Urban Safari : Experience

This Saturday Ankit from r4r team was invited to experience the #FortRide which is one of the tours included in Urban Safari, a concept of Khaki Tours where people are taken in an open vehicle to see the heritage spots and enclaves in Mumbai.

About Khaki Tours
Khaki Tours is a platform where heritage lovers come together to explore the rich history and discover the untold stories of Mumbai.
The main aim is to increase awareness about ‘Heritage’ and its conservation among the common man.
The tour can be on foot or in a jeep.
Over 50 walks have been organized in a span of 1 year.

Khaki Tours is founded by Mr Bharat Gothoskar who loved to be called BharGo.
He had been working with various MNCs as marketing head but left the job to pursue his passion for heritage buildings and enclaves in his own city, Mumbai.

Urban Safari
Khaki Tours started with 3 hours walk which was then reduced to 1.5 hours but soon BharGo and his associates realized that it was really difficult for elderly and disabled people to walk for that long; hence the concept of Urban Safari came into place.
5 people are taken in an open vehicle to see the heritage spots and enclaves in Mumbai.
The design of converted Mahindra Bolero looks quite fresh and impressive.
The idea is to educate the Mumbaikars about the rich history and heritage of their own city as well as promote Mumbai’s tourism beyond business and Bollywood.

My Experience
I was invited to experience the #FortRide which covers more than 100 sites in the Fort precinct.
The meeting point was at the steps of Asiatic society/ Central Library or Town Hall, whatever name you call it by. The tour started with a 15 minutes introduction after which we sat in the Bolero to start the ride. Everyone was given a map and pocket diary.

Our host, founder of Khaki Tours, Mr BharGo is a Wikipedia of Mumbai’s heritage which I understood in no time.
His knowledge about Mumbai’s history is commendable.
The facts about different historical buildings and monuments, reason behind their construction and the detailing of the royal architecture was explained in the simplest and most interesting manner.

There came a time when with each passing building I was excited to know about its history and the minute detailing of the amazingly beautiful architecture it wore.

Do you know what Silk route is famous for?
Which is the first pre-fabricated building in India?
Are you aware about the history of Regal Cinema?
Which statues are there on the Bombay High Court?
Which is the first polychromatic building of Asia?
What is the story of Tata Palace?
Have you seen Shakespeare in Fort?
There are mermaids, angels, flying lions and a lot characters from the greek mythology, Do you where?
How a Juliet Balcony looks like?
What was Churchgate named after?
Do you know the oldest printing press of Asia is in Fort?

After the tour ended I was able to answer all of the above questions and many more like them.
It was an amazing experience, especially for a person like me who has a keen interest in exploring India’s heritage and history.

Conclusion
Apart from #FortRide there are many other rides which are coming soon.
#CoolColaba, #DadarDrive, #BandraBlast to name a few.
A must experience for anyone who would love to know the untold stories behind the rich heritage of Mumbai. A big thumps up from r4r team.
Charges are a nominal of INR 500/ ride which also goes to a NGO.