Type Literature Festival Time 5 Days In January Location Diggi Palace, Jaipur, Rajasthan Superlatives
When Dalrymple and Namitha Gokhale co-founded JLF in 2006, all they had was an idea and a vision for what a uniquely Indian literature festival must look, sound and feel like. In short order, they roped in Sanjoy Roy, their silver-maned co-conspirator, who brought the logistics and labour through Teamwork Arts, his production company. Since then, the trio, along with a ‘core team’ that stretches to nearly 70 people come January, has kept the show going.
HOW IT WORKS
A typical JLF runs over five days during the third or fourth week of January. The venue is divided into six locations. Each location hosts between six and seven sessions a day. The sessions themselves are as eclectic as they are diverse. Without leaving your chair, you can spend a whole day listening to a globally-loved Canadian author, a fellow of the Royal Society of Literature, an Indian business magnate, a Bollywood icon, and a biographer of infamous British spies. Indeed, that is exactly what 21 January, 2016 looked like at JLF’s Front Lawns location.
With six sessions running simultaneously, the hard bit is always deciding where you want to go. Adding to the complexity is the fact that some locations are quite small, and arriving even a minute late, means you almost certainly won’t be seated. Not that you mind, of course. You’re there to hear the speakers, aren’t you?
Over nine editions, JLF evolved from an accidental visit by a handful of desert-weary tourists, to an annual pilgrimage for global literature lovers. Its success has unleashed a flurry of copy-cat festivals across the subcon- tinent. Some have even become quite established in their own right.
With over 50 literary festivals – the last time someone counted – on offer across South Asia alone, what keeps the crowds coming back to the Jaipur Literature Festival?
The Speakers
For starters, JLF routinely pulls in winners of every major literary award. Starting with the Nobel Prize (the Dalai Lama, Thomas Piketty) to the Man Booker Prize (Marlon James, Eleanor Catton), the Pulitzers (Kai Bird, Margo Jefferson), and the US’s National Book Award (Jonathan Franzen), along with well over a dozen other major awards. From VS Naipaul to Salman Rushdie, Jhumpa Lahiri to Amartya Sen, Oprah Winfrey to Karan Johar, and Margaret Atwood to JM Coetzee; if a literary giant has written a book in recent years, they will turn up at JLF.
The Audience
Then again, literary prize winners grace the stages of several festivals each year. What makes JLF unique? Festival regulars swear by its egalitarian nature. You cannot reserve seats, no matter how high up on the social totem you are. For all you know, your immediate neighbours in the audience could be a billionaire and a bus conductor! The festival is free to attend, and everyone is welcome. Indeed, Roy himself loves to tell the story of a rickshaw puller who approached him, eager to have his daughter sit in on some of the sessions; it would be “free access to the world’s smartest people,” he is reported to have said. Unsurprisingly, the girl had a grand afternoon.
The Setting
The charming Diggi Palace, which hosts the festival each year, is definitely another attraction. The haveli, with its jharokhas, murals and open-air courtyards, lends an authentically Indian flavour to proceedings. Its owners, Jyotika Kumari and Ram Pratap Singh Diggi live on site and are familiar, welcoming faces to those who return each year. During the festival, the family recruits additional help from their hometown Diggi Estate, some 60km outside Jaipur. They, in turn, bring in bucketloads of Rajasthani flavour: spiced tea served in traditional kulhars, hand-churned rose-flavoured ice cream, onion kachoris, samosas, etc., ensuring you will never be hungry at JLF.
History Sidebar
2006 – The inaugural edition with 18 speakers including Hari Kunzru, William Dalrymple, Shobhaa De and Namita Gokhale, and about 100 visitors
2007 – Speakers include Salman Rushdie, Kiran Desai, Suketu Mehta and Shashi Deshpande
2008 – JLF expands to 2,500 attendees. Speakers include Ian McEwan, Donna Tartt, John Berendt, Paul Zacharia and Miranda Seymour
2009 – Visitor numbers leap to 12,000, with more than 140 speakers such as Vikram Seth, Pico Iyer, Michael Ondaatje, Tina Brown, Patrick French and Christophe Jafferlot
2010 – Visitor numbers hit 30,000, with 172 speakers such as Geoff Dyer, Henry Louis Gates Jr., Niall Ferguson and Vikram Chandra
2011 – 226 speakers attend the festival including Gulzar, Javed Akhtar, Prasoon Joshi, and Nobel winners JM Coetzee and Orhan Pamuk
2012 – A controversial year, owing to Salman Rushdie’s cancellation following death threats. Other speakers include Oprah Winfrey, Ruchir Joshi, Jeet Thayil, Hari Kunzru and Amitava Kumar
2013 – More than 250 speakers attend the festival including The Dalai Lama, Barkha Dutt, Shashi Tharoor, Mohammad Hanif, James Holland, Tim Supple and Philip Hensher
2014 – Festival speakers include Amartya Sen, Gloria Steinem, Taiye Selasi, Reza Aslan, Mary Beard, Prasoon Joshi and Ravish Kumar
2015 – Nearly 2,50,000 footfalls over five days, with 181 speakers such as VS Naipual, Amish Tripathi, Paul Theroux, and former Indian President Dr. APJ Abdul Kalam
2016 – A record-breaking 3,00,000 footfalls over 5 days, attending 200 events with 270 speakers including Ruskin Bond, Marlon James, Stephen Fry, Margaret Atwood, Irving Finkel and Thomas Piketty
REGISTERING FOR JLF
Registration is compulsory for security reasons. It is highly advisable to register online before you arrive. This helps you cut through the long line of local visitors who queue up each morning. Although you could attend every session as a free visitor, the organisers also offer a paid “delegate” experience. For about ₹3,000 a day, delegates get all meals, access to various lounges, a goody bag, access to the evening music events, and special discounts on local accommodation. Please note that delegates cannot reserve seating. You can register as a visitor or a delegate on jaipurliteraturefestival.org.
PREPARING FOR JLF
Attire
You will be walking around to get from session to session. A lot. So think function, not style and pack a pair of comfortable, sturdy sneakers or sandals. Jaipur’s days are bright and sunny, even in the winter. A light sweater or jacket will get you through the day. However, you’d need an additional layer, or at least a heavy shawl to see you through the evenings. The unofficial dress code is smart casuals. You shouldn’t look like you’re hitting the beach, but you’re not attending a ball either, although there is a Writer’s Ball. If you do manage to wrangle an invitation to that event, you’d want to dress formally.
Books
JLF has a dedicated on-site book store that stocks books by every single speaker, as well as the latest best-sellers. As always, the popular ones sell out within hours on Day 1, so get there early. There are several book signing opportunities, and it’s up to the speakers to decide whether they want to offer one. Typically, these happen after a session. The more popular writers see lines of up to 200 people. Queue up early if you want your book inscribed.
Medicines
You’ll be in close contact with hundreds of people each day, so build up your immunity going into the festival. Use your hand sanitizer liberally. While most medicines are easily available, and there is on-site and emergency medical assistance, make sure you pack any special medication that you feel is unlikely to be readily available.
Things to See & Do
About 10km from Jaipur, the majestic Amber Fort has a rugged exterior and a lavish interior, influenced by both Hindu and Muslim design and architecture. Man Singh I established the fort-palace here in 1592 and successive rulers added to the structure.
A structure that is almost synonymous with Jaipur, the Hawa Mahal was built by Maharaja Sawai Pratap Singh in 1799. The palace was built so that royal ladies could observe everyday life in the streets below, through the ornate sandstone windows, without being seen.
Jaigarh Fort served as the Rajputs’ artillery center, and is home to the Jaivana, the world’s largest canon on wheels. The fort overlooks Amber Fort and is in fact connected to it through passages.
Head to Nahargarh Fort for unbeatable views of Jaipur. Together with Amber and Jaigarh, this fort formed a three-tiered defence for the old city. Built by Maharaja Sawai Jai Singh II, it was once the hunting residence of the local rulers.
Jantar Mantar is a collection of astronomical instruments, also built by Sawai Jai Singh II between 1727 and 1734 along with observatories in four other locations, including Delhi. The Jaipur observatory is the largest of the five.
Shopping
Jaipur has no dearth of shops where you can go crazy buying silver jewellery, and precious and semi-precious stones, besides other trinkets. Head to Amrapali, Jem Palace, Tholia Jewellers and Jewels Emporium. If you’re interested in clothes then Nayika (quilted jackets), Rana (bandhni wear, lehariya saris and salwar kameezes), Anokhi and Cottons (skirts, tops, pants, kurta, and salwars) are your best bets.
Where to stay
Jaipur offers many stay options that suit every budget. The city’s most famous hotel is the Rambagh Palace (Tel: 0141-2211919, 6671234; Tariff: ₹38,500–2,00,000), run by the Taj Group. Alsisar Haveli (Tel: 2364685, 2368290; Tariff: ₹8,000–9,000) in the Old City is a beautiful retreat.
Many of the better-known residential houses converted into family-run hotels are located in Bank Park. Jas Vilas (Tel: 2204638, 2204902, Cell: 09314482678, 07877 198268; Tariff: ₹4,100–5,850) is impeccable in design and taste, and has a pool. Arya Niwas (Tel: 2372456, 3371773, Cell: 09829 040549; Tariff: ₹2,150–2,850) is a clean, value-for-money hotel set in an old house.
JLF itself partners with several 3–5 star hotels to offer discounts if you register as a delegate. The list of participating hotels is available on jaipurliteraturefestival.org.
Where to Eat
Niro’s on MI Road offers excellent Indian, Continental and Chinese fare. Natraj, also on MI Road, serves a tasty Rajasthani thali. Spice Court in Civil Lines also serves good traditional Rajasthani meals with local dancers providing evening entertainment. Anokhi Café on Prithviraj Road, is a vegetarian restaurant with a good selection of salads and desserts.
FAST FACTS
Festival Organiser: l Teamwork Arts, Mansarover Building, Khasra No. 366 min, Village Sultanpur. Mehrauli-Gurgaon Road, New Delhi,Cell: 09643302036/ 37
jaipurliteraturefestival.org
Tourist Office: Rajasthan Tourism Development Corporation (RTDC), Hotel Swagatam, MI Road, Near Railway Station,Jaipur
Tel: 0141-5114768/ 69
STD code 0141
Getting There
Air Nearest airport: Sanganer Airport (14km/ 30mins) is linked to the country’s major metropolitan towns and cities. Taxi to Diggi Palace costs approximately ₹500
Rail Jaipur Railway Station is well connected to Delhi, Mumbai, Bengaluru, Chennai and Hyderabad, as well as to Udaipur, Jodhpur, Jaisalmer, Chittorgarh, Ajmer and other cities in the state. Taxi to Diggi Palace costs approximately ₹500
Road Bus RSRTC offers connectivity from Jaipur’s Sindhi Camp Bus Stand with its vast stable of AC and non-AC buses. Volvo bus services to Jaipur are available from Delhi’s Bikaner House.
festivals of India
Jaipur
Jaipur Literature Festival
