Veteran India Gate faces off with newbie Sansad Bhavan

Dilli ki sardi Sunday book club brunches in Lodhi Garden Afternoon cycle trails in Lutyensrsquo Delhi Sunsets at Humayunrsquos Tomb Night strolls by Qutb MinarThe mention of these charming scenes during the endless Delhi versus Mumbai debate is probably the only odd occasion when hardcore Mumbaikars including this writer throw in the towel Come winter and parts of Delhi present historic mystical and romantic avatars of its neighbourhoods Itrsquos also peak season for its welloiled walking tour and heritage trail communities because the pleasant weather translates to morning afternoon evening as well as night walksSachin Bansal founder Delhi WalksThis year a new inclusion the ambitious Central Vista Project in Lutyensrsquo Delhi is nudging them to relook at the compassSachin Bansal chief explorerfounder of Delhi Walks and organiser of the ongoing first Delhi Walks Festival feels that the Central Vista Project is an opportunity to explore and showcase this evolving landscape with its new landmarks and sites ldquoWe organise the Kartavya Path Heritage Experience as a bespoke tailormade walk to suit individual preferencesrdquo adds Bansal about the renamed Rajpath which was built as a ceremonial boulevard around the 1920s by Sir Edwin Lutyens and Herbert Baker Kartavya Path inaugurated in September 2022 stretches from the statue of Netaji Subhash Chandra Bose to Rashtrapati Bhavan Bansal believes that this development has ignited discussions surrounding heritage conservation and urban design while offering a chance to unravel Delhirsquos everchanging narrativeDelhi By Cycle completes 15 years in 2024 Seen here is a group in front of Rashtrapati Bhavan with barricades in the immediate backgroundRamit Mitra founder of Delhi By Foot DBF who has been conducting two walks in the RajpathIndia Gate area since 2014 has a slightly different take When the Central Vista opened DBF felt that a few new versions of their Making of New Delhi Walk and Princely Palaces of Delhi Walk could be curated ldquoBut no new spot has opened uprdquo he admits adding that he hasnrsquot experienced a spike in requests as expected ldquoLocal interest hasnrsquot been highrdquo Mitra shares that interest in these walks is higher from Bengaluru Mumbai Kolkata Chennai and Pune with requests from educational institutions for the New Delhi walks seeing a spike Anoushka Jain founder of Enroute Indian History EIH Delhirsquos only allwomenrun walks platform that also conducts womenonly walks including at night has mixed feelings about the altered landscape ldquoI donrsquot think there is a fascination for new structures including the new Parliament House India Gate and Rashtrapati Bhavan continue to remain alltime favourites India Gate is a sentiment Dilliwalahs have fond childhood memories attached to it just like Mumbaikars have for Gateway of IndiardquoParticipants halt at India Gate with the Bose Canopy in the background as part of the bespoke Kartavya Path Heritage Experience organised by Delhi Walks the cityrsquos oldest walks company that began in 2010 right Himadri Giri operations head and director Delhi By CycleOne of the reasons for the lukewarm response could be the limited access to key landmarks ldquoTill 2019 the trail started at the top of Raisina Hill and ended at India Gate It got discontinued due to the farmersrsquo protests and the pandemicinduced lockdowns However even after COVID19 restrictions were lifted and before construction began in full swing at the revamped Central Vista avenue they had changed the rules where groups werenrsquot allowed to the top of Raisina Hill Previously from this vantage point participants could see the Secretariat buildings and Rashtrapati Bhavan It made for a memorable evening walk but now the group has to stay within a boundaryrdquo she reveals adding that this has created a disconnect with the landmark She isnrsquot gungho about charting new walks here it could get underwhelming for the participants due to limited access Interestingly EIHrsquos digital walks that offer full access to these landmarks are currently witnessing more signupsMitra agrees with Jain ldquoWith the latest set of extra VIP security rings around the new Parliament building and proposed work sites near the Presidentrsquos House access to those areas has been curtailed after the Central Vista Project reopened last yearrdquo Security protocols have affected another popular registered walk by EIH Raat Ke Afsaane This sundowner special explores sites like the Red Fort Qutb Minar Safdarjungrsquos Tomb Sunder Nursery Humayunrsquos Tomb and Rashtrapati Bhavan People used to enjoy the lit landmarks and fountain shows and would round off a magical wintry evening with a meal at Connaught Place ldquoBut now Rashtrapati Bhavan isnrsquot part of this experiencerdquo rues JainA group reaches the Qutb Minar complex as part of Enroute Indian Historyrsquos EIH Raat Ke Afsane tour Founded in 2019 the platform believes that monuments should be kept open after sunset to ensure more footfalls and better awareness of Delhirsquos heritageLike walking tour organisers cycling group Delhi By Cycle has also tweaked its routes Himadri Giri its founder shares ldquoOur Raj_The New Delhi bicycle tour has been running for nearly 15 years To ensure a smooth experience we start by 645 am and wrap up before traffic and crowds build up The route we used to take had to be tweaked when Central Vista construction beganrdquo Starting the tour from scratch was a timeconsuming process but it was necessary to maintain the essence of the experience so Giri and her team have since continued with the new customised route Our Raj The New Delhi bicycle tour that she feels is more convenient ldquoOur tour now covers a 12km distance with six stops that include refreshments and breakfast breaks The duration has been shortened by 30 minutes the earlier route was a 15 kmstretch Initially the group would halt at India Gate for storytelling but that part has been skipped because they need to return via Kartavya Path that remains open till 8 am for cyclistsrdquoFor Giri itrsquos a learning curve ldquoWe are gradually embracing new opportunities Clients experience the storytelling and the scenery on bicycles along quieter roads with less traffic like Minto Road from our parking spot to reach Connaught Place Previously it was via Paharganj the reason we cut out Paharganj is because we needed to reach Kartavya Path by 8 amrdquo She reveals that while many appreciate the new routes via Connaught Place India GatePresidentrsquos House Hailey Road Barakhamba some returning clients still find the old route more memorable and adventurousYulu bike tours is a new introduction by EIH to get people excited about urban heritage and cultureDespite its issues Mitra highlights the positives ldquoThere is better signage with ease of walking through the newlymade underpasses there are exhibits like archival photos from the last 112 years portraying the growth of New Delhi there are more toilets along the entire stretch Access ramps for the elderly and differentlyabled have made our existing walks easierrdquo Better lighting for DBFrsquos popular evening walks at Central Vista has added to the appealJain agrees that the archival underpass has helped participants avoid traffic but feels that while it was a straight walk earlier where you first crossed Rafi Marg and then Janpath to reach India Gate ldquonow you need to use the underpass to reach here it is exhausting for some of our participantsrdquoAnoushka Jain founder Enroute Indian HistoryA former employee at Indira Gandhi National Centre for the Arts IGNCA Jain believes that this redrawing could spell good news for cultural institutions ldquoIGNCA is one of the buildings to be relocated to the Central Vista My former colleagues were positive with the modern improved amenities Other cultural centres like the National Museum are also being moved here which could increase footfallrdquo she reasons believing that they could get their due once positioned along the Central Axis as it will get more accessible ldquoWe may even add a gallery from the Museum as a halt on our walks and thus add more content for consumption As it is one cannot reach the top of Raisina Hill No matter how much I egg the group to crane their necks to see beyond the barricades they could lose patience So such a relocation of cultural institutions along the Central Axis can be beneficial as long as security protocols donrsquot restrict entryrdquo