Every Sunday at 7 am, a small crowd gathers at a street corner in Pune's old city, holding flasks of tea and phones charged for photographs. They are waiting for the start of a free heritage walk run by Wada Walks, a volunteer group that has been leading these tours for two years.
The walks last 90 minutes and cover a different neighbourhood each week: old courtyard houses called wadas, small temples tucked between shops, printing presses, sweet shops and the stories of the families who have lived there for generations.
"Most of our walkers are in their twenties and grew up in the newer suburbs," said Ketaki Joshi, an architecture student who co-founded the group. "They pass these lanes on the way to college but have never looked up."
How the walks work
- Sign up through the group's social media page; each walk takes 30 people.
- Walks are free; donations go to printing maps and to residents who open their homes.
- Volunteers share the history in Marathi, Hindi and English.
The group has a simple rule: residents come first. Walkers do not enter homes uninvited, and photographs of people need permission. Several elderly residents now join as storytellers.
Wada Walks has started recording these stories, with permission, to create a free audio guide. "When a wada is gone, the stories should not go with it," Ms Joshi said.
Comments
Comments