Starting with a brief introduction about the old Historic city of Delhi our first stop on Heritage and Food Walk was the grand and majestic Jama Masjid. This 17^th century mosque built by Shahjahan was the chief congregation mosque of the city of Shajahanabad. And it is one of the largest in Asia, the other two competitors begin the Taj ul Masajid in Bhopal & the Badshahi Mosque in Lahore. The Jama Masjid stands on a ground higher than rest of the city & offers a panoramic view around. (more…)

For a walk leader, it is good to see a large group come out in chilly winter mornings to join us on these heritage walks. Our heritage trail in Kashmiri Gate focuses on some sites connected to the events of 1857 rebellion. The walk starts at Nicholson’s Cemetery, the most important burial being that of British General John Nicholson. He is one of the most well known heroes of 1857 ‘mutiny’ for the British. (more…)

It was a chilly and foggy winter morning, but a good time to explore the mysteries of Mehrauli Archaeological Park. The Park has scattered monuments surrounded by thick vegetation. Right from the Tomar Rajput dynasty till now, Mehrauli has been the ‘same’ with its vegetation and numerous monuments from almost the all dynasties who ruled Delhi. (more…)

Hauz Khas village today is one of Delhi’s urban villages. It is today known for its cafés & designer shops. There are art galleries, curio shops as well as some selling antiques. The famous Deer Park is also in the same village. It is a large patch of greenery almost surprising the first time visitor with its variety of trees & the large area. Hidden among all this a medieval tank & a madrasa, going back to the 14^th century. (more…)

This was the last walk of the year & it gets colder every day! Still, there is nothing like walking through the ruins of Delhi to get warmed up. Our heritage walk this weekend was at Lodi Garden. Originally known as Bagh-i-Jud, it was a selected by medieval kings for the royal burials because of its close proximity to a dargah of a revered Sufi saint Nizamuddin Auliya. The garden came up as a part of re-landscaping done during colonial rulers who named the garden as Lady Willingdon Park named after the wife of then Governor General. (more…)