Jaipur Literature Festival kicks off amid tight security

January 21, 2016 09:59

With literary heavyweights like Canadian poet and novelist Margaret Atwood, author Ruskin Bond, US photographer Steve McCurry, Harvard historian Niall Ferguson and Stephen Fry from Britain, the famed Jaipur Literature Festival began in Jaipur today.

The annual five-day jamboree, one of the largest free literary festivals in the world, which has lined up over 222 participants has been held at the 17th century Diggi Palace ever since its inception in 2006.

Police have made elaborate security and traffic regulation arrangements to manage the heavy crowd and ease subsequent traffic congestion.

Even before it began the event witnessed a hint of controversy with the Rajasthan high court on Wednesday hearing a PIL that sought for a change in the venue, directed the state government to submit within a week a report on arrangements made for the festival.

A huge crowd turnout and resulting traffic snarls witnessed in the venue over previous years prompted the plea.

Last year a session by the former President A P J Abdul Kalam attracted the largest crowds and festival organisers had to close entry to the venue.

Jaipur Police Commissioner Srinivas Rao Janga said elaborate security arrangements have been made for the Festival for which the permission has already been granted.

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