The Delhi Walk Festival by Delhi I Love You looks promising, with 80 different walks and 30 organisations conducting them. We’re planning to go for these over this week and obviously, we had come up with a shortlist. Check out the ones which made the cut!
Nature Face to Face with YamunaNo, this is not another of those sloganeering groups of people urging change or an anti-pollution campaign. The walk will be headed by Manoj Kumar Mishra, one of the founding members of the Yamuna Jiye Abhiyan, you will be exploring the only green patch remaining along the Yamuna. This is perfect for naturalists and bird watchers, as well as those who love walking on a ghat.
When: 22 February
Where: Outside Gurudwara Majnu Ka Tila, New Chandrawal, Civil Lines
Timings: 7.30am - 10am
Read more here.
Twilight in the Jungles of DelhiDelhi by Foot is organising this night-walk, where you can explore the jungles of the city at sunset. Stories of the Rajput kings of Delhi, and slave dynasty sultans will be recounted, and the whole surreal atmosphere will revel in the tales of djinns, fakirs and bandits of the forests. Thrilling, eh?
When: 22 February
Where: Outside Qutub Minar Ticket Counter, Seth Sarai, Mehrauli
Timings: 5pm - 8.30pm
Read more here.
The {Disappeared} Flower Markets of Delhi1100 Walks will be traversing through the three main flower markets at Fatehpuri, Connaught Place and Mehrauli that have now been erased. Such an intrinsic part of the city, with their presence felt in homes, temples and almost everywhere else, the walk will look at urban planning and other factors that led to the shifting and removal of the sites.
When: 27 February
Where: Katra Bariyan, Khari Baoli, Fatehpuri, Chandni Chowk
Timings: 7pm - 9pm
Read more here.
Find more Nature walks here.
Heritage 1857 Through Indian EyesThe walk will be held at various spots in the city where mutinies took place, along with the recounting of tales through eyewitness accounts. Participants will be told about the importance of that particular place, and listen to short, selected excerpts from newspapers, poetry and memoirs of 1857—in English and Urdu.
Swapna Liddle will be hosting the walk; she has enormous experience of conducting walks in Delhi for the last 15 years you definitely don't want to miss this.
When: 23 February
Where: Gokhale Marg, Kashmiri Gate, Inter State Bus Terminal, Kashmere Gate
Timings: 8am - 10am
Read more here.
Hazrat Nizamuddin Auliya DargahGo through the narrow lanes, and find yourself mesmerised with the music of the Qawaals. Sadia Dehlvi, an eminent author and columnist, will take you on a journey through this sacred space that will be hard to forget.
If you want to learn more about Sufism through the times, this is your golden ticket.
When: 25 February
Where: Adjacent to Dam Dama Sahab Gurdwara, opposite the BSF ground
Timings: 4pm - 6.30pm
Read more here.
Find more Heritage walks here.
Food Chaat Trail in Old DelhiChaat always gets us excited, and a whole day full of chaat and that too, in old Delhi has our mouths watering. Delhi Food Walks brings you this stellar walk sampling kalmi vada, kulle ki chaat, dahi bhalle, daulat ki chaat and many more.
Anubhav Sapra is a fabulous person to get some kebab recommendations from, too!
When: 23 February
Where: Chandni Chowk Metro Station
Timings: 4pm - 8pm
Read more here.
Garden to Table: Foraging in Lodhi GardenWhat? Yep, Perch, Kush Sethi and Uzair Siddiqui are coming together to provide you with the perfect foraging experience in the city. There’s lots of edible produce available in the gardens there, and the walk will include a visit to the nursery.
Chefs from Perch will give you a fab tasting session with the local ingredients you find.
When: 25 February
Where: Alliance Francaise, 72, Lodhi Estate, Lodhi Road
Timings: 10am - 1.30pm
Read more here.
Find more food walks here.
Alternative and Experimental Saree-Dhoti Picnic: A Spring Picnic in Stunning DrapesThis is a picnic that will be celebrating India’s classical drapes, be it in the form of the body-hugging 11 yards or the starched bottoms. You can expect lots of talks about sarees, play saree games, share saree awakenings and bask in the warm February sun. Himanshu Verma is the well known curator of Red Earth, and he’ll be taking you on this journey.
When: 25 February
Where: Gate No 3, Closest to Alliance Francasie, on Lodhi Road, opposite India Habitat Centre
Timings: 4pm - 6pm
Read more here.
Paranormal Activity in MehrauliThis is what the walk details say: ‘Through centuries Delhi has seen suffering, wars, battles and bloodshed… The people have gone but their souls remain… We will teach you how to communicate with the other world. Get ready for a scary experience. Ravi Shekhar has been touched by the spirits in his young age; since then he has been helping people and families with their issues with ghosts.”
And we only mention this because we don’t wanna take any chances if things go wrong. {But we’re definitely going for this. Our tickets are booked}.
When: 27 February
Where: Qutub Minar Roundabout, 1AQ, Qutub Minar Complex Road, Seth Sarai, Mehrauli
Timings: 7pm - 9pm
Read more here.
Read more Alternative and Experimental walks here.
Art and Photography St+Art Delhi Walk - Lodhi Art DistrictUnless you’ve been living under a rock, St+art has been reforming the city with its stunning work at the WIP show and the Lodhi Art District, India’s first public art district.
With DIY toilets, walls full of poetry and more, we are sure looking forward to photographing some art around the city. St+art Tour will be hosted by Giulia Ambrogi, festival curator and one of the co-founders of the St+art India Foundation.
When: 25 February
Where: Gate No. 1, Lodhi Road, Opposite India Habitat Centre
Timings: 10am - 12pm
Read more here.
Find more Art and Photography walks here.
Delhi Zoo Photowalk: The Wild Fauna beyond the CageWhile there’s a lot of wildlife to be seen in the zoo, DPC is planning a walk that concentrates on fauna seen outside the cages. This is a photography walk hosted by Tanmay, a wildlife photographer himself. His images have been acknowledged and awarded in various forums such as National Geographic Traveler, Canon India & Smart Photography Magazine. So lots to learn here.
When: 27 February
Where: Zoo Ticket Counter, Sundar Nagar
Timings: 3pm - 6pm
Read more here.
Architecture and Design Lodi Garden with Sohail HashmiWe recommend this walk purely because of historian Sohail Hashmi’s experience. The tour will start from the Mausoleum of Mohammad Shah - the last of the Syed Kings - and end at the Mausoleum of Sikandar Lodi. You can learn about the evolution of the dome, the transition to the true arch, the long period of transition in between, the exchanges between Turk and Afghan architects with south Asian artisans, the transformation of a necropolis into a landscaped garden and so so much more.
Get ready to take notes.
When: 25 February
Where: Lodi Restaurant, Lodhi Road, Gate No 1, Opposite Mausam Bhawan
Timings: 8am - 10am
Read more here.
Architecture, Markets & Cafes around Lodhi EstateIf you think that Lodhi Estate is full of gardens only, then you have another think and a walk coming. The walk will cover architecture, markets & cafés—all in and around this area. Explore a non-mall city with Surekha Narain, a conservationist who leads heritage walks in Delhi and has over 30 walk routes in our city alone.
When: 25 February
Where: India Habitat Centre
Timings: 3pm - 6pm
Read more here.
Find more architecture and design walks here. We also recommend this poetry recital in a haveli, a wedding shopping walk in Lajpat and the crafts in this city of forts.
When: 22 - 27 February
Where: Buy tickets here
Price: INR 400 {approx.}
Check out their website here. Follow their Facebook page here.
