Journalism of Courage
At the Tiretta Bazaar in the narrow lanes of Kolkata,the aroma of the popular Chinese breakfast – green broth,scrambled eggs and sausages,invites one. Ahead,huddled around the Bentinck Street is a small Chinese community,which has been a part of the city,since the 17th century. Iftakhar Ahsan,Calcutta Walks,leads a group of 10 onto the Pollock Street and talks about the Jews that lived in the city. For the next two hours,the group is introduced to myriad cultures from the Bow Barracks of the Anglo-Indians to the Canning Street of Portuguese,Armenian Street of the Armenians and Zakaria Street of the Muslims. Welcome to the world of niche walks. As a successor to Heritage Walks,niche walks across the country have made a star appearance. The promise of a discovery and the hope of finding something new that the city holds add to their popularity. One can sign up for an Art Walk in Mumbai or learn about nature at the Tree Walk in Pune or chase Mysore’s growth story at the Growth Story Walk in Mysore.
Ahsan designates himself as an explorer. Kolkata,according to popular belief,is a dirty,filthy city. I wanted to change that impression. There is so much in the city that one needs to explore. That is when we introduced the Confluence of Culture Walk,three years ago. Today,the Confluence of Culture walk has become one of the most popular walks that Ahsan’s company offers to tourists and locals. For Ahsan,the walk is a story. It introduces one to cultures,their sustainability and their problems. When we look at the Armenians and the oldest surviving Church it gave to the city or pass through areas inhabited by Muslims,Marwaris and Biharis,one understands how cosmopolitan Kolkata truly is, he says.
At Kala Ghoda,Mumbai,the crescent-shaped precinct in South Mumbai has a walk dedicated to its corners. Mumbai Magic’s Deepa Krishnan explains the concept behind the Art Walk: I wanted to showcase the different faces of the city. The Art Walk looks at the vibrant world of contemporary Indian art. The walk attempts to give you a first hand understanding of modern Indian art and its evolution from the early 1900s to the present day. This year,Mumbai Magic conducted over 500 walks for 3000 tourists who visited Mumbai. Our Bazaar Walk too found many takers. The Bazaar walk in Bhuleshwar and Kalbadevi explores traditional Hindu and Jain areas of the city; the Chor Bazaar and Null Bazaar walk takes a look at the world of recycling as well as several Muslim communities who live in that area.
