(Minghui.org) Falun Dafa practitioners participated in the 48^th International Kolkata Book Fair from January 28 to February 9, 2025. It’s the world’s largest non-trade book fair, Asia’s largest book fair, and the most attended book fair in the world. This year, there were 1,000 booths and an estimated 2.7 million visitors.

Aside from the book vendors, there was also a stage for performances, seminars, and talks, as well as a food court. Practitioners demonstrated and taught the exercises, introduced the Falun Dafa books, and handed out informational materials.

The Falun Dafa booth at the Kolkata Book Fair

Many people who visited the Falun Dafa booth throughout the 12 days of the fair were interested in learning more about the practice. Those who already knew about the Chinese Communist Party’s (CCP) persecution of Falun Dafa from online sources expressed their support for practitioners in China who have been persecuted since 1999.

For those interested in learning more, practitioners offered information about online webinars to learn the exercises.

Visitors learn the Falun Dafa exercises.

Visitors browsed and bought Falun Dafa books

Motivational Speaker: Falun Dafa Is “Extremely Appealing”

Prasanjit Gupta learns the first exercise.

Prasanjit Gupta, a motivational author and speaker, looked at a copy of Zhuan Falun and listened to practitioners introduce it and Falun Dafa.

“The concept of self-cultivation and improvement is extremely appealing and resonates with me,” he said. He bought copies of Zhuan Falun and Falun Gong and registered for the webinar. He learned the first Falun Dafa exercise and said he wanted practitioners to visit his office to demonstrate the exercises.

Father Buys Zhuan Falun for Daughter

Two friends in their 70s, Shashank Sen and P. Talukdar, visited the fair with Talukdar’s daughter, who lives in Germany but was visiting her family in India. She was very excited to hear that Zhuan Falun was available in Bengali and that Falun Dafa is practiced in Kolkata. Talukdar said he came to the fair to buy an English version of Zhuan Falun for his daughter. He talked about how this generation has forgotten their mother tongues and traditional values.

“What I like about Falun Dafa is its principles of Truthfulness, Compassion, and Forbearance and the emphasis on moral character,” he said. Then he turned to his daughter and said, “If you are true to yourself, you won’t do anything morally wrong no matter where you are.”

Talukdar and Shashank registered for the webinars and online classes to stay in touch with practitioners. He requested a brief exercise demonstration for his friend Shashank, who also bought a copy of Zhuan Falun in Bengali.

Two senior citizens learn the first Falun Dafa exercise.

Teacher: Falun Dafa’s Values Are Life-Changing

February 3, 2025, was the Hindu festival for the goddess of learning, Saraswati. It’s customary on her special day for people in India to pay attention to books, and many teachers and students visited the book fair that day.

Emon Kaylan Nath, a 41-year-old teacher and tutor, visited the practitioners’ booth with about 30 of his students. He was pleased to find Falun Dafa books in Bengali.

After chatting with practitioners, Emon was convinced that Falun Dafa was what his students needed. “If students can understand Truthfulness, Compassion and Forbearance, it can change their lives,” he said. He said that he would tell his students about Falun Dafa.

The students learned the first Falun Dafa exercise, Buddha Showing a Thousand Hands. Emon invited practitioners to conduct a class for the over 100 students he tutors.

Emon bought a copy of Zhuan Falun.

Students learn the first exercise

Representatives of several schools and colleges also asked practitioners to visit their schools to teach their students the Falun Dafa exercises and said they would coordinate with practitioners to schedule the lessons. All of them appreciated the free service and said they knew Falun Dafa is good.

Several HR executives of large companies wanted to know if Falun Dafa was effective at managing stress and said they would like to organize sessions in their companies as well.

Teacher Feels the Power of the Falun Dafa Exercises

Alay Majumdar, 80, began practicing Falun Dafa six years ago and is extremely fit. “Falun Dafa is the hope for the young generation and a better future,” he said.

He offered to teach the exercises to 41-year-old Sanjoy Purakait, a government schoolteacher who came to the book fair with his son. Alay stressed the importance of reading Zhuan Falun every day and living according to its principles.

He explained more about the exercises, and after Sanjoy did them he said he felt “warm” and “energized.”

80-year-old Alay MajumdarSanjoy Purakait, a government schoolteacher wanted to learn the exercisesAlay teaches Sanjoy the first Falun Dafa exercise.

Visitors Sign Up for and Attend Falun Dafa Webinars

Many people at the book fair registered for the Falun Dafa webinars. More than 70 visitors registered, and over 50 attended the webinar.

Joshumuddin Raja, a 45-year-old martial arts enthusiast from Bangladesh, was among them. He said Falun Dafa’s guiding principles appealed to him and he wanted to explore them in-depth. He also watched the nine-day online video lectures conducted by Australian practitioners. He was interested in starting a Falun Dafa practice site in Bangladesh.