Ignoring yesterday's winter showers, the fair was inaugurated with its traditional flavour as Kolkata's literary patriarch Sunil Gangopadhyay sounded a gong and kick-started the event at the Maidan.

"Kolkata's book Fair is a pride of this city. The buzzword of the pollution problem that is doing rounds is a mere exaggeration of the fact. The pollution caused due to the book fair is a temporary problem which can be solved by taking adequate measures," Gangopadhyay said.

Along with a number of intellectuals, Kolkata mayor Bikash Ranjan Bhattacharyya, a vocal critic of the Calcutta High Court that cancelled the fair at the Park Circus ground this year, was also present.

"We all want the book fair to be held at Kolkata Maidan. Though the Kolkata Municipal Corporation has nothing to do with organising the fair, but we want to bring it back at its old place since it's an international event and associated with Kolkata's unique image," Bhattacharya said.