Do you remember the opening lines of William Dalrymple & Olivia Fraser’s book ‘City of Djinns’, “It was in the citadel of Feroz Shah Kotla that I met my first Sufi Pir…..”
DelhiByFoot will transport you to that same ‘City of Djinns’, the shadowy & mysterious world of Sufis, Fakirs & Saints…a place where devotees come and write letters to the Djinns of Kotla, stick coins on the walls of a mosque, offer milk, sweets, fruits & even meat to the Djinns, all with the single objective of having their wishes fulfilled!!
Yes these interesting aspects of Delhi’s unique lifestyle, spiritual beliefs and historic ruins can be seen right next to the famous Ferozshah Kotla Cricket Stadium in the heart of Delhi.
This Fort along which once flowed the mighty Yamuna river was the 5th city of Delhi, founded & built by Sultan Ferozshah Tughlaq in 14th century AD. The sprawling fort with its attractions of a beautiful mosque, a massive Ashokan-era stone pillar, Baolis & cells beneath the building platforms give you the unique opportunity to get lost in the oasis of silence in midst of all the hustle-bustle of a city rushing around it. The Kotla or Fort gives ample opportunity to Nature lovers and Photpgraphy enthusiasts to enjoy the beautiful flora & fauna and hone up on their photography skills.
(The walk presentation will be done in Hindi and English, but occasionally we also spout Urdu as we get carried away by the stories of a bygone era!)
To see feedbacks and pictures of our previous walk events click here:
https://www.facebook.com/media/albums/?id=225947740777502
DATE: Saturday, 9th June 2012,
TIMINGS: 5:00PM – 7:00PM
MEETING POINT: Ferozshah Kotla Fort Ticket Counter just on Bahadur Shah Zafar Road, near Times of India Newspaper Building.(Google Maps reference: http://g.co/maps/6u7nm
CHARGES: For this collective conspiracy to sabotage your lazy weekend and in return recharge your batteries for the week ahead, we ask for a small price of Rs.300* per person!
* Children below 8 yrs are allowed free
* We accept 50% of our normal fees if enthusiastic Senior Citizens aged 60 & above join us!
Did you know Delhi had 8 different cities built, demolished & rebuilt over the last 1100-1200 years? Did you know that today's 'Old Delhi-Purani Dilli' is actually new, while the real 'Old Delhi' is Mehrauli? Do you know that in medieval India it was the Tughlaq dynasty in North India who were the most prolific of builders of cities & citadels for the well-being of their own empire? Do you know that in midst of the hustle-bustle of CP, there exists an oasis of peace, a Baoli, where time stands still and whose moist, cool environs refresh the tired soul.
The books we read in school never throw light upon these interesting aspects of Delhi's geo-political importance, or Delhi's Vedic historical relevance, the importance of natural geographical features that helped become Delhi the seat of power for many centuries and the changes in outlook of a Delhi Lifestyle in all aspects of culture, foods, dress, religion and traditions due to influences from other civilisations.
We at DelhiByFoot have a mission to showcase our lovely city of Delhi in a new perspective, catering to people of all age groups & backgrounds. With more than a decade of walking experiences in Delhi we have developed a deep understanding of how the city works as a system and discovered that each of its fragments can reveal many underlying realities. These have developed into interesting learnings and experiential modules that help individuals find the connection between the self and the society.
We share stories, anecdotes, legends and some secrets of Delhi, giving each participant everlasting memories and a variety of lived experiences of the joyful, fun, wild, insightful, touristy and healing aspects of Delhi.
Join us and let your feet walk, eyes see, fingers click and heart feel as you soak in the spirit of Delhi through all your senses and slowly transform into a true ‘Dilli-wallah’ whose heart hears and the soul sees …for indeed it is the City of Djinns.
