Gopalganj, Feb 6 : In this day and age, where we find ourselves straying further away from books and getting closer to digital media, a book reading marathon was organised in Bihar's Gopalganj to increase people's interest in books, where more than 700 people sat together and read books for around two hours. The purpose of the programme, organised by the Panchdeori Reading Marathon Club at Jamunahan Inter College campus on Sunday, was to motivate people to reconnect with books. A total of 721 people read books of their choice at the event. The mobile phones of people who participated in the marathon were switched off to avoid any disturbance. Local Block Development Officer and Inter College Principal Dr Durgacharan Pandey played a huge role in making the event successful. The members of the Reading Marathon Club said that most of the people who participated in the programme appreciated the event and urged them to organise similar events regularly. The event was inaugurated by the District Magistrate of Gopalganj, Dr Nawal Kishor Choudhary, who advised that everyone should read a book for at least an hour daily. Describing good books as man's best friends, he said that books had their own importance in the digital era. Praising the programme, he said that similar programmes will be organised in the country, inspired by the reading marathon in Gopalganj. Many young litterateurs and dignitaries were present on the occasion. /IANS