Ashrafi Islamic Book Center

The Ashrafi Islamic Book Center is tucked away at No. 5 Masjid Street Central Street Cross Neelsandra. It is a spot that feels very much a part of the neighborhood. The street is narrow, so you mostly hear the sounds of people walking by and the occasional scooter squeezing through. Inside, the shelves are packed tight with books of all sizes. There is a specific smell to the place, like old paper and ink, which is quite nice once you get used to it. We have a small wooden counter where the daily tally is kept. Being near the mosque means the day has a natural rhythm to it based on the prayer times. We see many of the same faces every single day. Neelsandra is a crowded area, but our little corner at No. 5 Masjid Street feels like a calm pocket most of the time. The lighting inside is a bit yellow and soft, making it easy to spend hours looking through the titles. We do not use computers for everything; a lot of things are still written down by hand in big notebooks. The chairs for visitors are sturdy but old. Sometimes a cat from the street wanders in and sits near the door for a while. That is just how life goes at Ashrafi Islamic Book Center. It is a quiet, steady kind of work that fills our hours from morning until we close the doors at night.