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Jaipur Literature Festival: five days of writers in Jaipur
Winter sun on the lawns and a crowd leaning in to hear a writer think aloud
The Jaipur Literature Festival (JLF) is five days of talks with writers, historians and translators on parallel stages in Jaipur, with a bookshop, signing queues and evening concerts. It is held every winter, in the second half of January or the first days of February; the next edition is 14–18 January 2027. Recent editions have been at Hotel Clarks Amer, and you register to attend through the festival's official website.
Teamwork Arts announces the next edition's dates at the close of each festival; the speaker line-up follows in the autumn.
The legend
Jaipur was founded in 1727 by Maharaja Sawai Jai Singh II, who laid the city out by the rules of Vastu Shastra.
In 2006 the writers Namita Gokhale and William Dalrymple gather 18 authors here for the first literature festival.
Four years later the audience is some 30,000, and in 2018 the stages carry twenty world languages and fifteen Indian ones.
Meaning
Diggi Palace
For years the festival filled Diggi Palace, its Hall of Audience and gardens; more recently it has moved to the Hotel Clarks Amer.
Fort and palace
Sessions on heritage have also been held at Amer Fort and the Hawa Mahal, inside the very walls under discussion.
Customs
Talks in tents
Writers, historians and translators talk in open tents on several stages at once; the main programme is free.
Signing queues
After the talks, queues form for authors' signatures, with a bookshop close by.
Evening music
In the evening the talks give way to concerts on the music stage.
Words of the festival
गुलाबी नगरी
Gulabi Nagri
"the pink city", Jaipur's name in Hindi
वास्तु शास्त्र
Vastu Shastra
"the science of architecture", the ancient Indian system of layout and building
हवामहल
Hawa Mahal
the 1799 "palace of winds": 953 small jharokha windows with carved lattices
True or myth
✅ True. About a hundred people came in 2006, and some, Dalrymple said, seemed to be tourists who had simply got lost.
❌ Myth. It is the back: from the windows the royal ladies watched street life and festivals unseen, and the lattices kept the rooms cool.
❌ Myth. The city was painted pink in 1876 to welcome the Prince of Wales, and many old-city avenues keep the colour to this day.
Where to celebrate
Jaipur
Worth the trip
Five days of talks with writers, historians and translators on parallel stages, with a bookshop, signing queues and evening concerts; recent editions have been at Hotel Clarks Amer.
What happens at the festival
Writers, historians and translators talk in tents and halls on several stages at once, so the day is a matter of choosing between sessions rather than sitting through one programme. After the talks, queues form for authors' signatures, with the festival bookshop close by. In the evening the talks give way to concerts on the Jaipur Music Stage, which runs alongside the sessions.
Jaipur BookMark, a publishing conclave for the book trade, runs alongside the main festival with its own registration, from about ₹1,800 on the official site; the music stage has its own ticket too. The headline sessions tend to cluster on the middle weekend, which is also the busiest time on the lawns.
Part of the appeal is the city itself. Sessions on heritage have also been held at Amer Fort and the Hawa Mahal, and many visitors combine the festival with a few days of sightseeing in Jaipur.
Registration and tickets
Registration and tickets are sold only through the official website, jaipurliteraturefestival.org, on its Register to Attend page. The categories and prices change from edition to edition, so check them there rather than on third-party sites. The figures below are approximate starting prices as listed on the official site.
- General registration
From about ₹200. Gives access to the session venues, food courts, book sales, merchandise and art installation spaces.
- Students
A separate, cheaper student category covers all five days, for schools bringing groups and for individual students.
- Friend of the Festival
The premium package, from about ₹14,500, with access to the festival's best facilities.
- Jaipur Music Stage
Evening concerts on a separate ticket, from about ₹499.
- Online
The official site also lists free virtual registration for watching sessions from home, and free registration for accredited media.
Where it is held
Recent editions have been at Hotel Clarks Amer on JLN Marg in Durgapura, about 2.5 km from Jaipur airport and some 10 km from the old city. The venue has parallel session stages, a bookshop and a signing area.
For years the festival filled Diggi Palace, with its Hall of Audience and gardens, before it moved. Because the venue has changed before, confirm it on the official site before you book a hotel nearby.
Rooms, trains and when to arrive
January is Jaipur's high season, and the festival week pushes hotel and flight prices up sharply.
- Book the room about three months ahead
Stay within reach of the venue rather than in the old city: the traffic to and from the festival is heavy. Areas and hotels are on the where to stay in Jaipur page.
- Trains on the day sales open
Indian Railways opens bookings 60 days before departure; book trains from Delhi and elsewhere as soon as they go on sale.
- Arrive the day before
Two nights is the minimum; five lets you see the whole festival and some of the city.
- Pair it with other winter events
Other festivals of the Rajasthan winter include the Nagaur Fair, the Jaisalmer Desert Festival and the Udaipur World Music Festival in early February. More on the city's calendar: festivals in Jaipur.
How it started
The writers Namita Gokhale and William Dalrymple founded the festival in 2006, when 18 authors and about a hundred listeners gathered in Jaipur; by Dalrymple's account, some of that first audience seemed to be tourists who had simply got lost. Within a few years the audience was in the tens of thousands. The festival is produced by Teamwork Arts and is an initiative of the Jaipur Virasat Foundation, and it now also travels abroad as JLF International.
For most of its history the festival was free to attend. In 2022 it was for the first time not entirely free, and today general registration is paid, though modest.
FAQ
When is the Jaipur Literature Festival?
Next: 14–18 January 2027. The organisers, Teamwork Arts, announce each edition's dates at the close of the previous festival; check the official site for the programme.
What is the entry fee for the Jaipur Literature Festival?
General registration starts at about ₹200 on the official website, with separate student, premium and music stage categories. Register only on jaipurliteraturefestival.org.
Where is the Jaipur Literature Festival held?
Recent editions have been at Hotel Clarks Amer on JLN Marg, Durgapura, near Jaipur airport. Earlier the festival was held at Diggi Palace; confirm the venue on the official site.
When did the Jaipur Literature Festival start?
In 2006, founded by Namita Gokhale and William Dalrymple, with 18 authors at the first edition.
Can I watch the sessions online?
The official site lists a free virtual session registration for following the festival from home.
Sources (4)
Facts checked: 21 October 2026. Prices and hours are approximate; check locally.