About Raahi.
In 2014, the students of our department accompanied our faculty member, Dr. Srimanjari, on a walk to the Mutiny Memorial in Northern Ridge, Delhi. This journey was instrumental in sowing the seeds of ‘Musafir’, the Heritage Walk Society of Miranda House which later on came to be called Raahi.
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True to its Urdu etymology, Raahi is indeed a "wayfarer" for the ones who live in the present and dwell in the past.Over the years, Raahi has been led by several enthusiastic Presidents, Vice Presidents and other members and its journey began in the eclectic streets of Delhi.
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From saints and scholars to kings and queens, everyone has left behind their legacy in this city of mehfil. Raahi has strived to unveil and uncover these tales.The society initially undertook in-person heritage walks in and around Delhi. With frequent visits to the National Museum, the lanes and gardens of Humayun’s Tomb, Lutyens, Lotus Temple, Jama Masjid, Chawri Bazar, Purana Quila, and many other monuments, the ‘raahgirs’ of Raahi have been striving hard to deliver history on a platter to a large audience. Eminent heritage walk leaders like Swapna Liddle and Sohail Hashmi have also led walks for Raahi, inspiring the team to continue basking in the glow of heritage, history and culture.
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The Covid-19 pandemic potentially questioned Raahi's existence. But it ventured on in the virtual world, garnering an expansive vision and an even broader outreach. Transcending from the limited scope of its Delhi origin, Raahi amplified its geographical reach through the efforts of its members who hail from diverse regional and socio-cultural backgrounds. From being a physical heritage walk society, Raahi stepped into the digital world and carved a niche for itself through its Instagram, Facebook, Youtube and LinkedIn presence. Raahi has launched a blog, "The past and the curious' providing a blank literary canvas for creators to paint with historically exciting narratives. So far we have explored forgotten places through "Bhuli Bisri Jagah '' and exciting anecdotes on railway stations through "Tu kisi rail si". Our upcoming call for entries is titled "A place to call home".
Raahi's podcast, "Beeti hui baat", does just what its name suggests. From Historian's Craft to urban history, these podcast episodes have a wide range. The Raahi team also maintains a google drive repository of interesting academic and non-academic volumes on history, heritage and culture.
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Raahi has been featured in the Livewire and Hindustan Times. One of our features rightly describes our functioning during the pandemic-"While we were sequestered at home and beginning to feel stir crazy, a group of college students found an interesting way to not only go around the city and explore its unseen bits but also make it accessible to a larger audience through ‘Raahi’." !
Besides the palpable testaments of history, Raahi has also delved deep into the spiritual and cultural soul of India by striking a chord with its heterogeneous intangible heritage. From temples and Sufi dargahs; to food platters, spice routes, and the rhythmic vibrancy of various dance forms; the society has engaged with mystics, travellers, storytellers and performing artists par excellence. Some programmes we organised through the course of the pandemic includes Shadow Tales (A performance demonstration of Tholpavakoothy -shadow puppetry artform of Kerala), a Kashmiri Folk Music Performance by Gaekhir Republik, a session on Irish Folklore by Liz Weir etc.
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Its recent mini walk series explored many new places and avenues from Bengal’s Durga Puja to the Riyadh zoo.
Since the reopening of Delhi University colleges, Raahi has gone back to its roots. Every Sunday Raahi traverses Delhi's historic streets with its enthusiastic members, walk leaders and walk attendees.
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Wielding the support of encouraging faculty members, heritage and history enthusiasts, well-wishers and all those who have joined us on the way, Raahi has grown from an individual’s vision to an inspiration for many.
Indeed, Raahi is a true embodiment of these lines by Sultanpuri-
“Main akela hi chala tha janib-e-manzil magar
Log saath aate gaye aur karwaan banta gaya”.....
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Features-
Livewire
https://livewire.thewire.in/campus/raahi-virtual-walks-exploring-heritage-sites-across-india/
Hindustan Times-
https://www.pressreader.com/india/hindustan-times-gurugram-city/20220205/282492892101686