise of a story. In order to pique the interest of people, he also believes translations of several texts also ought to be much more widely available, and that reading should be instilled in children at a young age.

If a customer is suddenly in the mood for a cup of coffee or some baked goodies or fries, they’re all available too, the bookshop welcomes people to loiter around, and they say that they enjoy the sound of conversation over the sound of music.