Navachethana Publishing House goes back to Visalandhra Publishing House, a name most Telugu readers grew up with. Visalandhra was founded in Vijayawada in 1952, and for decades it put the works of many prominent Telugu writers into the hands of ordinary readers.

Navachethana became its own entity in January 2015, running as its dedicated Telangana unit. It now has branches across Hyderabad, and it also runs two Mobile Book Exhibition Vans that never really stop moving, touring towns across Telangana districts.

Krishnaiah drives one of them. He parks under a neem tree near the bus stand, shutters go up, and within minutes there’s a small crowd: homemakers looking through the shelves, office-goers stopping by on their way home, and every so often, someone who still remembers the Visalandhra name.

“People think a bookshop has to stay put,” he says, stacking poetry collections next to children’s science books. “We figured why not move it instead? If someone can’t reach our book house, we bring the books to them. Half of this job isn’t in an office, it’s on the road.”

Right now, the van is parked near the ECIL Bus Depot, and will be there for the next two days before moving on. If you’re around and want to browse, Laxmaiah, who handles sales for Navachethana Publishing House, can be reached at +91 94905 76246 for any enquiries.