Traversing Time: Knowing Your City Through Heritage Walks & Tours

In 2023, Goa Heritage Action Group Walk Fest featured 30+ guided walks in Mapusa, Bicholim, Panjim, Old Goa, and more. Led by “passoikars” (fashioned after passoi in Konkani, meaning leisurely walk), these walk curators created awareness about Goa’s natural, cultural, and built heritage. Heritage tours have recently gained significance in lesser-known cities in India, offering tourists, locals, and the youth the chance to learn about their cultural history.

In Punjab, Batala (estd. 1465) has promoted heritage awareness through their weekly Heritage Bus Services, with efforts from civil society and the district administration’s support. InterGlobe Foundation and IndiGoReach in collaboration, launched heritage walks in Prayagraj, Bhubaneswar, Nashik, Hyderabad, and Indore through their 'My City, My Heritage' campaign.
Meanwhile, INTACH in Palakkad has curated the Nila Weaving Tour to engage locals in heritage conversations.

Individuals like Maroof Umar are also building appreciation for city heritage by curating historical exploration beyond the mainstream, like the Kothis of Barabanki! Dehradun’s Heritage Revivalist Lokesh Ohri's decade-long initiative, Been There, Doon That means raising awareness about heritage preservation and environmental conservation through community walks.

The Heritage Affected Committee’s heritage walk highlighted the residents’ precarious living conditions around Shan heritage awareness. They advocated for amending the Heritage Preservation Act to extend support to the locals in refurbishing homes. A study on Bharuch identified inadequate heritage asset management, poor road maintenance, and pollution as major hindrances to heritage walks.

It suggested involving stakeholders, digitizing information, and implementing e-ticketing to streamline guided tours and walks.
Such efforts are integral to safeguarding the collective memory of old cities and their communities. Heritage walks are an invaluable tool for fostering a deeper connection between people and a city's historical legacy.
Have you been on a heritage walk in your city? What challenges have you encountered on such heritage walks?