Every year, avid book lovers can find themeselves face to face with the world bestselling spiritual classic - the Autobiography of a Yogi at the stall of Yogoda Satsanga Society of India (YSS) set up at prominent book fairs across various cities of India.

This year, too, YSS Dakshineswar Ashram participated in the annual Kolkata Book Fair with a large stall bedecked with YSS posters and banners carrying the image of Gurudeva Sri Sri Paramahansa Yogananda. A large banner displayed at the front of the stall depicted two major YSS events of 2018 - the Centenary celebrations of YSS and and Guruji’s 125th Avirbhav anniversary. A picture of Guruji with the father of the nation Mahatma Gandhi was also displayed at the stall throughout the fair - which evoked a lot of interest from the visitors.

The stall was inaugurated on January 31 by Swami Sudhanandaji with a prayer, a brief session of meditation and an inspirational talk based on a satsanga by beloved Daya Mataji – from the book 'Only Love.' 

Running for twelve days - till February 11 - the stall drew nearly 4200 visitors during this period. Most of them explored YSS literature in various Indian and other languages. Such is the draw of the Autobiography of a Yogi that the book sold over 320 copies during this short period. Among the top-selling books at the stall were Autobiography of a Yogi - Bengali, Autobiography of a Yogi - English, Man's Eternal Quest - Bengali, God Talks with Arjuna - English and Hindi, and the Wine of the Mystic.

Several of these visitors inquired about YSS and teachings of Gurudeva Sri Sri Paramahansa Yogananda. Such inquiries from the enthusiastic visitors were channeled to YSS sannyasis who were present at the stall.

Devotees who served as volunteers guided them through the stall and assisted them with the purchase of YSS books. They also informed them about group meditation at Ashram and meditation centres in and around Kolkata. 

By the end of the book fair, sale of YSS literature generated INR 151,000 while 53 new enrollments were registered for YSS home study lessons. A few of these new lesson students later attended the retreat programme conducted at Dakshineswar Ashram from February 16 to 18. Many others took introductory literature with them. As the visitors passed through the stall, they were offered prasad.

Several news reports spoke of the YSS book stall at the Kolkata Book Fair attracting huge crowds, and featured photographs of the same.