It is something that we believe strongly, that walking is the best way to explore a city. Until and unless you have walked through the nooks & corners of a city, taking in all the views that a city has to offer, you cannot truly say you have explored a city.
Heritage walks in the City of Joy, Kolkata is a budding way to explore the old and new Kolkata. You get to the very depth of the city, breathing in the city’s heritage and history. Here are some of the walks, you should look out for when next time you set foot in Kolkata to experience the real deal.
Durga Puja Special Walks
The month of October is a very special month for all the bengali because of the annual Durga Puja festival. And if you are traveling to Kolkata during that time, you should definitely go on a heritage walk to one of the “Bonedi Bari” or “Zamndar Bari” pujas [Shovabazar or/and Jorasanko].
This walk will tell you the history of these families, their household and Puja traditions. With easy pickup and drop services, a pre-mapped out itinerary, Durga Puja special walks will show you the city in a new light.
Top Tip: The Durga Puja Special walks tend to sell out faster so if you are interested, you need to book them before hand.
South Park Street Cemetery Walk
This unique 1.5 hrs walking tour will explore an early colonial cemetery of Kolkata: the South Park Street Cemetery. The South Park Street Cemetery, the largest non-Church cemetery outside Anglo-American world in the 19th century, is a grave site of quite some pioneering personalities in Kolkata. However, it is the women buried in the cemetery, who have some fascinating tales to tell.
The walk unearths and brings to light these mainly untold stories through letters, memoirs and other contemporary sources to ever engage your attention. It is an attempt to piece together the lives of these women, including those of a famed beauty known for her wits within the circle of her society, a reputed botanist and the outspoken Indian “bibi” of an English lawyer.
Murder Mystery Walk
Do you like thriller stories? If yes, then you can definitely give this unique walk a try. This 2.5 hrs walk will discuss some of the challenging cold-blooded murders handled by the Detectives of the Calcutta Police Department of the 19th century, through the places directly associated with these crimes.
Some of these spin chilling crimes received more media attention than others as an extension of the deeply ensconced patriarchy of the time and the reason of which will be explained in the walk.
Street Food Kolkata Walk
The best way to understand a city is through its food and we all know that Kolkata is famous for its mouthwatering street foods. You can join this famous tour in and around New Market, enjoying the various delicacies Kolkata has to offer all the while spending a fraction of the cost that you’d pay anywhere else.
Top Tip: While you are at it, you should also try the Flurys Bakery of Park Street and Nahoum’s of New Market, Kolkata.
Read More: When Hungry In Kolkata: Ten Tastiest Street Foods That You Cannot Stop Eating
Flurys was first opened in 1927 and today serves pastries, chocolates, puddings and cakes specialized to cuisines from around the world.
Nahoum’s, a 115 years old Jewish bakery is one of the favorites of the people of Kolkata.
Haunted House Special Walks
These walks are not for the faint of hearts. Kolkata has its fair shares of horror stories and these walks are specially made to explore those chilly spots. You can join these walks to know some of the spine shivering ghost stories of the City of Joy.
Kolkata is mesmerizing city with many tales of its own. You can take up any of these walks to know this city more deeply. And if you have taken any of the heritage walks, do comment down below about your experiences!
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