Dilli Decoded - Heritage Walk Festival for University Squad

Step into the heart of Delhi’s rich past with Dilli Decoded a festival of immersive heritage walks by DBF - DelhiByFoot designed for curious minds and passionate university explorers. From 16th February to 8th March 2025 join educators storytellers historians artists and heritage walk leaders as they bring the city’s hidden stories to life.

Walk through the bustling Chawri Bazaar to uncover the lost world of the tawaifs explore the eerie trails of Sanjay Van and decode the colonial past of the Northern Ridge. Marvel at the art and gendered narratives at NGMA unravel the mystery of the Tughlaqabad Fort relive the grandeur and witness Qutub Minar at twilight. Not only that but in honor of Women’s Day we will delve into the stories of Delhi’s women—their resilience courage and legacy—from defiant queens to overlooked poetesses. 

Expect a deep dive into history heritage architecture artworks and lesser-known narratives that shape Delhi. If you're a student of history education art gender studies or simply a Dilliwallah at heart this is your chance to explore the city like never before!

Limited spots available. Register now and walk through history!

16 Feb 10:00 AM: Beyond Glitzy Heeramandi! The Hidden Courtesan Culture @ Delhi-6

Discover how Tawaifs enriched India's cultural legacy through music, dance, poetry, and social etiquette. More than entertainers, these Nautch girls were warriors and political influencers, challenging norms and shaping medieval society. Witness their dramatic fall from revered Mehfils to obscurity in Brothels as social & colonial reforms, and shifting sensibilities erased their prominence. Experience their forgotten tales in Shahjahanabad’s [Old Delhi] alleys.

(POSTPONED To 9 Mar 4:00PM) 19 Feb 4:30 PM: Tales at Twilight In Dilli's Oldest Forests @ Sanjay Van

Step away from well-known Old Delhi [Shahjahanabad} and explore the forgotten stories of the actual Oldest Delhi, Sanjay Van-Mehrauli! Perched atop the historic Aravallis (Delhi’s South Ridge), it offers a serene escape from the city's hustle-bustle. This ancient rocky forest land conceals millennia-old stories from Delhi's first city and ruins which echo many an empires' rise and fall. Discover urban legends, stories of the Chauhan, Slave, and Tughlaq eras, plus the 11th century Lal Kot fortifications—especially magical and captivating at sunset!

22 Feb 10:30 AM: Through the Looking Glass: Women as Subjects and Creators @NGMA

Art has documented human evolution—from cave paintings to Picasso's Guernica, from personal expression to being used to voicing protest and challenging stereotypes. Join our art heritage walk at Delhi’s premier collection of Classical Greats, exploring works from Raja Ravi Verma to Tagore to Amrita Sher-Gil, and modern masters, but with a special focus as we examine art’s role in gender identity, gendered art and as protest.

26 Feb 4:30 PM: The Raj and Ridge: Myths Mysteries and Legends

Before Lutyen’s Delhi, the Northern Ridge hosted colonial estates, European families and their connected intrigues. Once covered with bandit-infested forests, it witnessed brutal attacks, pitched fighting and counter-sieges during the 1857 Revolt. By the 1870s, the British Raj had transformed it into a memorial site with Civil Lines as its nerve center and later became home to Delhi University. We walk beyond this era also all the way through to Emperor Ashoka, as we explore quirky markers of the North Ridge.

1 Mar 10:00 AM: Time Trekking to the Cursed City of Tughlaqabad

Unearth the majestic walls ancient baolis and concealed tunnels of Tughlaqabad Fort said to have been left in ruins due to the legendary curse of Nizamuddin Auliya. Spend a morning at this mysterious behemoth of a fort, where the bustling MB Road now runs along the wild-grass filled, time-worn ramparts & bastions, while baolis, hidden tunnels, decaying palaces and shadowy granaries, echo with tales of a forgotten realm and the majestic grandeur of the 14th-century Sultanate era.

5 Mar 4:30 PM: Qutub Chronicles: Through Arches and Ages

Experience Delhi's iconic 13th-century stone sentinel, a mute witness to centuries of fables and history on the southern hills, but literally in a New Light!! Illuminated each evening, Qutub Minar, the UNESCO World Heritage site comes alive as we explore tales of the Slave Dynasty, and the almost obscure tales of Razia Sultan’s struggles to become the ruler of Delhi, and the legends of the Iron Pillar. Discover how migration and diverse influences shaped Delhi's architectural legacy on a magical evening walk in vivid detail.

8 Mar 9:30 AM: Dahleez Ke Paar: A Walk Through ‘Her’story

For centuries, society has restricted women’s individuality and creativity, yet they defied norms to carve their own unique paths. In Shahjahanabad, numerous remarkable women shaped politics, poetry, architecture, and spirituality. Discover Jahanara and Roshanara’s influence in Mughal courts and Chandni Chowk, Begum Fatehpuri’s mosque, Begum Samru’s rise and hidden tales of princesses. Experience a uniquely curated storytelling walk session enriched by Urdu and Hindi poetry, reviving resilient tales of a Woman's ambition.

9 Mar 4:00PM: Tales at Twilight In Dilli's Oldest Forests @ Sanjay Van

Step away from well-known Old Delhi [Shahjahanabad} and explore the forgotten stories of the actual Oldest Delhi, Sanjay Van-Mehrauli! Perched atop the historic Aravallis (Delhi’s South Ridge), it offers a serene escape from the city's hustle-bustle. This ancient rocky forest land conceals millennia-old stories from Delhi's first city and ruins which echo many an empires' rise and fall. Discover urban legends, stories of the Chauhan, Slave, and Tughlaq eras, plus the 11th century Lal Kot fortifications—especially magical and captivating at sunset!

Host or Publisher Delhi By Foot