Delhi and the many stories of this city merge with history, legend, and myths. A number of historians and authors have tried to explore these narratives over the years. Anoushka Jain (26) from Janakpuri, has been documenting the city, too, since 2019. Her passion for Delhi compelled her to found Enroute Indian History, an initiative that chronicles the many heritage sites of the Capital through walks. “I have seen so many people who are disconnected from the city they live in. Through Enroute, I wanted to create an active community engagement in understanding heritage spaces,” she remarked.
As the global pandemic and subsequent lockdowns brought the entire country to a halt, the heritage sites that were earlier frequented by visitors started being neglected. To bridge the growing disconnect between Delhi’s unparalleled history and its citizens, a few heritage organisations have started conducting digital walks so as to keep these experiences alive. Reckoning with this idea, Enroute conducted a virtual heritage walk to Mehrauli Archeological Park on Thursday evening. The walk, which began at 6pm, was led by Jain. Although apprehensive at first about the authenticity of a virtual tour, Jain mentioned, “After my first digital walk, I realised how immersive this experience is. It was sort of an evolution of heritage.”
Attended from the safety of their homes, the 20 or so participants were from different parts of the country. Eesha Palkar (29), who attended the walk from Mumbai, shared, “I have always been intrigued by the culture of Delhi, but I don’t have much time to visit the city. Being able to attend a Delhi walk without being there is a plus.” Discussing how coherent the experience was, she added, “Although, at times, there is the issue of a faulty Internet connection, I do not feel disconnected when attending a digital walk.”
A twist to history
Divided into sections, Jain began the walk with a brief account of the Mehrauli Archeological Park before venturing into the detailed history of a few significant monuments that are part of it—the Jamali Kamali Mosque and Tomb, Gandhak ki Baoli, Rajon ki Baoli, and the Tomb of Mohd Quli Khan, to name a few. The bi-lingual session, which Jain conducted in English and Hindi, included an explanation of these sites—the fables of Djinns as well as the renovations carried out during the time of Thomas Metcalfe, the Commissioner of Delhi in the 1840s and 1850s.
Barring the occasional interruptions caused because of latecomers, the walk was an otherwise immersive experience. Though virtual, the photographs and videos taken by the team of 30 researchers and the extensive research made this walk as real-time as possible. In fact, one could have easily perceived that they’re strolling through the park. Joking while discussing the Djinns at Jamali Kamali Tomb, Jain said, “This tomb is haunted by the Kafir Djinns who are notorious for being influenced by the devil. I suggest not visiting the park in the evening; they might slap you.”
The walk commenced as a history lecture but ended with a discussion of experiences by the participants. This only proves that digital walks like these are ways to keep the city’s history alive especially when one cannot venture outside.