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Join us to celebrate the
200th Meet-up of Jaipur Book Lovers a Ten year old book club of Jaipur

Date: Sunday, 10th November, 2024
Time: 4 pm to 7 pm
Venue: Krishnayan, Jawahar Kala Kendra (JKK)
Agenda: Add fun to your book reading as we time travel the journey of JBL

Motto: Reading brings us unknown friends — Honoré de Balzac

It has been 10 glorious years that the Jaipur Book Lovers’ community has been actively stimulating and strengthening our shared passion for reading. It has facilitated us to exchange ideas about books we read. It has introduced us to new friends, new authors and even new genres.

Come and join in the festivities with others who share your love of reading. Participate in a few fun events that will challenge you literally and also make you laugh. Win prizes. Have a “chai par charcha” with light refreshments.

Also, collect a celebration pack to commemorate the event (at a nominal extra cost, first come first serve, max. 50).

BOOK your ticket for fun with books on

BookMyShow

Book your tickets here on Book my Show

Looking forward to enjoying with you all there!

Drumsticks in Butter Chicken Gravy

Ingredients:
4 Chicken Legs
5 medium Tomatoes in a paste
1 heaping tsp Red chillies powder
1 Maggie Chicken cube dissolved in hot water
Soya oil quantity as per your taste
Salt only if you think it is required as maggie cube is salted
Handful of kajus
1inch piece of Ginger cut in small pieces
1 heaping tsp of fresh garlic paste
2 tsp of Kasuri methi
1/2 tsp of garam masala powder
2 table spoon of maggie hot and sweet tomato sauce
1/2 Cup Malai
Some Amul butter

Method:
Make a paste of tomatoes and fry them in a pressure cooker with some oil till oil separates from the paste.
Add red chillies powder with a little water
And cook the masala till oil separates.
Add the hot water with the dissolved chicken cube.
Add the drumsticks.
Add enough water to cover them.
Let it cook for some time.
Make a paste of ginger , garlic and Kajus
With some water so that there are no lumps.
Add to the pressure cooker.
Let it cook.
When you see flesh leaving the bones from the leg pieces add kasuri methi, butter and malai while stiring the mixture so that it doesn’t curdel.
Cook a little so everything blends together.
Serve with hot chapatis or nan.

Hashtag for the 100th meetup is    #JBL100

It took them more than three years but Jaipur Book Lovers turns 100 on 2nd June 2019. And to let the world know about it they not only are going to make some noise about it but they are going to celebrate the occasion in style.

They have booked KRISHNAYAN from 5 pm  at the Jawahar Kala Kendra on JLN Marg, Jaipur on 2nd June 2019 for a gathering of 100 persons. Instead of a regular meetup they are going to hold a quiz  and other games having information related to books as theme. They are going to give away discount vouchers from a local book store as prizes. A member has generously agreed to donate a book shaped cake for the occasion. Others are donating their time and some are chipping in with money. This collection drive is a necessary as the participation in the JBL is completely free of cost.

JBL, as Jaipur Book Lovers Club is fondly known among members, is getting a limited edition coat pin cast in the shape of their logo. This pin is to be sold at cost to cost basis to the members on 2nd June.

JBL has die hard fans among all age groups. Here is what they have to say about JBL.

This is what Mr.Anurag Bhatnagar has to say about the club.

“Jaipur Book Lovers is a Book lovers dream. I had been searching in Universities Language Departments, with Bookstores and organisations like Crossword, JKK, elusive groups like the Pratibha Foundation. I even asked around at the JLF but was always disappointed.

It reminded me of

” My self when young frequented many saint; and heard great argument ; But evermore came out by the same door as in I went” as my Guru  Omar Khayyam would have said.

Then, I found myself at a JBL meetup about two years back . It has got my synapses , whatever are left, crackling, the serotonin flowing and the    neurons stirring again.

I love JBL for getting me fired up again, chastened  by the huge gaps in my reading over at least the last two decades and I love the passion of the members, young and old , specially the young have for reading books.

We have a lot to thank the older members for maintaining such class at JBL.”

Another member, Ankit Bohre,  who has moved out of town says, ” I miss coming to meetups, now Sundays are boring.”

‘जयपुर बुक्स लवर्स’- मुझे जयपुर में मिलने वाली सबसे अच्छी चीज़ों में से एक है, हालाँकि इस बात का हमेशा मलाल रहेगा कि बहुत देर से इस क्लब के बारे में पता चला ओर मैं ज़्यादा समय नहीं दे पाई। पुस्तकस्थ जो विद्या है उसे कैसे व्यवहारिक जीवन में उतारना है, अथवा किस पुस्तक में क्या सीख है यह observe करना मैंने इस क्लब से सीखा। पुस्तकों से प्यार तो मुझे बहुत है, पर समयाभाव से पढ़ नहीं पाती हूँ- पर इस क्लब के माध्यम से मुझे सतत पढ़ने की प्रेरणा मिलती है, और एक ही पुस्तक को कितनी प्रकार से पढ़ा जा सकता है- यह भी मैंने यहाँ जाना। हालाँकि मैं अधिक समय तक मीट-अप्स में शामिल नहीं हो पाई पर फिर भी इतने कम समय में जो सबसे सीखा- और नये शहर में जो आत्मीयता पाई, उसके लिये आभारी रहूँगी। यह क्ल ऐसे ही अनवरत रूप से चलता रहे, इसी भावना के साथ- विपाशा जैन

“I have been part of the JBL group since the last few months and already it has had a huge impact on me. I have been reading books since the last 7 years and was looking for a platform where I could share about what I have read and could also get info on other books and authors worth reading. The Book lovers group has proved to be that exact platform. Through it I have come to know about many different interesting books, reading them will surely improve my understanding of life and the world and also help me grow as a person.

The members of JBL come from different walks of life. Different cultural and social backgrounds. Different age groups and academic backgrounds.

This makes JBL a perfect group to have discussions.

I enjoy the experience of being the JBL meet up and later on also enjoy the memories of it.

It is my personal endeavour to bring the best of books to the group so all members can benefit from it.

I sincerely remain committed to Jaipur Book lovers group.

I take this opportunity to thank each and every member of the group for letting me be a part of their group and giving me a chance to express my views. With the 100th meetup of the group coming up, I congratulate the founders of the group for conceiving, creating,developing and nurturing such a noble community of book lovers I wish them all the best.”  – Prasanjeet

For Ms. Vandana Varma JBL is” a Plethora of intellectual opportunities”

Books on Sports meetup  Group Photo

They have a member who reads more than 50 books a year and never misses a meetup and there is another who attends the meetup just for the masala Chai and the book talk. They have about 200 active members so the meetups are well attended affairs and the discussions are lively and in depth.

Group photo after the meetup on Japanese writing

Meetup on books JBL inspired you to read

Is your passion reading books? Join them! They are  your tribe! Follow them on Facebook, Instagram and twitter and attend their meetings on 2nd Sunday and 4th Sunday of the month from 11 am to 1 pm. at an appointed cafe in Jaipur.

Hashtag for the 100th meetup is                     #JBL100

Jaipur Book Lovers held their 99th meetup at Chaisa Cafe, Lal Kothi on, Sunday, 12th May 2019.

They were there to celebrate the Book. Because the topic for this meetup was “Books Are The Stars of JBL”. The members were free to talk about any all time favourite books of theirs.

Prasanjeet Singh talked about his all time favourite book Pinocchio by Carlo Collodi.

Here is what he had to say about the book in his words,

“It is a story of a wooden puppet and his adventures and journey. The puppet does not listen to his father Gepetto and runs away from him and always ends up in trouble.He makes bad friends who try to cheat him. He once ends up in a far away land and also comes across a fairy. Later on he is captured by a magician who tries to use him for his magic shows. Eventually  he is united with his father after being swallowed by the big dog fish which is so big that  it can swallow a whole ship. The wooden puppet is creation of one Master Cherry. The book is very fascinating and it takes you on a surreal journey. I was personally in a very happy state of mind while reading it and cut off from the rest of the world. Written in 19 century in Italy by Carlo Collodi whose   real name was Carlo Lorenzini has used some very fascinating terms such as – Land of miracles, the inn of the red crawfish. The book is beautifully written and has a few unique words as well which will improve the readers’s vocabulary. It remains my favorite book. ”

Ms.Santana talked about the Lizard Cage by Karen Connelly, Reading Lolita in Tehran by Azar Nafisi and Nine Parts of Desire by Geraldine Brooks.

Dr.Ruchir Sodani talked about these books. He is a big Asimov fan!

Two new members

The two Abhisheks

The Group Photo!

Till we meet again to talk about some more books.

A bibliophile, according to Google, ‘is a person who collects or has great love of books’.

A JBL member not only collects books & loves books but he also likes to talk about the books he is reading. He will not only recommend books but also talk at great length about what he thinks about what he is reading.

Do you want to know about what they read? Here is a sampling of their topics for their fortnightly meetings.

Ms.Vandana Varma a JBL member calls these meetups “a retreat into an oasis of knowledge and good advice.”

Besides reading books and talking about them they participate in competitions and celebratory meetups too!

B

Jungle Babler

Whitethroat

Oriental Magpie Robin

Common Sitting Area At Bhadrawati Safari Lodge

Chambal

A fisherman working the Chambal at daybreak

sunrise on the Chambal

Mandana at the common area at the Bhadrawati Safari Lodge on the Chambal

Pampas Grass- Sunset

parrot

Swiss Cottages at the Bhadrawati Safari Lodge

Pampas Grass

Pampas Grass

Rufous treepie

On the banks of the Chambal – An Album    

Bhadrawati Safari Lodge Sawaimadhopur

35 kilometers or approximately one hour drive away from the Sawaimadhopur station is the Bhadrawati Safari Lodge. It is located right on the banks of the river Chambal. It has 12 luxurious  Swiss Cottages pitched in an Amla and Guavas garden. Chirping of local birds wake you up in the morning and the sound of the Chambal water flowing over the rapids  lullaby you to sleep at night.

These are some pictures from a recent visit to Bhadrawati Safari Lodge located on the banks of the Chambal river.

If you decide to visit the place come prepared to ditch your diets because the food prepared here is very tasty and is made from locally grown and procured organic vegetables etc. and the chef knows his job well. Be it  vegetables or Non-vegetarian dishes or desserts all dishes are cooked in the Lodge’s kitchen and make you anticipate the next meal with great expectation.

False Dawn

Dawn

Sunrise

A Couple of White Browed Wagtails

A couple of white browed wagtails searching for biscuit crumbs near the common sitting area without any fear of humans, made a guest from Mumbai  comment that even the birds are not normal here!

A Boat on the Parvathi river

Pulling the motorboat out of the make shift harbour in preparation for the Alligator/ Crocodile Run in the National Chambal Gharial Sanctuary, Palighat, Ranthambhore, Sawaimadhopur.

River Parvathi

Raghu Raj Singh Rathore

Alligators Sunbathing on the bank of Parvathi river

Common Sitting Area

Swimming Pool and the Swiss Cottage Area

Dinning Area

Owners Living Quarters

Badminton Court

Mustard crop near the Chambal

A Swiss Cottage Sit out

The Room

Bathroom

Bathing Area

Swiss cottage area

A Crocodile sunbathing on a rock in the Chambal

Bonfire for the 31st Party

All set to welcome the new year in style at the Bhadrawati Safari Lodge, Sewti, Sawaimadhopur.

Telescope for the star gazing enthusiast

Far from the city lights, the Sewti night sky is ideal for star gazing. So do not forget to bring your manuals! Bring your camera gear if you want to click the night sky.

Sunset

Sunset

Watch the sun go down in style with a bonfire!

Serves: 3 Persons
Time Taken: 90 minutes
Ingredients:
300 grams Boneless Chicken
150 grams Oil
4 medium onions minced
1 inch piece of Ginger
5 TBS Fresh Milk Malai
2 heaping TSP chili powder
1 heaping TSP coriander powder
1/2 TSP Fried Cumin Powder
2 TSP (not heaping) salt
100 grams fresh Curd
25 numbers of Cashew nuts
1/4 TSP Cardamom powder
1 TBS Kewra water
Juice of Fresh 1/2 piece of Lemon
1 pinch of safron diluted in warm water.
Method:
Fry the onions till lightly brown in oil in a cooker.
Add red chili powder, coriander powder and salt with some water and cook till oil separates.
Add curd and cook till masala takes a deep red color and oil separates again.
Add boneless chicken with some water.
Cook on low flame for 30 min.
Make a thin paste of cashew nuts and ginger in a mixer and add to the cooker.
Cook for another 30 min.
Add cardamom powder, kewra water,lemon juice and safron water to the cooker and cook for 10 min. and take off the gas.
Serve with hot chapaties or boiled rice.

Ingredients:

500gms Boneless Chicken

Fresh tomato puree* of 5 medium tomatoes

2  Paste of two Medium raw  onions

oil

2 Tsp (Heaping) Red chili powder

1 Tsp (Not Heaping) Dhania Powder

1/4 Tsp Haldi Powder

1 Tsp Salt

3 heaping Table spoons Curd

2 Table Spoons Garlic Paste

2 Table spoon Ginger paste

3 Table spoon Cashew Nuts

Method:

* To make fresh tomato puree boil water in a pan and put 5 tomatoes in it after scooping their eyes out and making a plus sign with a knife on the bottom of the tomatoes. after 5 minutes throw out the hot water and rinse  the tomatoes in cold water. Now peel off the skins and blend the tomatoes in a mixer.

Heat some oil in a cooker and add the fresh tomato puree. Cook till oil separates. Add the onion paste cook till oil separates. Add all the dry masalas with some water and cook till oil separates. Add curd and mix it well in hi-flame till oil separates.

Add the chicken pieces and cook on low flame for about 30 minutes.

(Take the specified amount of ginger, garlic and cashew nuts and make a paste in a mixer. Add a little water so that there are no lumps.)

Add this paste to the masala in the cooker and fry well till oil separates and the white color of the cashew paste is gone.

By now the chicken should be done. Serve hot with fresh chapaties.

Butterfly Valley

In an ambitious project, JDA has developed a 3800 Sq. Mts.( buffer area is 5 acres)  valley in Simriti Ban on JLN Marg, Jaipur as a habitat for 46 species of commonly found butterflies. The area, some 100 mts below JLN Marg,  has been planted with 80 varieties of big and small host plants. The area has some 900 trees and treated waste  water is regularly sprayed on them to keep the moisture in the area high.They have developed waterfalls and ponds decorated with stones brought in from Nathdwara and Haridwar. So come February you need to visit the Butterfly Valley with your camera for a date with the fast vanishing delicate creatures.

Butterfly valley in Simriti Ban,JLN Marg,Jaipur