Delhi: In order to create an awareness and concern for our heritage by designing ‘walks’ of well-known and lesser-known areas of Delhi and its surroundings – including other cities with focus on unexplored sites – Missions 3G-Gauri and Delhi-based ‘Heritage walks’ have joined hands to create historic tours for foreign as well as domestic tourists.
This initiative aims at making arrangements for providing specialized, imaginative, and exceptionally original walks, around historic places.
The walks at Shahjahanabad will encompass at least five walks meandering through havelis, kuchas, galis, katras, and fascinating bazaars; Ghalib Trail will take one through areas associated with the 19th century poet in Shahjahanabad, with school children performing a Mushaira (poetry) along with English commentary.
The other attractions include the walk around 1911 British Colonial Delhi which is in the Civil Lines area of contemporary Delhi and the 1857 Mutiny Walk -- integrating ASI protected monuments with the Delhi Metro – covering the Ridge, Badli ki Sarai, Kashmiri Gate & Civil lines. The Mehrauli Village (behind the Qutab Minar) represents settlements over 900 years with a change in role from a capital to a market centre.
The walks come alive due to visual depiction of the sites through photographs, sketches, hard-to-find maps, stories and anecdotes of that bygone era. Besides, the Delhi metro has opened up newer vistas to explore and create more interesting walks.
On weekends, both Indian and foreign nationals living in or visiting Delhi can come for the walks. On weekdays, private and customized tours for Corporates, Banks, Travel companies, Embassies etc will be organized. The groups are escorted to places around Delhi that include Agra, Jaipur, Shekhawati. Eco-trails and spiritual tours to Rishikesh, Vrindavan, Doon valley etc, are also designed.
The charges for the weekend walks in Delhi (of around 2 hours), range from Rs 400 to 700 per person for a group size of 15-25 people. The same is sometimes combined with an authentic vegetarian Old Delhi meal that is served in a beautiful school ambience at a cost of Rs 600 to 700 per person, informed Mission 3G president Sanjjeev Nehraa through a communique.
Bureau Report
First Published: Sunday, November 08, 2009, 21:50