Vedanta presents Jaipur Literature Festival 2025 in association with Maruti Suzuki and powered by Vida
Vedanta presents Jaipur Literature Festival 2025 in association with Maruti Suzuki and powered by Vida; begins with an inspirational line-up, musical performances, art & more
Recognised as the grandest celebration of books and ideas worldwide, Vedanta presents Jaipur Literature Festival 2025 in association with Maruti Suzuki and powered by Vida, which opened today with a calming Ganesh vandana by classical vocalist Supriya Nagarajan and the resounding notes of nagadas by Nathoolal Solanki’s group. This imbued the air of Jaipur with the infectious buzz of celebration.
Highlights of the day include:
The 18th Jaipur Literature Festival commenced with an Opening Ceremony at Hotel Clarks Amer in Jaipur, which blended music, welcome addresses, and the traditional lamp lighting ceremony. The morning began with an evocative performance by Carnatic vocalist Supriya Nagrajan. Festival Co-Directors Namita Gokhale and William Dalrymple spoke about this year’s diverse and inclusive programme, highlighting key sessions, while Festival Producer Sanjoy K. Roy, Managing Director of Teamwork Arts, reflected on the Festival’s 18-year journey. The lamp lighting ceremony was performed by dignitaries on the dais, including Apurv & Timmy Kumar, Venki Ramakrishnan, Faith Singh, the EU Ambassador H.E. Herve Delphin, Sanjay & Jyoti Agarwal, among others. The keynote address was delivered by acclaimed molecular biologist and Nobel Laureate Venki Ramakrishnan, who discussed the intersection of the arts and sciences. The opening concluded with two minutes of silence in remembrance of Mahatma Gandhi, who was assassinated 77 years ago on this day.
The sessions on the 1st day of the 18th edition of Vedanta presents Jaipur Literature Festival 2025 in association with Maruti Suzuki and powered by Vida featured an acclaimed line-up of speakers, including Nobel laureate- Esther Duflo, Kailash Satyarthi, Gideon Levi, William Dalrymple Ijeoma Oluo, Geetanjali Shree, Javed Akhtar, and Venki Ramakrishnan. A range of fascinating themes and ideas were discussed in the sessions, including conversations on Democracy and Equality, Geopolitics, Biographies and Memoirs, History and Culture, and more, offering something for all.
Namita Gokhale, Festival Co-director, Jaipur Literature Festival said, “Our festival, the greatest literary show on earth, is a different sort of pilgrimage. It is a conference of thought and mindfulness, a hub and platform for words and for the search of meaning.”
William Dalrymple, Festival Co-director, Jaipur Literature Festival said, “From the beginning of mankind’s story, the public performance of literature is something related but quite different and this is something that has always been particularly strong in India.”
Sanjoy K. Roy, Managing Director, Teamwork Arts, said, “Today in the darkness that we see around us, wars that surround us, hatred that we see that is all-consuming, the one thing that we can take solace in is writing and books.”
Presenting partner, Priya Agarwal Hebbar, Non-Executive Director, Vedanta Limited, and Chairperson, Hindustan Zinc Limited, shared, “Stories have the power to connect minds and inspire change. With its celebration of diverse voices and global themes, the Jaipur Literature Festival creates a space for ideas to flourish and to foster dialogue on the soft power of storytelling.
At Vedanta, we believe in creating stories of transformation. Through Hindustan Zinc and Cairn Oil & Gas, our businesses in Rajasthan, we have implemented various social impact initiatives through Anil Agarwal Foundation that have nurtured sustainable livelihoods and supported micro-enterprises that are reshaping communities. With social impact initiatives reaching 17.3 million people, this festival is more than just a celebration—it is a reflection of Vedanta’s vision to blend culture and progress, fostering a future where every story contributes to collective growth.”
Mr. Sanjay Agarwal, Promoter, MD & CEO, AU Small Finance Bank, said, “Jaipur Literature Festival is one of the most-anticipated events in Jaipur, and I am thrilled to be associated with Teamwork Arts in its endeavour to inspire change and impact lives. JLF is more special to me as it has put Jaipur on the world map by creating a globally renowned platform for free expression, diverse views and ideas, fostering a deeper understanding of our complex world. Throughout history, literature has been a catalyst for revolutionary ideas and societal shifts and this year too I am hoping to witness many such ideas at the 18th edition of JLF.
One of the opening sessions was ‘Our City That Year’ with International Booker Prize winner Geetanjali Shree. Shree explained that her work reckons with the concept of “borders,” and the fluidity of individuals, communities and societies. Communalism straight-jackets people into a single definition, and Shree said there is an urgent need to look inward and ask what has gone wrong and what can be done to fix it. She described Hamara Shahar Us Baras (translated as Our City that Year) as her most didactic novel, as it directly confronts communal tensions in India. “There are no water-tight borders, not even in our identities. It is that which has kept a lot of exchange of all kinds possible between peoples, and that which has enriched cultures and all of us.” It is the urgency to look inwards and at yourself and say, ‘where have we gone wrong and what is it that we need to do?’ That is a question that plagues the characters of the book,” Shree said.
At a session called, ‘Gyan Seepiyan: Pearls of Wisdom’, poet and writer, Javed Akhtar stressed on the importance of learning our native tongues. “Learning some other language (English) should not be at the cost of your own language. I would like to see our children multilingual, he said.” He went on to say, “There is no poetry in fascism, as poetry is written in the language of love whereas fascism is dictated on the lines of hatred.”
Another fascinating session featuring Festival Co-Director and award-winning writer Namita Gokhale was about the medieval mystic and maverick saint Drukpa Kunley, beloved across the shadow line of the Himalayas. Upending the notions of conventional, Drukpa Kunley challenges any dogmatic, textual prescriptions of Buddhism and encourages questioning of everything including conventional reason. Needrup Zangpo’s collection Drukpa Kunley: Sacred Tales of the Mad Monk shines a light on the life and tales of the saint and his transcendent vision.
At a session called ‘You Are Here’ with bestselling writer and screenwriter, whose multimillion One Day has recently been made into a popular Netflix series, David Nicholls said, “As so often happens when you reach the age of 40, you ask yourself the question how did I get here and One day is very much about that, how do you take this unpredictability of the future the way that friendships change the course of a life.” Nicholls drew a distinction between solitude, which can be fulfilling, content and desirable and loneliness which is heartbreakingly haunting in his new book You are Here Nicholls also talked about the barriers a writer has to get through to write a fiction novel and his journey through writing his previous six novels.
Nobel Laureate Esther Duflo and her illustrator Cheyenne Olivier were at a session called Poor Economics for the Young in which she shared how her early experiences inspired her to write for children. Olivier explained that the characters in the book are depicted in diverse colours, drawing inspiration from cultures around the world. Duflo emphasized her goal of helping young readers grasp different perspectives on poverty through shared experiences across continents.
In the session ‘David Hare: A Life in Theatre and Film’ celebrated playwright and screenwriter David Hare provided insight on how the audience can interact with a work. If the audience does not respond to a play he has written with enthusiasm, he trusts the actors to observe and adapt the characters accordingly. The conversation shifted to how culture and politics influence theatre. Hare said he often writes about women. Coming from an all-male boarding school, Hare understood the importance of the rising feminist movement. Hare stressed on the need to write and perform for the sake of art, which can be lost when producing for film and TV.
Another conversation featured beloved author Sudha Murty in conversation with Meru Gokhale.
In the session, Murty said that she assumes a childlike mindset to write for children. The session shifted to discuss how children’s literature can be used to pass on heritage and culture. Murty shared the inspiration behind her books The Gopi Diaries and Grandpa’s Bag of Stories, which are some of her most notable works. “I write children’s books well because of the child within. What’s the definition of a child…. you feel innocent. You feel fruitful. You feel adventurous, and you feel very curious. That mindset is called a child.”
Festival Co-Director and award-winning historian William Dalrymple’s session on his new bestselling book The Golden Road focused on India’s pivotal role as the heart of ancient Eurasia. Traversing through Indian art, ideas, and innovations, Dalrymple takes us on a journey through the ancient world and describes how Indian ideas helped form the world as we know it today. The session was introduced by author and historian Anirudh Kanisetti.
Day 2 of the Festival will be back tomorrow at expansive premises of Clarks Amer Hotel with another tranche of transformational dialogues, uplifting ideas, and change-inspiring books.