First-ever Mehrauli monsoon festival comes to a close

The monsoon festival is one among a number of other steps that the government plans on taking to boost the oldest of Delhi’s seven cities and making it a prominent spot on the capital’s tourist map.

Delhi Tourism’s first-ever Mehrauli monsoon festival came to an end on Sunday. The three-day long festival, highlighting the culture and heritage of Mehrauli, was an attempt on the part of the government to push the south Delhi locality as a major tourist destination.

Historian Swapna Liddle conducts a heritage walk in Mehrauli during the festival. s (Sourced)

“Usually, when people go to Mehrauli, they just see the Qutub Minar and come back. However, there is a lot more to the place. Mehrauli is older than Delhi itself,” said Manish Saxena, secretary (tourism), Delhi government. Mehrauli is the only part of the city that has seen continuous habitation since the 11th century.

The monsoon festival is one among a number of other steps that the government plans on taking to boost the oldest of Delhi’s seven cities and making it a prominent spot on the capital’s tourist map. “Our plan is to make Mehrauli a popular cultural hub for families to visit during the weekends and other times as well,” she added. To begin with, the government has asked the South Delhi Municipal Corporation (SDMC) to repair roads in Mehrauli and develop a proper waste management system. The tourism department also plans to provide more amenities to visitors at the Mehrauli archaeological park, and create an entrance for it through the Qutub complex.

Further, the department also plans on conducting heritage walks and art workshops at the place throughout the year, to create awareness of the history of Mehrauli.

The three-day monsoon festival, which saw an overall footfall of around 20,000 people included cultural performances by local artists, heritage walks led by heritage enthusiast Sohail Hashmi and historian Swapna Liddle, and featured delicacies typically associated with monsoons.