Walking The City Of Joy!

It’s a wonder why this concept is so new in this country. With the bustling galis of Chandini Chowk or the chaos of Crawford Market, the best and perhaps the only way of experiencing the heart of an Indian city is on foot. Well established in Europe and Japan and setting off on the right ‘foot’ in India are these fascinating Walking Tours.

A good place to start your meandering is with ‘Calcutta Walks’. This grand colonial capital may have been rechristened Kolkata, but it remains the city of joy. Its glorious British Raj heritage captures you. And ‘CalWalks’ claim their exploration of this city is limited only by your imagination! What sets them apart is their passion. There are no guides here…only explorers. These dynamic people from diverse backgrounds have immense love and respect for the city. So you’re not stuck with someone who has mugged up a history book.

The more popular walks conducted by the Calcutta Walk Group include the Dalhousie Square and its famous Writers Building, the Renaissance Bengal, Bazaars of the Old City and Myriad Calcutta Culture walks. So you can get an up close and personal look at this melting pot of myriad cultures. From the European to the traditional Bengali, from Islamic to Baroque, the sights and smells will have you fall hook, line and sinker. More specifically, the ‘Confluence of Cultures’ tour will take you on a journey from Bow Barracks to Burra Bazar and will trace for you the origins and remains of the varied communities that dropped anchor here and now call Calcutta home. You can check out why Chinese breakfast still rules Tiretta Bazar, where the Parsis are dwindling in numbers with each passing day and how the Armenians gave the city its oldest surviving Christian church.

There are also the themed tours; the East Kolkata Wetlands Walk, Birdwatcher’s Walk, Photographer’s Walk, Food Lover’s Walk. But you might want to indulge in the offbeat tours too, that will reveal a side of Kolkata that even the natives may not be aware of. Like the graveyard tour — a walk around the cemeteries of Park Street, also known as the Burial Ground Road! For the food connoisseur, Bengal will be a delight. The Cooking Lessons tour goes through the various markets in the city and familiarizes them with the ingredients that go into making authentic Bengali food. This walk ends with a cooking demonstration either by a housewife or by chefs from famous restaurants. Top it all off with a Rasagulla – what more can one ask for…well perhaps the fact that they will even customize a walk to suit whatever you may fancy!

Besides the walking tours, you can also opt for city tours in case you’re in a time crunch. And if you’re looking to just soak in the sights without the effort, you can cruise on the Hoogly for a variety of interesting cruises on offer. Another experience that the company offers is the ‘Home Stay’ option. From artists to hoteliers to retired professionals to past princesses, a range of homes in various locations, suit the needs of every traveler looking for a ‘home away from home’ experience. All this comes at a price, which ranges from Rs 1,250 for a no-frills walk to Rs 8,000 for a sunset river cruise.

Far from the glittering glass facades of apartment buildings and characterless malls, these tours skip the traffic signals and show you the noble and cultured, dramatic and diverse Kolkata. It’s the experience of a lifetime.

For more details look up www.calcuttawalks.com

[Kartik Bajoria, a regular contributor, runs his own creative agency called BOLD & is also involved in Films & Music as a force of habit!]

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