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Village tours to Mughlai food — Delhi tourism dept expands its city walks
Delhi Tourism Walk Festival offers Mughlai cuisine, Nizamuddin Dargah visit, djinn encounters, and pottery lessons. Tours from Feb 17 to Mar 31 at ₹500 per person.
The taste of Mughlai cuisine in Old Delhi; a tranquil visit to Nizamuddin Dargah; an “encounter” with the djinns of Delhi; and lessons in pottery from a city village — these are just some of the activities planned as part of the Delhi tourism department’s Delhi Tourism Walk Festival — launched on Saturday to facilitate the exploration of the Capital’s cultural and historical tapestry.
To be sure, the Delhi government launched its heritage walks series in 2023 and the present one is an expansion of the guided tours. The tours have been designed to provide a cultural window into the unfolding of the manifold eras — from the Mughal rule to the edifices of modern architecture, from the city’s culinary masterpieces to its natural vistas. The cultural calendar, unveiled by the tourism department, lists a range of walks. These walks will be held for over a month, from February 17 to March 31, and will be conducted by historians, scholars, storytellers and guides authorised by the ministry of tourism of the central government, said people aware of the matter.
Delhi tourism minister, who inaugurated the first walk on Saturday at the Mehrauli Archaeological Park, said that the walks will capture the essence of Delhi and have something in store for everyone — tourists as well as residents. “Each walk offers an intimate exploration of Delhi’s historic marvels, culinary delights, and architectural splendors. The walks will be conducted at 50 sites in the Capital,” said Bharadwaj.
An official from the department said that the dates and times of the walks have been finalised. “The bookings are now open. On Saturday, the walk was conducted for free and 20 participants joined us. The second walk will be held at Nizamuddin Dargah on February 22 and around 10 people have registered for the walk. Each walk costs ₹500 per person,” the official added, asking not to be named.
The government release on Saturday listed 23 of the 50 sites. These include a Sufi walk at Nizamuddin Dargah; historical and cultural walks at Hauz Khas, Tughlaqabad, Old Delhi, Qila-e-Mubarak, Qutub Complex, Lodhi Garden; a cinematic walk called “Dilli ka Cinema”; food walks at Old Delhi; memory walks on heroes of yesteryears called “Partition Diaries at Old Fort and the National War Memorial; haunted walks at Feroz Shah Kotla and Malcha Mahal; museum walk at Pradhanmantri Sangrahalaya; village walks at Jaunti and Kumharon ki basti; nature walks at Amrit Udyan and Baansera; religious and architectural walks at Akshardham and Old Delhi; and modern-cum-historical walk at Connaught Place covering Agrasen ki Baoli and Baba Kharak Singh Marg.
The official cited above said each participant will be charged ₹500 for each walk. “Interested individuals seeking further details or wanting to register can visit the official Delhi Tourism website at www.delhitourism.gov.in or get in touch with the Delhi tourism office at Connaught Place, opposite Hanuman mandir,” said the official.
“For each walk, a minimum of six people are required and while it can accommodate a maximum of 25 people. The details of the walk including the location and time of reporting will be shared with people at the time of booking,” said a second official.
“Delhi has hidden stories of various empires. This story starts with the Pandavas’ Indraprastha, then moves to Prithviraj Chauhan’s Qila Rai Pithora, to the Tughlaq empires Tughlaqabad, Jahanpanah, Firozabad, to the Mughal era’s Shahjahanabad, to Sher Shah Suri’s time at Old Fort. Subsequently, the British arrived in India and established what is presently known as New Delhi, a city masterminded by Sir Edwin Lutyens. Through its different eras under various rulers, Delhi has consistently been the Capital, rich and replete with countless narratives,” Bharadwaj added.
