Wednesday, January 24, 2007

20-21 Jan, 2007 - Jaipur Lit Festival

My Thought processess ( I am the long winded sorts) on my journey to and back from the Jaipur Literature Festival and mostly e'thing in between... which was for the entire 3rd week of January, however, i only attended the last 2 days - the 20th and 21st of January....
These may become multiple entries as i swim through my memories and experiences!

When i heard about the festival way back in october/november 2006, i remember thinking to myself - I wonder where i will be n whether i will be able to make it ... and I am glad to report
that i was where i WANTED to be... I chose to not let last minute changes of other's plans affect my desire to be there...
it was a WONDERFUL trip - I went with 1 objective in mind - to attend the festival - which i did...but more than the talks (once i found the venue that is!), it was the talking which really got to me :)
and basking in the sun in the greens of diggi palace, Jaipur.

It is wonderful to feel warm and toasty in the middle of january which is the coldest month - and for someone like me who is frozen Nov - Feb - this was a god send! almost, as if God was patting me on the back for making it here despite my yawning exhaustion!
((did i mention, i think i love myself!!!! I love the fact thatt who i have become and continue to evolve into is the manifestation of my youthful aspirations and not only nor any longer a faction of my imagination!!!!)))

Well, as we spent 2 hours driving around in circles (literally! - I think Jaipur was made by someone with a fascination for mazes and treasure hunts - for in Jaipur- you can go around and then go back around the other way - cross your destination 4 times and still not spot it!)
I began to wonder whether our destination - the grand sounding - The Diggi Palace - was a palace/ gharana convert or a building which we were therefore obviously missing.... ironically, the next day we found that we had been circling the wrong circle anyway !!!
my head has begun to spin just remembering and writing about it - i hope, you my dear reader are faring better!

Hence, I ended up missing William Dalrymple's session which I was looking forward to... I await an update from my friends who attended....

Did i mention - Delhi is warmer than Jaipur - even during the day time... this i experienced much to my chagrin on sunday morning when i awoke frozen in the same position i had gone to sleep in.... to my room partner - thank you for ordering the tea - you saved me!!!!

There are some wonderful pictures which everyone took of this trip - I wonder whether the places (and us offcourse) are so perfect or was our experience so intoxicating!

I pause.... these are memories to be savoured and written about at leisure...