Weekend Getaway: Solo Trip and JLF

"Rajasthan or the 'Land of Kings' is an incredible tourist hub with its royal palaces, 

vibrant culture, heritage centres and more."

Last time I was in Jaipur, I was 16 and watched Dil to Bachha hai ji with relatives at the iconic Raj Mandir Cinema. This time I am mature, wild and frisking for stories every moment. From an open mindset to a traditional society with multi color shops at every corner, I chose this buoyant city for my maiden two day solo trip. No consensus, no queries and no obstruction: this is the charm of solo trip and yes you can step into any local bus without deciding the destination! Unlike, any other city Jaipur has every flavor that could easily replace it with Delhi as my beloved. Sparkling Jhumkas, time-worn buildings, huge gates in the walled city and traditional dresses: this is JAIPUR.

Graffiti inside my stay, Destiny Hostel

  HOSTEL (Not Hotel)

Not every traveler has the privilege of staying at a place where every moment, you are scared of losing your luggage just like Indian Railways fear for mugs in the toilets. For a moment I literally thought of tying my bag with a chain! I smelled the cigarette and related “soft drugs”, the moment I entered the room. Dormitory beds with four people in a room, it was the cheapest I could find on the internet. I wasn’t concerned about hygiene or people; after all I booked for only one night. Striking graffiti, friendly atmosphere and comfy bed: all broke my thousands of cynical perceptions. However, I kept my bag under the bed, went for JLF and came back at 10. I met an elegant, humble and well read guy from DU’s Delhi College of Arts and Commerce, peeping into every debatable topic he could, related to the books we have read; and a middle aged school dropout caretaker who tried to get into our debates with his “Whatsapp” facts in the modest possible way, but end up accepting that he is also the victim of fake news on Whatsapp. Blending last night fatigue with geopolitical discussions, I slept.

Jaipur Literature Festival at Diggi Palace

JAIPUR LITERATURE FESTIVAL
To escape from the clouds of sorrow hovering over my home after sister’s vidai for her “new” home, it was a breakthrough moment to experience JLF for the first time. Passionate audience, engaging
speakers and resonating ambiance: perfection at its best. It’s once in a fortnight moment when you got to hear a multi talented artist who is an author, radio storyteller, journalist, scriptwriter, lyricist and above all a STORYWALLAH. At a session moderated by writer and Journalist Amitava Kumar, titled “The Storywallah: Writing Across Borders” at the Jaipur Literature Festival 2019 on 26 th January, Neelesh touched upon range of topics on being a storywallah. Heard Madhu Trehan roasting Rajdeep Sardesai over his exit from CNN-IBN, soon Mukesh Ambani took over Network 18.

Author and UK MP Jeffrey Archer at a session with Barkha Dutt

Attending two book launch sessions, one by Navin Chawla who was the Chief Election Commissioner during crucial 2009 Lok Sabha Elections when India witnessed the about the phenomena of paid news.
His book Every Vote Counts describes the story of elections in India since first general election in 1951-52 and is the 5th election commissioner to write a book. And the other book by NITI Aayog CEO Amitabh Kant: “The Path Ahead: Transformative Ideas for India.” Learned the tricks about writing a short story and developed evolved the taste for Fiction books after listening to the most interactive session by Jeffrey Archer in conversation with Barkha Dutt. Yes, literature has a magic but wand is in your hand!

View from Amer/Amber Fort

THE PINK CITY
In this technology age, I’m a 21 st century millennial boy whose mobile phone has answer to every query from dating, snooping and exploring a new city without any guidance. Other than using maps and reading blogs to roam around the city, I believe there is a story at every corner and no better canvas than India. Of all the metro cities in India, Jaipur has vintage charm that reflects in the local residences that have withstood the rest of time. However, in recent years, with a boom in construction, much of the city’s past is vanishing with old city buildings being demolished to make way for metro and new multi-stories. But city has revamped its years and centuries old monuments, forts, markets and turned out to be top choice for foreign travelers. Other than feeding my almost negligible stomach with three plates of Kadhi Kachodi with cups of masala tea, I explored around some places I missed seven years ago like Amer Fort, Albert Hall, Chora Rasta, Birla Mandir, Johri Bazar and Bapu Bazar. It took me 15 minutes to decide, from where to have Pao Bhaji among 12 sellers along the pavements of Birla Mandir. Mind you, this was more difficult than finding “Original” Puran Singh Da Dhaba at Ambala!