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.
