The Delhi Development Authority has signed a six-month agreement with the Delhi Chapter of the Indian National Trust for Art and Cultural Heritage to organise heritage and nature walks at six locations across the capital, giving residents structured access to sites that combine historical, architectural and ecological significance.
The programme will begin with a guided walk at Mehrauli Archaeological Park on October 24 at 4 pm. The agreement provides for 12 walks over six months, with two visits planned at each location. The selected sites are Sanjay Van, Mehrauli Archaeological Park, Sultan Garhi, Tughlaqabad, Deer Park and Hauz Khas, and the Northern Ridge.
Each walk will be limited to 40 participants. Registration will be conducted online through the DDA portal, with participation priced at Rs 500 plus GST per person per walk. The fee-based format and capped group size are intended to support guided access and managed participation at sites where heritage structures, green areas and public use overlap.
INTACH will curate the routes, themes and interpretative material for the walks. It will also provide heritage experts and guides in coordination with the DDA. The development authority will be responsible for administrative arrangements, site access and permissions, according to the details of the agreement reported by Millennium Post.
The first walk at Mehrauli Archaeological Park will focus on the site’s historical structures, architectural features and lesser-known stories. The park contains multiple layers of Delhi’s built history, making it a significant setting for a programme that seeks to connect public engagement with heritage interpretation. The planned walks at the other locations will extend the initiative to forested areas, archaeological sites, historic ruins and urban landscapes.
The agreement follows recent public engagement around Delhi’s natural and historic assets. Earlier this month, Lieutenant Governor Taranjit Singh Sandhu led a heritage walk at Sanjay Van and launched an e-book on the Delhi Ridge. The activities highlighted ecological conservation, heritage protection and public participation in the city’s natural and cultural landscapes.
The initiative has been undertaken on the directions of the Lieutenant Governor and is aligned with the Master Plan for Delhi 2047, which promotes heritage conservation, sustainable development and cultural tourism. Its implementation will require coordination between the DDA, INTACH, site authorities and participants, particularly at locations where conservation requirements must be balanced with public access.
The first walk is scheduled for October 24 at Mehrauli Archaeological Park. Further walks will be organised at the remaining five locations during the six-month period, subject to online registration, permissions and the programme’s stated participant limits.
