3 min readBengaluruUpdated: Apr 30, 2026 08:24 PM ISTBooks damaged due to the flash floods in Bengaluru (Express photo).Evenings at Bengaluru’s iconic Bookworm bookstore usually find the staff and proprietor navigating the quiet bustle of a city of avid readers. But this Thursday, the atmosphere was one of urgent damage control. After a record-breaking 111.5 mm of rainfall lashed the city on Wednesday, the beloved Church Street landmark is mourning the loss of thousands of books, many of them rare and irreplaceable.Located deep within a compound on the main thoroughfare, the store had remained largely insulated from the city’s monsoon woes for over two decades. “We have seen much more rain than this with no issues,” proprietor Krishna Gowda told The Indian Express. “But for the first time there were huge hailstones, which blocked the movement of water in our building.”Within just 40 minutes of the storm’s start, water surged in from the backyard, flooding the premises to a depth of nearly a foot. While the water receded as quickly as it arrived, the damage was catastrophic. Between 4,000 and 5,000 books were soaked. Because of the summer holidays, the store had recently stocked up on extra inventory, much of which was stacked near the floor due to limited shelf space.Gowda estimates the financial hit to be between Rs 10 lakh and Rs 14 lakh. However, for the city’s bibliophiles, the value is harder to quantify. Bookworm, like another iconic Church Street bookstore, Blossoms, is famed for its eclectic collection of second-hand and out-of-print titles. Here, it is not uncommon to find a 19th-century volume on Roman history sitting alongside a 1947 edition of P G Wodehouse.“Only about 10 to 20 per cent of the affected books are recoverable,” Gowda noted. However, in the wake of the tragedy, Bengaluru’s reading community has transformed into a support network. Loyal patrons have flooded social media with calls to purchase the “damp and soiled” books to help the store recover its losses. Others have urged citizens to choose local independent stores over online giants like Amazon to help the city’s literary culture survive the blow.The response has been nothing short of overwhelming. “I am not able to answer all the thousands of messages on WhatsApp and X,” Gowda said. “It is fantastic. I didn’t expect it. I thank our wonderful reading community throughout Bengaluru and all over India.”In a statement, the store thanked its well-wishers: “The words of support and offers to help have been truly overwhelming. We are working to bring the store back to normal… we are grateful for your continued support.”Stay updated with the latest - Click here to follow us on Instagram© The Indian Express Pvt LtdAdvertisementLoading Recommendations...