Our Journey · Since August 9, 2021
Carrying Bengali books beyond borders
Oparer Boi began with a simple yet deeply personal dream — to make Bengali books accessible to Bengali-speaking and Bengali-loving readers across the world, at fair prices, with care, and in the shortest possible time.
Where it began
Three books, and a promise
Although I studied English Literature, Bengali literature has always held a special place in my heart. My professional journey began in Kolkata’s legendary College Street, where my love for books grew stronger. After the difficult years of the COVID-19 pandemic, I returned home and took charge of Oparer Boi, determined to give this little bookstore a new direction.
The journey began humbly, with our first order of just three books. The very first book we shipped was Purnendu Patri’s Purono Kolkatar Kathachitra. From those three books grew a community of readers, initially connected through Facebook and WhatsApp, and eventually through the many corners of the world.
Today
Delivering to India and around 106 countries
From Australia, Canada, the United States, the United Kingdom, Germany, France, Italy, Spain, Denmark, Norway, Sweden, Switzerland, the Netherlands, Portugal, Ireland, Japan, Hong Kong, Singapore, Malaysia, the United Arab Emirates, Oman, Mauritius, and many more — but for us, these are not merely countries on a map. Each destination represents a reader, a family, a memory, and a connection to a language that travelled with them.
What we believe
More than delivery
A bridge, not just a shipment
We believe we do more than simply sell and deliver books. We build a bridge between readers and their language, literature, memories and roots. When a reader thousands of kilometres away, often in a completely different time zone, sends us a message after receiving a Bengali book, that moment makes every mile of the journey worthwhile.
Care that survives the distance
We take immense pride in the care with which every order is packed. A Bengali book travelling across oceans has to endure a long journey, and ensuring that it reaches its reader safely, securely and in the best possible condition has always been one of our highest priorities.
Over the years, Oparer Boi has also had the privilege of helping Bengali books reach cultural events and Durga Puja celebrations far from Bengal — bringing a little piece of our literary world to communities living thousands of kilometres away from home.
Recognition
Oparer Boi LLP received Startup India recognition from the Department for Promotion of Industry and Internal Trade (DPIIT), Ministry of Commerce and Industry, Government of India.
This recognition is not ours alone. It belongs to every reader, customer and well-wisher who has trusted us and encouraged us along the way.
The people behind it
A family effort
My mother Kaberi Ghosh and my younger brother Souradeep have been an inseparable part of this journey, standing beside me through the everyday work, the challenges, the packing, the late hours and the countless parcels that leave our hands for destinations around the world.
From three books in 2021 to readers in more than a hundred countries, Oparer Boi has come a long way. Yet, at its heart, the idea remains beautifully simple: a reader somewhere in California opens a parcel and finds a book from Bengal. Someone in Germany turns the pages of a familiar language in an unfamiliar city. A family in Australia receives a book that reminds them of home.
That is the magic of books. That is the magic of Bengali. And we are simply grateful to play a small part in carrying that magic beyond borders.
— Subhadeep Ghosh, Founder, Oparer Boi
Oparer Boi — Let Books Break Every Barrier!! ❤️🌿