Living in Delhi for the past 3 years, I notice something peculiar about the people here.
Many have called this city home for decades, yet few know of its origins.
Some of the mysteries I stumbled upon, and no local could explain:
Why do so many neighborhoods end with a sarai (Neb Sarai, Kalu Sarai, etc), and what does it even mean?
Are Delhi and New Delhi different? (Spoiler: Absolutely!)
Where are the famed 8 cities of Delhi today?
It had to be a strange day when I decided to walk a road less taken from the Hauz Khas Metro Station to my home, unaware and unprepared, that this detour would lead me to the ruins of Jahanpanah. That day I discovered the "4th city" of Delhi, built by the Tughlaqs. I had been unknowingly living within a historic, fortified city for three years and had no clue - nor did any of my neighbors.
This chance encounter with Delhi's past sparked a whirlwind of curiosity. I began to wonder: what else are we, the residents of Delhi—and perhaps of most big cities—overlooking?
And then it hit me: we don't walk enough!
In our fast-paced, vehicle-filled world, we’ve forgotten the joy of walking—of moving slowly enough to notice, to connect, to learn. And yet, the only way to truly understand the layers of a city’s heritage is by walking through it.
Learning To Walk: First Steps to Heritage
Modern cities, I believe, are like living museums waiting to be explored, with stories hidden in plain sight. It’s through heritage walks, on foot, that we can slow down, absorb, and rediscover our connection to the world around us.
This philosophy fuels Turismo's growth as it expands into GPS-guided heritage walks. By combining technology with the joy of discovery, the aim is to deepen people’s appreciation of their surroundings and foster a sense of connection to history.
What better way to enrich our lives than by understanding the world we walk in every day?
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