A walk to remember

If you are a parent of young children or young adults and have lived in Mumbai for two years or more what needs to be on your mustdo list is signing up for a heritage walk In the mad hustle of the city we forget to pause and admire the hidden nuggets and remnants of its dynamic historyAfter my Banganga walk last month I had decided to take my 11yearold son and teenage daughter for one heritage walk around the city a month And true to our promise we sign up for the Fort Heritage walk this time The walk starts off at the magnificent steps of the grandiose Asiatic Library The tour conducted by Trip 360 with museum and heritage professional Alisha Sadikot begins with us examining the landscape from where we stand looking at closeups of ancient maps that Sadikot has on her iPad and engaging in spontaneous dialogue with fellow participantsFort refers to a fort built by the British East India Company hugging the eastern coast of the city which was demolished in the 1860s We walk around the invisible and visible circumference of this Fort area looking closely at an amazing array of historic landmarks and buildings constructed in different architectural styles with a variety of local and imported materials The architecture of the Fort area mdash literally the starting point of British advent in the city mdash is a great way to explore and understand the whys and the wherefores of Maximum City So if you wish to teach children Bombays British history an ideal way to cushion the learning is by signing upWalking briskly after talking at length we move from the library and Horniman Circle to St Thomas Cathedral examining the varied use of multiple stones that has imparted a unique polychromatic effect to the faccedilades particularly those of public buildings built in the 19th and 20th centuries Each building tells a fascinating story about the men who built it and the historical events associated with it As we stroll through the area we are asked to imagine the open spaces and esplanade that were once a part of Fort while astonishing nuggets of information and stories of the citys forefathers icons and local heroes are told to usThe engrossed group finds itself cutting across Flora Fountain listening to the marvellous story of the edifice and walks towards Mumbai University and the High Court to observe the similarities and differences in architecture We are told why it was left to the rich locals to fund the building of public structures and how the Rajabai Tower got its name Seth Premchand Raichand who donated a princely sum of 4 lakh for its construction named the tower after his mother who was slowly going blind The stipulation was that the clock would chime every 15 minutes so that she could keep track of her day The clock still chimesThe walk also gives an insight into how Rudyard Kiplings father John Lockwood Kipling who headed the JJ School of Arts sculpture department got involved in the design of VT station as well as the Bombay University and the High Court adding Indian flowers leaves animals birds stories in their architecture and creating a design that not only made provisions for different weather conditions but also created a brand new form of architecture found only in the city of Mumbai mdash the Bombay Gothic A nugget worth taking home from a morning well spentSafety Tip Be careful while crossing the roadFact FileWhere From Asiatic Library to Bombay UniversityBest for Boys and girls 10 years and aboveHow to reach Get off at CSMT or Churchgate and walkTimings Start off early in the morning preferably on weekends to avoid officegoing crowdsBudget We paid Rs 1000 per head for a guided tourFood Carry food or snacks if kids are youngerWater Carry water as well as capsRestroom facilities There are public lavatories available en route and at coffee shopsWhere else to goRelax at the Horniman Circle gardenParent Poll Loved the details of the guided tourRatingKids Poll Will look at the city with different eyes nowRatingWhats Good Walking listening to real stories of the cityWhats Not So Good Meant only for older kids and those inclined towards historyCatch up on all the latest Crime National International and Hatke news here Also download the new midday Android and iOS apps to get latest updates