Jaipur Literature Festival

Books and travel often go together, this year travel to Jaipur, India to get the best of both at the Jaipur Literature Festival. For the 6th year, the Jaipur Literature Festival brings together authors and literature lovers from around the world to the beautiful and historical Pink City, Jaipur. This 5 day festival beginning January 24, 2013 celebrates Indian and world literature, bringing in authors big and small alike. Past year guest speakers have included Orhan Pamuk, Deepak Chopra, Chetan Bhagat, and last year brought Oprah Winfrey. This year’s line up includes many South Asian authors and His Holiness the Dalai Lama. The festival held at a historical palace, the Diggi Palace has multiple sessions with a musical festival in the evening. The music festival brings in folk performances and modern songs and The sessions include discussions, workshops, and debates in English as well as local languages. The festival started in 2008 led by author William Dalrymple and has grown larger and gained a reputation as the premiere literary festival in Asia. The festival is free; the music festival requires a ticket. Those that visit the festival do so in one of the most beautiful cities of India. The festival must be combined with sightseeing the famous Pink City with its many palaces and historical forts. The bazaars are filled with traditional handicrafts that are a must for all travelers such as hand crafted jewelry, leather slippers, and colorful tie-dyed saris. January is the best month to visit Jaipur due to the mild and sunny weather. Jaipur is known for its historical buildings and bazaars, now books draw in a large crowd and is a big reason to visit it soon!