Nothing could be more satiating than a early morning cycle ride in the historic lanes of Delhi. Three young guys — Vicky Roy, Brijesh Pandey and Nawab — all in their early 20s from Salaam Balak Trust, in an effort to spread awareness about the ruins of Mehrauli, have started a cycle tour “Mehrauli by Cycle”.
Brijesh, who has been working as a tour guide with the Salaam Balak Trust, says that it’s an effort to familiarise the tourists as well as locals with the obscure but glorious structures of Mehrauli. “We plan to take people on a three-hour guided tour on a cycle to 10 historically significant sites in the area. The initiative aims to go beyond the beaten track and provide a slice of history that is usually not served by the tour companies and guidebooks,” he adds.
Brijesh says that all three of them are doing their best to make this initiative successful. “It will be easier for us because all three of us are proficient in different things. Being a tour guide, I know what facts and figures interest people. Having lived in the Mehrauli for years now and being interested in photography, Vicky is aware about the hidden sites that very few people know about, and Nawab is a pro at collecting information,” he says.
Twenty-year-old Nawab has also worked as a guide under the Salaam Balak Trust’s programme. He says that his experience helped him come up with something as basic as a cycle trip to learn about the history of a place. “I’ve always wondered why do people frequent Qutub Minar but are unaware about interesting stories behind the ruins of Mehrauli. Over the few months, three of us have gathered enough information to make our trips rich with information,” he says.