Jaipur Literary Festival , a focal point of publicity across the globe in Jaipur during this time witnesses a huge numbers of visitors across the nation and also from abroad. Distinguished and award winning authors from across the globe grace the festival. As one of the major Hospitality Partner , Le Meridien Jaipur unlocks the destination in its own style statement. This time the festival happened from 19th till 23rd of January.

On 22nd January, an inspiring session by Indian-American author, Chitra Banerjee Divakaruni was conducted by Writer and Meidaperson Amrita Tripathi, covered topics on Women writing, the immigrant experience and Indian-Americans.

Unlocking the world of Chitra Banerjee Divakaruni with Amrita Tripathi at Le Meridien Jaipur (Picture credits – Le Meridien Jaipur)

Le Meridien Jaipur unlocks Jaipur Literary Festival

Chitra told us about her novel of three generations where a mother leads a tough life and her daughter flies to US and her daughter , the third generation how she leads her life.

She also informed about her inclinations towards women issues. How she adjusted with the writing world and how she and her husband raised their family with their busy schedules and constant shifting. Sometimes her son used to hold her hand and took to her desk saying she needs to be relaxed and hence on her writing table. I could very well relate to her when she said she used to make little beds for kids while she was writing and kids slept by the side.

Her other well-known books include Arranged Marriage, Mistress of Spices & Sister of My Heart; the latter two have also been made into movies.

Chitra also read extracts from her latest book, Before We visit The Goddess where she left reading at the suspense scene where two hands were laid from back on a lady’s shoulders who had just returned from a horrifying experience and was left alone by her well wisher after comforting her.

My interaction with Chitra revealed that she became interested in writing on women issues basis her experiences with her venture Maitree where she used to interact with women in trouble.

The moderator of the evening, Amrita Tripathi has also written contemporary fiction, including Broken News & The Sibius Knot. In my interaction with Amrita, I came to know that she is a born writer and used to write anything she felt to write since childhood. She writes on fiction.

Food at the event was irresistibly delicious. Chef Jatinder and his team did a fantastic job at that.

Chef Jitender with royal family chef Ram Singh

23rd January witnessed The Writers’ Ball, the Grand Finale of the Jaipur Literature Festival 2017 at Amer Lawns of Le Meridien Jaipur. An impeccable cultural extravaganza of music and cuisine was curated at Le Meridien Jaipur for over 700 guests. It was a lovely decoration with sparking ambiance.

Writer’s Ball

Decoration at Writer’s Ball @ Le Meridien Jaipur

With gracious presence of famous personalities like Sudhir Mishra, William Dalrymple and extra-ordinary performance by exceptional bands such as The Kutle Khan Project, Aga Khan All Stars and East meets Middle East through a collection of their unique, contemporary compositions, it became a phenomenal evening.

The Kutle Khan Project performs at Le Meridien Jaipur during the Writers’ Ball( Picture credits Le Meridien Jaipur)

Craig Murray with the General Manager of Le Meridien Jaipur – Sanjay Gupta, Managing Director of TeamworkFilms – Sanjoy Roy and Guests at the Writers’ Ball hosted at Le Meridien Jaipur  ( Picture credits- Le Meridien Jaipur)

It was a fantastic job successfully accomplished by Sanjay Gupta, General Manager for Le Meridien Jaipur , Chitra Awasthi, Director Sales and Marketing and team.

William Dalrymple, Director of Jaipur Literature Festival with Guests at the Writers Ball hosted at Le Meridien Jaipur( Picture credits- Le Meridien Jaipur)

Shekhawati and Marwari cuisine was irresistible. Bajre ka Raab, besan ki Chakki and bajre ka halwa need special mention.

Marwari Cuisine

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Nidhi KM