Priya Pathiyan
Deputy Editor
Choices, choices, choices. This is the time of year when there seems to be so much to do and so little time to accomplish it all in! Every weekend is alive with events, free and ticketed, where you can go and experience something bigger and better than the humdrum.
There’s something for every taste. For example, the weekend that just went by had everything from Arijit Singh live in concert, to three days of scintillating Jazz at NCPA’s International Jazz Festival, to four different stages filled with talented musicians of multiple genres over three days at the 13th NH7 Weekender in Pune. The International Film Festival of India just concluded in Goa. A coffee festival over the last few days will be followed by one dedicated to cocktails the next.
If the written word is your passion, you’ve probably done the Kasauli Lit Fest that took place in mid-October, the Tata Literature Live a fortnight ago and are eagerly awaiting the Jaipur Literature Festival 2023 from January 19. There’s even a wonderful week-long literature fest featuring eminent authors and journalists held aboard Cunard’s iconic Queen Mary 2, which sails from New York in the USA to Southampton in the UK on December 3!
We may have more religious festivals in our calendar year than most nations, but we’re just as enthusiastic about literature fests, handicraft melas, art fairs, book exhibitions, flower shows, theatre and film extravaganzas, cat and doggy days out, and more. And come winter, there’s a slew of offerings, be it high-octane horse races, vintage car rallies, sailing regattas, stand-up comedy, heritage tours, day treks, wine festivals, danceathons, cyclathons, or marathons. Several cultural and event spaces are also coming up in cities across India. Our new series that captures the new and interesting things to do in destinations beyond the known ‘sights’ started in Mumbai last month. This time, we help you find this surprising side to the hot and happening Hyderabad.
States like Goa, Rajasthan, and Himachal Pradesh have a long line-up of international acts coming to music and dance festivals that are now well-established on the global circuit. And now Meghalaya, Arunachal Pradesh, even Chhattisgarh and more are gaining momentum too, thanks to their rich tribal culture as well as musical heft. Increasingly, I’m seeing travellers create an itinerary around these.
It’s heartening that despite such a plethora of choices, many music enthusiasts have already planned to attend our upcoming TravelDine Jazz Nights in Chennai (December 9 to 11) and Bengaluru (December 16 to 18) at the Leela Palace in each destination.
This three-city tour in association with the The Leela Palaces, Hotels & Resorts featuring one of India’s most well-known Jazz bands, Paddy’s Hot Five, had a very successful start in Delhi earlier this month, with the city’s best and brightest in attendance, from dilettantes to diplomats to dyed-in-the-wool Jazz aficionados.
I’m looking forward to these and hope to see you there too.