There are certain cities in India, like Jaipur, which have a very active nightlife when it comes to monuments. But there was nothing similar in Delhi before,” shared Anoushka Jain. The 26–year-old founded Enroute Indian History in 2019 with an intention to change this aspect of the Capital. Jain’s organisation has been conducting well-researched, guided walks inside historical monuments in Delhi for about three years. A post graduate in history from Delhi University, she said, “We were the first company who started night walks, and we did it in the same month when the government opened a few Delhi monuments—which were Qutab Minar, Red Fort, Humanyun’s Tomb, and Safdarjung Tomb—at night. These monuments were previously only open between 7am and 5pm. It was an initiative to create a vibrant nightlife at the monuments.”
Prior to 2019, the options for culture enthusiasts to tour Delhi at night were few and far between. Enroute, then, provided a solution to the dearth of opportunities for historical exploration at night, added Jain, “You did not have much choice. You could go to the movies, clubs or malls, but if you were interested in culture, there was nothing to do. People were also curious about how the monuments would look at night.” That is how the company started; we started with night walks and morning walks at these monuments.”
With the onset of the pandemic, Jain’s organisation had to stop conducting physical walks because of the nationwide lockdowns in 2020. “We started organising the night walks again after September 2020, but with small groups so we could maintain social distancing and other COVID safety measures. But the second wave struck again in 2021. It has been really sporadic, but it is nice that every time the lockdown was lifted, there was an increased interest among people for night walks. People are tired of sitting at home and staring at their screens all day. The lockdowns have accentuated the importance of physical events and physical walks,” commented Jain.
Exploring history
Post the second wave, Enroute commenced conducting night walks in October. “People are sick of work-from-home, and that makes them want to do something on the weekends. There has been an increase in awareness about mental health as well. Physical walks, I feel, have been married to the idea of mental health and mental awareness,” she mentioned.
On a night walk titled ‘Raat Ke Afsane’ in Red Fort, constructed in the 17th Century by Shah Jahan, Jain discussed the cultural and political importance of the monument in Mughal times, “It is one of the most central monuments in Shahjahanabad, and in Delhi itself. When it was constructed, the Mughal empire was at its zenith. It also saw the last Mughal emperor, Bahadur Shah Zafar.”
“Let us step into the past,” she remarked, as she led us through various sections of the fort and its history, which, although plundered into being a shadow of its former glory, is still impressive, with large solemn walls and a bustling market in the Chhata Chowk (covered market) within.
The walk, conducted on Saturday, was appreciated by Shubham Sehgal (27), a resident of East of Kailash, who concluded, “It was interesting. I have recently developed an interest in history, so I thought why not go for a historical walk. Anoushka is very good at telling stories.”