IndiGoReach and InterGlobe Foundation commence the first heritage walk from Prayagraj, under ‘My City My Heritage’ campaign
Prayagraj: IndiGoReach, the CSR arm of IndiGo and InterGlobe Foundation (IGF), the philanthropic arm of InterGlobe Enterprises, organised their first heritage walk on December 11, 2022, at Prayagraj, Uttar Pradesh. As part of the ‘My City My Heritage’ campaign, IndiGoReach supported by InterGlobe Foundation will organise heritage walks in 5 cities across the country including Prayagraj, Bhubaneswar, Nashik, Hyderabad, and Indore. These walks aim to set the tone for conversations and partnerships around the preservation of built heritage and to instill a sense of pride among the communities living in the vicinity of these monuments and the travellers visiting these cities.
The walk was led by Dr. Kavita Gupta and curated by Cultre, a venture that fosters heritage appreciation. It covered destinations from Canning Road to MG Marg, appreciating historic landmarks like the Civil Lines Police Station, Nagar Nigam Office, All Saints’ Cathedral, Barnett Hotel, Indian Coffee House, Mercantile Building, Palace Theatre, before concluding at El Chico. This heritage walk is a part of the ‘My City My Heritage’ campaign which was announced in November 2022 to raise awareness about the value and importance of heritage and culture in India.
Speaking at the occasion, Pieter Elbers, Chief Executive Officer, IndiGo said, “We are pleased to commence the first heritage walk under the ‘My City My Heritage’ campaign from Prayagraj, which has been one of the epicenters of Indian history and played an important role in the Indian freedom movement. I was personally excited to join the walk as the city has been home to many great freedom fighters and pioneers of the country. The arterial road of colonial Allahabad (now Prayagraj) has undergone various transformations for the last 164 years, keeping its history and beautiful architecture intact. It is imperative we conserve the architectural wonders by inculcating awareness and pride among people so that these treasures are available for generations to come. We will continue to demonstrate our commitment to being responsible and contributing back to the community we serve, while enhancing the accessibility to these architectural marvels through our unparalleled route-network in India, connecting people and places.”
Rohini Bhatia, Chairperson, InterGlobe Foundation, said: “InterGlobe Foundation is proud to be part of the ‘My City My Heritage’ campaign’s first heritage walk in Prayagraj. Through this campaign, we aim to raise awareness and motivate people to preserve, protect, and promote our cultural roots. We hope to encourage greater participation in the preservation of our built and cultural heritage, which reflects our rich past and links us to our future. The promotion of local art and culture through heritage preservation is closely linked to tourism as well as to the social well-being of the community at large. InterGlobe Foundation is committed to its vision of building pride in communities through providing sustainable livelihoods, conserving the environment, and preserving the heritage and culture of our country.”
The ‘My City My Heritage’ campaign draws on material previously developed by InterGlobe Foundation in partnership with Sahapedia as part of a project to explore, document, and spread the diverse heritage and cultural aspects of ten Indian cities: Prayagraj, Indore, Nashik, Bhubaneshwar, Hyderabad, Ahmedabad, Chandigarh, Goa, Kolkata, and Shillong. More than two hundred cultural points of interest were identified as part of this project, and the material developed, including cultural mapping articles, self-guided trails, listicles, museum mapping, cultural calendars, photography, etc., has been captured in the form of city booklets, which are now available to the public in both print and digital formats.
Both, InterGlobe Foundation and IndiGoReach have individually taken forward various projects for promoting heritage conservation and preservation in India. Some of the major projects of InterGlobe Foundation include, the conservation and cultural revival of Abdur Rahim Khan-I-Khanan’s mausoleum in Delhi, the cultural mapping and documentation of ten cities, and the restoration of the stepwell “Indra Kund” in Delwara, Rajasthan. Recently, InterGlobe Foundation also launched the InterGlobe HERITAGE Fellowships to engage a cross-section of the public in documenting and researching the cultural heritage of India and help increase its awareness. IndiGoReach also undertook projects for the Conservation of Muhammed Qutb Shah’s Mausoleum at the Qutb Shahi Heritage Park in Hyderabad and the restoration of the interiors of the Lal Bagh Palace in Indore, Madhya Pradesh.