GUWAHATI, March 10: A motley group of people are often seen roaming the streets of Guwahati in the morning, led by a young man, as they stop at certain points, click photos and huddle for a chat.
Some of them are tourists passing the city and a few are locals waiting to explore, bound by an appreciation of the history surrounding the area as they come together for ‘Guwahati Heritage Walk’, a novel concept by history enthusiast Izaaz Ahmed.
“Guwahati has been the ‘gateway to the North East’ since ages and this is a city steeped in history, which has seldom been highlighted.
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So, its my small endeavour to bring out the historical significance of the areas through which we pass every day without giving a second thought,” Ahmed told PTI.
Having started the walks in January, he has conducted three such tours so far and the response has been encouraging for the young entrepreneur.
“Historical walks are a new concept here. I have had seven-eight people in each of the three groups, ranging from tourists to locals to students. There are more enquiries and I have scheduled more for the coming weeks,” he said.
Ahmed, who is a teaching faculty at a coaching centre here, added that he is also in talks with schools who have shown interest in arranging the walks for their students.
Sujata, who was here on work, was happy to get a glimpse of the historical parts of the city.
“I learnt about the walk on Twitter and immediately signed up.
I found it very interesting and also could relate to many similarities from back home, especially between my alma mater Fergusson College and first college here Cotton College (now university),” the Pune resident said.
For Dr Khafiluzaman Ahmed, who is now settled in Denmark and is visiting family here, added, “I have always roamed around these areas and am aware of its significance to a large extent. But this tour still had a lot of new information for me”.
The walk starts from the Northbrook Gate, often called the ‘gateway to Assam’, which was constructed in 1874 to welcome then viceroy Lord Northbrook to this province.
It comprises 11 points of historical significance within a radius of about 2 km.
Two temples and a church, sight of the famous ‘Battle of Saraighat’ in which Ahoms handed down a decisive defeat to the mighty Mughals, the North East region’s oldest college, a prominent public hall that has been witness to many historical events and an archaeological site are among the locations covered.
Ahmed said he has plans to expand to other places of historical prominence in the state and conduct guided tours for tourists and anyone interested in knowing more about the place.
While historical walks have been conducted in the past too in Guwahati as well as different parts, a concerted, sustained effort is being perhaps made for the first time to showcase the relevance of the city since the ancient ages. (PTI)
