New Delhi: The rich heritage of Rajasthan is set to come alive next week as the 9th ZEE Jaipur Literature Festival showcases the colour and culture of its home state to over 2 lakh expected visitors.
The annual event has been held at the Diggi Palace since it was founded in 2006, and will return next week for the 2016 edition, which runs from 21-25 January. The Festival is completely free and open to all, attracting visitors from all four corners of the globe.
From Hindi mystic and poet Meera Bai to Kavaad oral traditions and the wonderful regional cuisine, many rich jewels of Rajasthani culture will be showcased during the literary sessions at ZEE Jaipur Literature Festival 2016. Alongside Rajasthan’s top writers, its musicians and cultural heritage will also take centre stage.
The Chief Minister of Rajasthan Vasundhara Raje will inaugurate the event on the 21st morning in a ceremony which includes a key note address from award winning author Margaret Atwood and the release of Conversations at Jaipur – The Spirit of JLF the first of a series of books which brings together some of the best sessions at JLF over the past few years.
Opening the festival will be local award winning Rajasthani musicians Nathoo Solanki and Chugge Khan who will mark the start of five days of festivities at Diggi Palace. The morning music will be by Gaayatri Kaundinya from USA, a Hindustani classical vocalist of the Baba Allauddin Maihar Senia Gharana
Festivities on the second morning will kick off with Indian classical and Rajasthani folk fusion artist Suman Yadav. She will perform music from her new album Evening Serenity featuring classical devotional music.
Kick-starting the evening music programme at the Au Financiers JLF Music stage will be a headline act by the Kutle Khan Project, a unique collective of Rajasthani folk musicians led by Kutle Khan, a multi-talented folk musician who has performed across the world. The Music stage is presented by Rajasthan based Au Financiers who have now grown to have over 250 branches across 10 states.
ZEE Jaipur Literature Festival’s ongoing partnership with Rajasthan Tourism brings together arts and culture with built heritage at two mesmerising evening events at the magnificent Amber Fort and the beautiful Albert Museum, JLN Marg
Celebrating the 400th Anniversary of William Shakespeare, the play Piya Behrupiya, an adaptation of Shakespeare’s Twelfth Night will be performed at The Albert Museum, JLN Marg, Jaipur on Friday, 22nd January at 7.30pm.
Filled with a cast of unforgettable characters, Twelfth Night/Piya Behrupiya combines cruelty with high comedy, and the pangs of unrequited love with some of the subtlest poetry and most exquisite songs Shakespeare ever wrote. Performed by Company Theatre, directed by Atul Kumar and presented by ZEE Theatre and Rajasthan Tourism.
Time and the Indian Imagination is an evening of readings by celebrated playwright Girish Karnad followed by Sufi music and poetry by Mir Mukhtiyar Ali at the Amber Fort, Jaipur on Saturday, 23rd January at 7.30pm.
Indian music has ragas associated with specific times of the day. Girish Karnad will read three scenes from his plays associated with evening/ folklore Nagamamdala, midnight/ history Dreams of Tipu Sultan and morning/myth The Fire and the Rain.
The evening presented by Rajasthan Tourism and the ZEE Jaipur Literature Festival 2016 will finish with a very special performance of Sufi Music by Mir Mukhtiyar Ali. He lives in Pugal, in a village bordering Pakistan with Rajasthan.
He belongs to the 26th generation of this community which has successfully kept alive the oral tradition Sufiana Qalam. Mukhtiyar Ali has a voice which can only be experienced. He pervades this very essence of Sufiana Qalam with his involvement not just in the music but also in its poetry.
Passes to these two heritage evenings are available at the information desk at the Diggi Palace.
