Oprah at the Jaipur Literary Festival.
Sharell Cook.
As expected, Oprah stole the show at the Jaipur Literature Festival today. And what a show it was! The doors had to be closed and people turned away as there was no more room. A guy fainted, and there was almost a stampede as the doors broke open at one stage.
Oprah had the crowd laughing and cheering, but at the same time she touched many people deeply with her inspirational outlook and purpose in life.
When asked about her thoughts of India, Oprah replied that her goddaughter had likened Mumbai to a video game, where you don't know which way to go. However, Oprah quickly realized there was a flow and that it was necessary to go with it. This didn't stop her from remarking, "Are the red traffic lights just there for entertainment, or what?" though.
Jokes aside, what touched Oprah the most is that people don't just talk religion in India, they live it. Everyone, rich and poor, has a dedicated place of worship in their homes. There is a practice of going inwards, and reflection on something bigger than the self.
This sums up India's spiritual appeal to many foreigners, myself included.
Contrary to recent media reports, Oprah confirmed that she will be returning to India because there's so much to understand and so many stories to be told. As you may know, she's passionate about helping marginalized women and bringing about change.
Oprah indicated that her visit to India has been the biggest life experience she's ever had. Both her heart and eyes have been opened. She highlighted the fact that her visit has been enriching only because she got to meet and interact with so many people at all levels of society, from the top to the bottom.
The Dharavi Slum Tour in Mumbai is often viewed negatively, as poverty tourism. But how else can the stories of these people be brought to life so that others can become aware of their situations, and even help them?
One of the last sessions of the day at the Festival featured two authors who'd both written about poverty in India. They'd both integrated themselves into the lives of slum-dwellers over a number of years, and told their stories. Katherine Boo's forthcoming book, Behind the Beautiful Forevers: Life, Death, and Hope in a Mumbai Undercity, focuses on the efforts of women and children working hard to better themselves and get out of poverty in a Mumbai slum. On the other hand, Aman Sethi's book, A Free Man traces the life of a man who's dropped out of society to spend time smoking and drinking in Delhi.
As Katherine explained, the people who participated in her book thought that it's important for others to gain detailed knowledge of their hardships, not just in passing.
Both books make compelling reading and are essential for understanding India better, beyond what most tourists and even residents, see.
See photos of the festival on Facebook: 2012 Jaipur Literature Festival Photo Album.