Every year the Jaipur Literature Festival brings in thousands of writers, speakers, visitors to Jaipur over a 5-day event in January. The hotel rooms in the city are all sold out due to the JLF rush. The Jaipur Literature Festival (JLF) venue, Diggi Palace is packed to the full with visitors. It’s a mad rush, everywhere!
Visitors to the Jaipur Literature Festival usually plan for a 2-3 day trip to Jaipur. Here is a little guide on how to best use your time to discover Jaipur in a jiffy as you attend one literary session after another, at JLF.
This is not a guide to JLF, per se!
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Eat
There are many things you can enjoy during this time of the year.
Gajak at Narayan ji Gajak in Johari Bazaar is one of the most sought-after items among the visitors, which is available only during winters.
Lassi at Lassiwala on MI Road, near Panch Batti is an all time favorite too. Make sure you pick the right shop as there are look alike, in the vicinity. The corner shop is the original Lassiwala shop.
Rawat Pyaaz Kachori too is synonymous with Jaipur and is available only at Rawat Misthan Bhandar.
Try some Ghewar and Fini,too. Although LMB in Johari Bazaar is a popular choice, there are other good options too, like Gangaur Sweets in C-scheme area.
If you like to experience the ethnic Rajasthani village setting, Chokhi Dhani is a must visit, once the JLF sessions are over for the day.
For all those, who would like to have a short break in between the JLF sessions, Tapri Central is a good getaway. Located close by, it offers a beautiful setting for some great chai, snacks and lovely views of the Central Park.
If you love coffee, Curious Life Coffee is a great place to head to. For those who like to unwind with drinks, after a long day at Diggi Palace, Bar Palladio at Narain Niwas Palace is a great choice. Some other places to try in Jaipur are OTH, Jaipur Modern, F32, Café Bae and Anokhi Cafe.
For detailed post, read Insider’s guide to 5 Must see places in Jaipur / In a day
2. Shop
Things to buy from Jaipur include handicrafts, block printed clothes & bed sheets, Jaipuri Rajai or quilts, Silver Jewelry, Kundan Meena and Jadau Jewelry. Must explore traditional markets in Jaipur are Johari Bazaar and Bapu Bazaar.
The most popular shops to pick clothes are Gulab Chand Prints, Vasansi, Anokhi, Cottons and Soma. For Jaipuri Quilts, head to the Chaura Rasta market.
Rajmal Bhuramal Surana is a pioneer as far as the Kundan Meena and Jadau jewelry goes. They are in the jewelry business for hundreds of years and were jewelers to the Jaipur royalty.
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Explore Jaipur
Albert Hall Museum is at a walking distance from JLF venue.
Hawa Mahal and Jantar Mantar are not far off, either. Albert Hall museum and Amber Fort are both open for night tourism, between 7 and 10 PM. It’s best to utilize your time after the JLF sessions by opting for the night tourism!
Try a heritage walk in the walled city area of Jaipur during the early hours before the JLF begins.
For detailed post, read Insider’s guide to 5 Must see places in Jaipur / In a day
There are many other options to explore Jaipur but I have only listed the popular ones which are in a proximity to the Jaipur Literature Festival venue, Diggi Palace. I’m sure this will help you explore Jaipur, in a jiffy!
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Arv, What a perfect share! Your writing and photos take us through the best sights and foods in Jaipur at this time!
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Winter season is a good time to eat and be happy! The layers of clothes you wear during this time, help to camouflage the ‘excess luggage ‘ .. Lol!
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Awesome pics. Great post.
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Thanks Rupam. I;m happy you liked it!
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Have shared this on my timeline…..
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Thank You 🙂
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Nice post about pink city and Jaipur litfest n lovely pics.
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I’m happy you liked it Rekha! 🙂
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Is it Jaipur fest time so soon? Wow! Time flies. 🙂 I have a couple of blocks myself. Never got to using them. Nice roundup of what can be done.
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JLF takes place in January, every year! It’l be a good experience for you Cheryl! have you attended any other lit fest?
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In 2012, we wanted to attend Jaipur Lit Fest. We didn’t attend it, but saw Rajasthan instead. 🙂 I did attend one in 2011. I wish the hype was lesser though. I’m not high on crowds. 🙂
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Cheryl, you swapped Rajasthan for JLF? let me tell you…you got a better deal. Though both these are not comparable by any standards..but certainly Rajasthan offers much more.
I agree crowded places are not really fun but there’s no option unless they do away with free entry part where everyone walks in! But then the moment they do away with free entry the walk-ins will drop and so will advertisers…tough choice for JLF organizers! Many lit enthusiasts stay away because of the “Mela” factor!
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Haha! We got to see a lot of rustic Rajasthan in-between cities. On sunny days the sky looked stunning and peacocks crossed roads. It was a mixed bag the trip. 🙂
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I presume it must be winter! Indeed if you love rustic stuff it’s best to stay away from touristy places. There’s a lot on the offer. Take your pick!
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the photo of the museum with the doves flying in front of it is just fabulous!!
don’t know about literature, but that food looks so yum 😀
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This museum is called Albert Hall. Bird lovers visit this place regularly to feed pigeons!
You loved the food pictures? Looks like food is very popular!! 🙂
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always great pictures and thanks for the info. As you may remember I hope to visit in November of this year. Great energy the city seems to have.
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Hi Jackie! Thank you for your kind comment. Are you planning to visit Rajasthan and Jaipur too?
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Yes, I want to see it all!!!
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Great! Keep me posted! 🙂
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Great post with great photographs!!
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Thank You Sumith! 🙂
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I visited Jaipur YEARS ago looking for a job at Rajasthan Patrika when it launched in English. Am sure the city’s changed beyond recognition! Is the Patrika still around?
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It’s great to know Mandeep. Yes, Rajasthan Patrika is still around, but they don’t print English edition anymore. May be it was ahead of it’s time. Yes, the city has changed drastically. I guess you visited some 12-15 years ago?
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1984 actually! That’s a long time ago!
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Oh! That’s like a long long time, now! 🙂
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Patrika was then recruiting for its upcoming English edition!
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Okay.still in media?
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Yes!
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There seems to be lots to do and see at this great festival, and so many wonderful places to eat, too! Lovely photos Arv. I’d love to get out there someday.
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Millie, these places to eat are not at the festival venue but spread across the city. There are many visitors who visit jaipur for the first time, so this is like a mini guide for them to explore best places in the city. 🙂
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Yes, I read in your post that the places to eat were in the city, Arv. I was just remarking on the variety available. Sorry if it sounded confusing. I wouldn’t expect restaurants and cafes inside such a site.
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No worries, Millie! 🙂
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Every year a bunch of my friends go for JLF. Somehow I have never made it , I feel with all the hype I will be disappointed with the actual event. Done a few things from the list you mentioned. On my next visit will try to catch up on the rest.
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