Known for its picturesque beauty and pleasant weather, Ooty in Tamil Nadu has earned the title "Queen of Hill Stations." And right now, this pretty hill station is hosting the 7th edition of the much-awaited Ooty Literary Festival. The two-day event takes place on October 6 and 7, 2023. Here's what to look out for.
The Line-Up For 2023
This year, the lit fest will pay homage to Ooty's bicentennial and celebrate its rich tapestry of literature, culture, history, and heritage. Going beyond literary discussion, OotyLitFest 2023 will put the spotlight on ecological importance of the Nilgiri Biosphere and diverse communities, illuminating the city's natural essence which makes it unique. The festival will host vital dialogues, intellectual discussions with celebrated authors, live interactions, exhibitions, artistic presentations, and a diverse range of Indian classical, blues, and jazz concerts, ensuring that the hills truly come alive.
Over the years, the Ooty Lit Fest has emerged as an important platform to present, preserve, and promote Tamil Nadu's literature. Continuing with its efforts in this direction, this year the festival will present the Lifetime Achievement Award to Perumal Murugan, one of Tamil Nadu’s foremost writers, for his unwavering dedication to promoting education and fostering literary arts and culture in Tamil Nadu, even in the face of adversity.
This edition will also witness engaging dialogues, speeches, and discussions from distinguished speakers, including celebrated names such as Aamir Khan, Apsara Reddy, Javed Akhtar, Jerry Pinto, Kalki Koechlin, Dr. Mahesh Rangarajan, Mansoor Khan, Sudha Murty and many more.
The Programmes
OotyLitFest 2023 will present an array of programs during the festival to be an all-encompassing cultural affair, extending its outreach to all communities with a particular emphasis on engaging students and youth. The programmes include The World of Words at Nilgiri Library, a literary gathering featuring renowned authors, historians, film personalities, business, and social leaders, and conservationists engaging in discussions and storytelling and deep dives into issues that ignite the mind. The segment Hills Come Alive with Music is a musical extravaganza featuring musicians performing Blues, Sufi, and Jazz as the sun sets over the Nilgiri hills.
Another exciting programme is Igniting Minds in The Courtyard, which is designed for the youth and will have speakers guiding young minds on how to engage with the natural world and their inner selves. Do not miss the exhibition on a visual journey through the evolving landscape of the Nilgiris over the past 200 years, Remembering & Reimagining Nilgiri's Socio-Cultural History. Curated by Jenny Pinto, some of these have never been displayed together to unravel the stories of yore. You can see the unique old illustrations by celebrated cartoonist Paul Fernandes that capture the spirit of Ooty. An Artist Re-Creates The Magic of Ooty will be hosted at The Nilgiri Library.
In addition to celebrating literature, history, and heritage, the 7th edition of Ooty Literature Festival is a call to action, a call to conserve, and a call to enrich cultural understanding. It is a way of honouring Ooty's bicentennial while looking forward to a future that embraces diversity, ecological responsibility, and the power of literature.
More about the festival here.
Getting There
The nearest airport is Coimbatore (around 85 km away). If you are coming by train, then Udhgamandalam Station on meter gauge is connected to Mettupalaiyam (51km/1.5 hrs) by the Nilgiri Mountain Express. It’s a 5-hour-long scenic ride. Mettupalaiyam also has a broad gauge connection with Chennai. The nearest major broad gauge railhead is Coimbatore Junction. You can also drive down from Bengaluru. There are scenic stretches as you pass through the Bandipur and Mudumalai National Parks and some medium hairpin bends en route to Ooty .