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We begin in Delhi from where we will travel to Jaipur for two full days at the Jaipur Literature Festival – the world’s largest celebration of books and ideas – before exploring the Blue City beyond the festival.
From Rajasthan we fly east to Kolkata: first metropolis of the British Raj, the city of Abir’s parents and the setting for his Wyndham & Banerjee series of novels:
“It’s a fascinating city, unique in many respects and in the 1920s, it was the premier city in Asia, as glamorous and exotic a location as anywhere in the world.”
Exploring Dalhousie Square and Park Street Cemetery, we step into the turbulent world of 1920s Calcutta. One evening at The Glenburn Penthouse, Abir will moderate a literary salon on Indian fiction, followed by a Bengali tasting menu.
Our final chapter unfolds in Odisha on India’s eastern coast. At Rambha Palace, Abir will lead two intimate literary masterclasses.
Throughout India Sutra, between lazy lunches and leisurely excursions, we will enjoy good food in great company, with time to think, time to dream, time to read and time to write …
“I wanted to explore the effect of empire on both the rulers and the ruled.”
Abir Mukherjee came to writing through what he describes as “a bit of a mid-life crisis”.
“I was thirty-nine, hurtling towards forty and I thought, maybe there might be more to life than accounting. I’d always wanted to write a book and it seemed safer than other methods of dealing with my stage of life, like buying a motorbike and piercing my ear.”
In 2013, he began work on what would become the first novel in the Wyndham & Banerjee series, introducing Captain Sam Wyndham – a British policeman navigating the tensions of 1920s Calcutta. Since then, the series has been translated into fifteen languages and has earned widespread recognition. Abir has twice received the CWA Dagger for Best Historical Novel, alongside the Prix du Polar Européen and the Wilbur Smith Award for Adventure Writing.
Abir’s parents are from Kolkata. He was raised in Scotland and now lives in Surrey with his wife and two sons.
His debut novel, A Rising Man, opens in 1919, in the uneasy aftermath of the Amritsar massacre, as Wyndham – a widower, war veteran and opium user – arrives in Calcutta to join the Imperial police. His counterpart, Sergeant Surendrenath Banerjee, represents a different perspective: not a supporter of empire, but a man preparing for what comes after it. Across the series, Abir explores the shifting relationship between these two figures, and the wider forces that shape them.
This tour has been crafted for those who love to read. But it is a no-brainer for those who love to write. In the library at Rambha Palace, over the course of two mornings Abir will run two literary masterclasses. Here Abir will introduce the art of historical fiction; and sketch out the path to publication.
On India Sutra, we spend three nights in Jaipur, with time to explore the city on our final morning.
Founded in 1727 by Sawai Jai Singh II – a ruler with a keen interest in astronomy, mathematics and urban design – Jaipur differs from Rajasthan’s older cities in both plan and spirit. Laid out on a precise grid and built in rose-coloured sandstone, the “Pink City” is defined by its ordered streets, walled quarters and distinct commercial districts. At its centre lies the City Palace, still a working royal residence, reflecting a blend of Rajput, Mughal and later European influences. Beyond the city, Amber Fort rises from the Aravalli Hills, while the remarkable Jantar Mantar observatory speaks to the intellectual ambitions behind Jaipur’s creation.
Our time here incorporates two full days at the Jaipur Literature Festival. We will take over a small property around 30 minutes from the festival site, allowing for both access and retreat. At the festival itself, you are free to shape your own experience –  moving between talks, debates and discussions as you choose.
Often described as the “greatest literary show on earth”, the Jaipur Literature Festival brings together writers, historians and thinkers from across the world. Sessions run across multiple stages, where Nobel laureates and emerging voices share the programme, and where chance encounters can be as rewarding as planned events. Beyond the talks, there are book signings, informal conversations and an evening music programme rooted in Rajasthan’s traditions.
We attend with “Friends of the Festival” passes, offering access to a private lounge, opportunities to meet fellow guests and speakers, and priority or reserved seating at selected sessions. Curated meals and drinks are included across the festival days. Each evening, we regroup before returning to our haveli.
Our journey is shaped as much by where we stay as by where we go – glorious properties with plenty of character, good eating and space to kick back with a good book.
We begin in Delhi at The Imperial, opened in 1936 as the capital’s first grand hotel and still one of its most enduring. Set within eight acres of gardens just off Janpath, it offers a rare calm in the centre of the city. White marble colonnades lead to interiors layered with Italian marble, Burma teak and Persian carpets. After a long journey, it is a place to settle in: a good meal, a quiet drink and the first unhurried pages of a book.
In Kolkata, we stay at The Glenburn Penthouse, created by Husna-Tara Prakash over seven painstaking years. Spread across three floors, it feels less like a hotel and more like an elegant private residence – intimate, thoughtful and deeply personal. There is a small library, a spa, and a restaurant that recalls the drawing room of a particularly generous host. Mornings begin slowly; afternoons invite retreat. On the rooftop, an infinity pool looks out over the Maidan and the Victoria Memorial, best enjoyed as the light softens.
Our final stay is at Rambha Palace, the former residence of the King of Khallikote, set on the quiet shores of Chilika Lake. Restored over six years, the palace balances grandeur with stillness. Courtyards, pillared halls and gracious suites open onto gardens alive with birdsong, while beyond lie the shifting waters of the lake. Days here unfold at an unforced pace – time for long lunches, for reading in the shade, for conversation. It is also here, in the palace library, that Abir will lead his literary masterclasses: an opportunity to think, to write, and to draw the threads of the journey together.
In the afternoons, activities can be arranged on the lake (birding, and dolphin sighting) as well as safaris to see the blackbuck deer.
A literary journey on the River Hooghly with Nilanjana Roy & Robert Ivermee.
A literary journey through Bengal & Assam with best-selling author Abir Mukherjee.
Darjeeling and the story of Sikkim with Jamling Tenzing Norgay.
