CM Inaugurates ZEE Jaipur Literature Festival

Chief Minister Smt. Vasundhara Raje said that Jaipur Literature Festival is the only place which is the greatest equalizer. Celebration of words for lifetime happens here every year. Jaipur is always excited to host Jaipur Literature Festival. JLF gives opportunity to Rajasthan to showcase itself to people from across the world, she said.

Smt. Raje was addressing the inaugural ceremony of the Zee Jaipur Literature Festival at the front lawn of Diggi Palace on Thursday. She with other guests inaugurated JLF by lighting the lamp. Addressing the gathering, she said JLF is getting bigger and bigger year-by-year. All the wonderful people from across the world come to celebrate this with us every year.

The Chief Minister said few years ago there were 15 or 20 people in the lawn at the time when Jaipur Literature Festival started but within a few years I have noticed it is crammed full. She expected that readers and book lovers would go through many wonderful journeys this year also.

While remembering her childhood Smt. Raje said as a child I was fascinated about books. I remember having to read on the covers and few pages of book whenever I visited book stalls. She said at places like JLF many of us do not pass without reading a few pages however tired we may be. She said one book takes you somewhere and the another one takes you somewhere else. This happens at JLF every year.

The Chief Minister welcomed Man Booker Prize winner author Ms. Margaret Atwood and many other well known writers and authors whose books people buy to read and had never had the opportunity to meet unless they had come to JLF. She said JLF brings authors and writers here to whom readers do not get a chance to meet.

Smt. Raje expressed her gratitude towards all those creators of genrés and all those who had brought huge thoughts and ideas on the ground for the readers and book lovers to talk about, to discuss and to enjoy the huge mela of JLF. She expected that Jaipur is going to have five magical days. She called upon all the visitors to enjoy Jaipur by visiting various places here.

After the inaugural ceremony the Chief Minister released the programme of JLF. She visited the Full Circle Book Store at JLF and bought books of many well known authors including Ms. Margaret Atwood, Esther Freud, Jerry Pinto, Thomas Piketty, Stephen Fry etc. Author Shard P. Paul signed his four books and gave them to Smt. Raje. She also visited stalls including stall of Mahila Jail where she saw bags, Jaipuri quilt and other things made by the inmates of Mahila Jail with the brand name Aashayen. Many young readers and students were enthusiastic and eager to have autograph of Smt. Raje and she gave autographs to many kids, students and book lovers thronged at JLF.

The keynote speaker of the inaugural ceremony, well known writer & author Ms. Margaret Atwood said reading is not diminishing but is increasing. She said readers gather at JLF to celebrate books, authors and reading. Festival Director Smt. Namita Gokhale and Shri William Dalrymple divulged details about the programme and welcomed all the guests. Producer and curator of JLF Shri Sanjoy Roy said vote of thanks. Jaipur MP Shri Ramcharan Bohra, Jaipur Mayor Shri Nirmal Nahata and other dignitaries were present in the inaugural ceremony.

Jaipur, 21 January 2016