A vibrant literary event has begun in the hill district of Nilgiris (Ooty), Tamil Nadu, marking the launch of the “Nilgiri Book Festival 2025”. The festival commenced on October 24 at the Research Centre for Tribal Culture (RCTC) in Udhagamandalam, with the state’s Chief Whip K. Ramachandran officiating the unveiling. Organised by the district administration in partnership with the public library department and the South India Publishers' Association, the event will span ten days and feature around 75 book stalls covering a wide gamut of genres—from children’s literature to competitive-exam guides. To boost reading habits among younger students, about 2,000 Government-school pupils in the district will be issued vouchers worth ₹150 each to purchase books at the festival. This effort reflects a concerted push to steer youth away from digital distractions and towards the world of print. During his address, district collector Lakshmi Bhavya Tanneeru underscored the opportunity for students and families to explore books beyond screens and encouraged use of the vouchers. She also emphasised that literacy and reading habits remain pillars of lifelong learning. Alongside the stalls, the festival programme includes daily lectures by noted authors and poets, cultural performances by schools and local artists, and informational exhibits by government departments. The diverse activities aim to combine literary enrichment with community engagement. In addition, the local pollution control board is distributing eco-friendly “Manjapai” bags — a nod to environmental consciousness — to visitors, further integrating cultural, educational and ecological objectives into the festival. Readers and families from across the region are expected to attend, making the Nilgiris festival both a local highlight and a regional invitation to engage with books, ideas and culture in a scenic hill-station setting.The festival runs through to November 2, offering a sustained ten-day platform for literary interaction, youth engagement and cultural discovery in Tamil Nadu’s high-altitude region.