Literary Festivals India

special (Held December/January annually)
India’s literature festivals host some of the finest local and international writers and performers today and are considered important to the country not only to preserve this cultural heritage but to offer opportunities to young writers who aspire to be heard. You begin in Kolkata, exploring sites which have greatly influenced writers since earliest times. Attend readings and panel discussions at the Kolkata Literary Festival. Explore College Street and browse used and new book stores. Tour the Pink City before attending events at Jaipur’s Literature Festival. Literary Festivals India celebrates the art of words.

Day 1 – Kolkata
Arrive in Kolkata where you will be met at the airport and driven to your hotel.

Day 2 – Kolkata
After breakfast, tour Kalighat and Howrah Bridge. Kalighat is a temple dedicated to Kali, the Hindu goddess of destruction. The former name of Kolkata, Calcutta, is said to have been derived from the word “kalighat. The Howrah Bridge spans the Hooghly River and was originally named the New Howrah Bridge because it links the city of Howrah to its twin city Kolkata (Calcutta). On 14 June 1965 it was renamed Rabindra Setu, after a great poet and the first Indian Nobel laureate, Rabindranath Tagore, however, it is still referred to as the Howrah Bridge. .

After lunch visit College Street, stretching from Bowbazar to MG Road north Kolkata, which houses many centers of the city’s intellectual activity. Have coffee at the Indian Coffee House, a cafe that has attracted the city’s intellectuals for decades. Numerous bookstores are also located here and, in fact, it is the largest second-hand book market in the world, largest book market in India and collectively boasts of a collection of almost any title ever sold at Kolkata. One can buy rare books at throw-away prices and extensive bargaining take place. End your day with a visit to the national museum, one of Asia’s finest, which houses rare antiques, ornaments, armor, fossils, stones, paintings of the Mughal era, regal outfits/uniforms, skeletons of rare animal and mummies, among other exhibits.

Day 3 – Kolkata Literary Festival
Apeejay Kolkata Literary Festival , supported by the Ministry of Culture, aims to celebrate Kolkata as a City of Literature. This Festival reaffirms Kolkata’s identity and integrates itself with the literary and intellectual life of this great cosmapoitan city of writers, poets and culture. Events are held at well-known city heritage sites and includes respected writers and performers as valued participants. Along with showcasing famous authors, leading publishers, and international cultural institutions, the Festival will also pay special attention to young and upcoming writers and small, local publishers. Children’s literature is an important area of focus, and a series of fun reading promotion activities will be specially formatted. Since its inception, the recognition of NGO-driven social activism has been part of our vision, and this year, too, the festival will devote an event to a selected NGO. Book launches, readings, panel discussions, author interactions and signings, film screenings, and a broad range of interesting literature-related activities pack the busy four-day festival schedule, covering areas of interest from current affairs to fashion and design..

Day 4 – Kolkata Literary Festival
Enjoy Festival activities.

Day 5 – Kolkata Literary Festival
Enjoy Festival activities.

Day 6 – Kolkata/Delhi
Transfer to the airport for your flight to Delhi. You will be met and driven to your hotel.

Day 7 – Delhi

After breakfast, take The Walk of the Railway Children and learn about the street children who live near the stations.

Explore Old Delhi visiting the Red Fort, Qutab Minar, India Gate, Humayun’s Tomb and Jama Masjid. The afternoon is free for you to explore or shop as you wish. Visit Connaught Circle which has a number of English book stores to browse, other curio places of interest and various restaurants and cafes.

Day 8 – Delhi/Agra
Drive to Agra, home to the Taj Mahal. Check in to your hotel. .

Day 9 – Agra
Watch the sunrise over the Taj Mahal. Today tour this beautiful monumnet and learn the history and the art of marble inlay used throughout this wonder.

Day 10 – Agra/Jaipur
You will be met at your hotel and driven to Jaipur via Fatehpur Sikri, a complex of ancient buildings and palaces which was declared a UNESCO world Heritage Site in1986. Check into your hotel.

Day 11 – Jaipur
Today tour Rajasthan’s beautiful Pink City,Jaipur, which was the stronghold of a clan of rulers whose three hill forts and series of palaces in the city are important attractions. Known as the Pink City because of the color of the stone used exclusively in the walled city, Jaipur’s architecture is some of the finest anywhere in the world. The city’s bazaars are known for their exotic wares . Morning city tour of Jaipur includes Hawa Mahal, City Palace Complex, Jantar Mantar Observatory. Your afternoon is free to explore or shop as you wish.

Day 12 – Jaipur Literature Festival
Jaipur Literature Festival is a celebration of national and international writers and includes a wide range of readings, talks, literary lunches, debates, performances, children’s workshops and interactive activities. Held in the beautiful heritage property, Diggi Palace, the former residence of a leading Royal family of Jaipur State, this festival is proud to be in its seventh year and has hosted noted writers such asPico Iyer, Salman Rushdie, Vikram Seth, Amit Chaudhuri, DJ Cheb I Sabbah and Paban Das Baul.

Day 13 – Jaipur Literature Festival
Enjoy Festival activities.

Day 14 – Jaipur Literature Festival
Enjoy Festival activities.

Day 15 – Jaipur
You can attend the last day of the festival or explore as you wish.

Day 16 – Depart Jaipur/Delhi
Transfer to the airport for your departure flight.

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