The 18th annual Tirupati Book Festival 2026 kicked off with energy on Saturday evening, January 31, at the Pandit Nehru Municipal Corporation High School grounds. On Sunday afternoon, book lovers of all ages poured into the venue to hunt for favorite titles at the event organized by Bharatiya Vidya Bhavan’s Tirupati Kendra. J. Poornima, a B. Sc (Computers) student, shared, “In spite of the growing influence of mobile phones, there is still a section that is pursuing book reading as a passion and we are glad to be part of that.” The festival features stalls from major publishers and organizations including Tirumala Tirupati Devasthanams (TTD), Bhavan’s Book House, National Book Trust (Government of India), Aurobindo Society, Ramakrishna Vivekananda Publications, Deepti Publications (Tenali), Visalandhra Book House, Shravya educational aids, Supreme Law House (Vijayawada), Anveekshiki Hyderabad, and Vijaya Vani Printers (Chowdepalle). For the first time, The Hindu Group of Publications set up a stall, attracting avid readers with its impressive collection of special publications and coffee table books. Children's stalls offered popular titles from Amar Chitra Katha and Tinkle, along with innovative products like 'reusable books and never-ending pencils' that fascinated young visitors. Before the inauguration, former Chief Vigilance Commissioner K.V. Chowdary, litterateur Medasani Mohan, BVB Tirupati Kendra’s Director N. Satyanarayana Raju, and SVIMS Dean Alladi Mohan carried sacred books such as Ramayana, Mahabharata, Bhagavad Gita, and Viveka Choodamani in a palanquin, marking a symbolic start to the event.