The Delhi Development Authority (DDA) has signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) with the Indian National Trust for Art and Cultural Heritage (INTACH), Delhi Chapter, to organise regular heritage and nature walks across the capital, an official confirmed on Thursday, 22 October. The partnership will see two guided walks every month, connecting Delhiites to the city's layered historical and ecological legacy.

First Walk: Mehrauli Archaeological Park on 24 October

The initiative kicks off with a heritage walk at Mehrauli Archaeological Park on 24 October at 4 pm. Participants will be introduced to the park's historic structures, architectural details, and lesser-known stories embedded in one of Delhi's oldest inhabited zones. Each walk accommodates a maximum of 40 participants to ensure meaningful engagement with the expert guides.

The participation fee is ₹500 plus GST per person per walk. Online registration is available through the DDA portal at bit.ly/HeritageWalkMAP, allowing people to sign up from anywhere.

Six Locations Across Six Months

Under the MoU, a total of 12 walks are planned across six locations — with two visits to each site over six months. The sites include Sanjay Van, Mehrauli Archaeological Park, Sultan Garhi, Tughlaqabad, Deer Park/Hauz Khas, and the Northern Ridge. The selection spans both heritage monuments and urban green lungs, reflecting the dual nature-and-history focus of the programme.

INTACH Delhi Chapter will curate routes, themes, and interpretative content and will arrange heritage experts and guides in coordination with the DDA. The DDA, in turn, will manage administrative arrangements including site access and permissions to ensure smooth conduct of each walk.

Lieutenant Governor's Push Behind the Initiative

The programme follows a directive from Lieutenant Governor and DDA Chairperson T.S. Sandhu, who earlier this month led a heritage walk himself at Sanjay Van with enthusiastic public participation. During that event, Sandhu also launched the e-book 'Exploring the Delhi Ridge — Reviving the Heritage of Lungs of Delhi', and instructed the DDA to prioritise ecology conservation, heritage protection, and people-facing heritage programming.

This comes amid a broader DDA push to build public engagement with Delhi's cultural assets. Earlier this year, the authority organised a Heritage Week targeting students and young Delhiites, featuring activities designed to deepen awareness of the city's architectural and historical wealth.

Why This Matters for Delhi's Residents

Delhi's urban sprawl has long obscured its archaeological richness — from Tughlaq-era fortifications to Mughal-period stepwells — that remains inaccessible or unknown to most residents. The DDA-INTACH partnership institutionalises expert-guided access to these sites on a recurring basis, going beyond one-off events. With walks capped at 40 and an online registration system, the programme is designed for quality over quantity. Whether it sustains momentum beyond the initial six-month calendar will depend on public uptake and continued institutional commitment.