Stories from the Road

The tour with Gagan who is a friend of Sita, started with a brief introduction about the tour. He told us that when we would step out on the streets of Old Delhi, around late evening we would be seeing people who have worked hard through the day and are about to shut shop and head home. At this time the streets are coming alive with food joints which become busier and busier as the night progresses with people stopping by for a quick snack and others taking something for the road. He told us how this part of Delhi is incorrectly called Old Delhi when it should be called ‘Shahjahanabad’ or the ‘Walled City’.

Gagan took us into the by-lanes, constantly keeping up a lively banter. He patiently waits when something catches your eyes and doesn’t seem to be in a hurry to finish the walk. Along the way we stopped at some famous joints to sample food and watch people pass by. Even with this large crowd, you never feel unsafe. Everyone minds their own business. We struck conversation with random people as they relaxed after having worked the entire day like Bishnu, a porter or loaders locally known as ‘Jhalli Wallas’ identifiable by their green outfit, who are the backbone of the trading community in Chandni Chowk. Each day traders hand over goods worth thousands of dollars to them in complete faith. For a street photographer Old Delhi is a paradise. People are friendly and don’t mind having their pictures clicked.

For me, the walk was a perfect mix of culture, food and enjoyment. The narration was good and Gagan was easy to be around and likable. I would love to go back with Gagan to explore the by-lanes of Shahjahanabad.

TOUR DETAILS

Time:	4 hours (18:00 hrs – 22:00 hrs)
Min:	2pax
Max:	8pax
Tour Starts at:	The expert will meet clients at their hotel (city center hotels)
Route taken:	Dariba Kalan, Kinari Bazaar, Chandni Chowk, Gurudwara Sis Ganj Sahib, Fatehpuri Masjid, Khari Baoli, Church Mission Road & Gali Kababian
Route Map:	Click here for the route map
Inclusions:	A local Expert, snacks and mineral water, e-rickshaw ride
Excluded:	Transportation
Recommended:	All year round
Price:	On Request

Note:

- To be pre-booked before clients arrive in India.
- One needs to negotiate very narrow alleys during the tour.
- Since this is a night tour, it is possible to do it all year round.

 

Best Regards

Kuntil Baruwa | Explorer - in - Residence | Destination Knowledge Centre