Cordial Book House in Gachibowli, Hyderabad is closing

17th May 2026

Cordial Book House in Gachibowli, Hyderabad is shutting down. I was a member since 2017. My son read hundreds of books from here. I read a dozen may be. May be 50. Lost count. It started around 2012 as part of "Just books". Rebranded to Cordial in 2021, post covid.

Its owner Menindi Kiran Kumar told me he is selling his collection of 7500 books and needs to close it fast, mostly in next 1-2 weeks. Post which he is taking a mining job in Sierra Leone. He is a geology graduate from Andhra.

He said business has been untenable from past 1-2 years. Earlier he somehow managed. Best wishes to him. I don't remember any other shop/business which I have frequented so often. And I am sure many other customers will miss it too.

This closing will not receive any mention in any local media, though it should. Running a library for almost 15 years in Hyderabad while paying a significant rent is nothing short of a miracle. This library provided sustenance in its own way to all its members and their kids. A part of me goes away with its closing.

Hyderabad Lit Fest Day 1/2 Events attended

24th Jan 2026.

Orwell Awning 1 - Fact Checking workshop by Factly - 11:30AM-1:00PM
The NRB, Orwell Outdoors - Band Ananta (by Ananta and Paul) - 1-2PM
Battkoch movie  - 2 to 3:30 The Stage, District 150, 4th floor
3:30 - 4 Street Play - Chalo Duniya Sundar Banaye by CVR college The NRB, Orwell Outdoors
5-5:50 Panel by Naris Abraham, Ratna Rao Shekar, Tejaswini Yarlagadda Credai Orwell 1
6-7 Dastan-e Guru Dutt by Fouzia Dunbar Hall 
7-8 Aabha Hanjura Live band Soofisticated. Argus Opel pit 

25th Jan 2026

Orwell 2 - 11 to 11:50 - Scars: Totems of memory: Sayan Basu, Sveta Chakrabarti with Rohini Subrahmanyam
The Stage - District 150 - 4th Floor - 12 to 12:15 - Together We Sing by Vikhar Ahmed Sayeed - short movie
The Stage - District 150 - 4th Floor - 12:25 to 12:37 - Indian Fox: Fighting Habitat Loss by Chinnaboina Pradeep Kumar, Pranay Juvvadi
The NRB, Orwell Outdoors - 12:30 to 1:00 - Behind The Scenes: Stories that got lost in the final edit of 'The Hyderabadis'. Daneesh Majid

1 to 2 - Taki Taki Rumba ft. Rishi on Djembe Live and Tony on Rap
Orwell 2 - 2 to 2:50 - The Pain Pathways: Vimee Bindra, Arnab Barik with Pannari Gottipati
Dr Reddy's Amphiteater - 3 to 3:50 - Beyond Babel: The Twisted Tale of Tongues. Laura Spinney, Peggy Mohan with K. Venkatesh
Orwell 3 - 4 to 4:50 - Human-Dog Dilemma: Legal and Ethical Interpretations. Abodh Aras, Rohit Chawla, Vivek Mukherjee with Anjali Lal Gupta
4:50 to 5:30 Dance Party ft. Tony

Dunbar Hall at District 150 - 6 to 7 - Sada-e-Kashmir, A Folk Instrumental Symphony by Younis Majid Rather, Yawar Showkat
7 to 8 Argus Opel pit - Kavitvam Oka Teerani Daaham by Team Jhansi