A performance at the Jaipur Literature Festival
Setting the tone for the Jaipur Literature festival, Sufi gospel singer Sonam Kalra's voice, singing the famous hymn 'Abide with Me', welcomed delegates to what has become one of the biggest literary events in the world.
With a footfall of nearly quarter of a million people, the Literature festival in Jaipur attracts writers from the all over the world. It also has sessions on 14 Indian languages. The composite culture of the festival was aptly reflected in Sonam Kalra's opening session as she sang a range songs, of what she defines as "sufi gospel", a blend of Indian Sufi music with Gospel, as well as a combination of Indian instruments and western sounds. Performances such as these bring out the true essence of the festival.
The festival is hosting a number of Indian and International authors.
The highlight of the festival will be Sir VS Naipaul commemorating fifty years of his seminal book on post colonial literature "A House for Mr Biswas".
"It has taken us 5 years to get Sir Vidia (VS Naipaul) to be here, and he is definitely going to be a highlight" said Sanjoy Roy, producer of the festival.
The other famous name who promises to be a big draw is Paul Theroux, the American travel writer and novelist whose bestselling novel - 'The Mosquito Coast' was made into a film starring Harrison Ford.
On day 2 (January 23rd), He will be in conversation with another travel writer - one of the directors of the festival, William Dalrymple.
As the weekend approaches, the festival is expected to pick up pace with the presence of renowned personalities like Dr Abdul Kalam, Sudha Murthy, and Narayana Murthy all participating in sessions.
Former minister Shashi Tharoor is also expected to participate in a session on 'Indian Cricket at the Crossroads' with jounalist Rajdeep sardesai. This session is expected to have a massive attendance, given the recent police investigation into Mrs Sunanda Pushkar Tharoor's alleged murder a year ago. Whether Mr Tharoor will be able to attend the festival at this critical time is yet to be confirmed.
The Jaipur Literature festival has, over the years evolved into an experience that can be best described by the nickname of its host city - simply pink.