Yes Bank Teams up with Sahapedia for India Heritage Walk Festival in February 2018

NEW DELHI:
Yes Culture, the cultural division of Yes Global Institute, a practicing think tank of Yes Bank, and Sahapedia, the online encyclopedia of Indian arts and culture, have teamed up to host ‘India Heritage Walk Festival’, a month-long, multi-city event, introducing people to the tangible and intangible culture and heritage of their cities, and celebrating India’s rich cultural diversity.
The maiden edition of this nationwide festival will kick start in February 2018 and has been conceived by Sahapedia, along with Yes Culture as an annual event. The festival will feature nearly 50 public engagement events, including heritage walks (themed, curated and guided tours conducted by experts), baithaks (talks) and workshops in 15 cities, focusing on diverse aspects such as architecture, food, heritage, crafts, nature, and art that make up the cultural fabric of our country.
The heritage walks will cover museums, historically significant monuments, markets, interesting natural landscapes and cultural pockets in the cities known for their cuisine or crafts. For those attracted to city lights, there will be walks by night; treasure hunts for the adventurous and Insta-meets for social media-savvy photographers.
Curated by Sahapedia, the walks will be tailored for user groups such as students, travelers and corporate teams. There will be special walks for people with special abilities and children from underprivileged backgrounds, lending the festival a more inclusive character.
The India Heritage Walk Festival will cover large metros, including Delhi, Mumbai, Chennai, Kolkata, Bangalore and Hyderabad, and other historically significant cities such as Agra, Ahmedabad, Bikaner, Kochi, Pune, Patan, Itanagar, Varanasi and Patna.
“We are happy to have the support of Yes Culture for this project. Heritage walks are a fun, interactive and informative way for people to get to know and understand the history, character and built spaces of their cities and hometowns. The festival will not just be an exploratory exercise; we are hoping it will attract a large number of participants and establish heritage walks as a means to bring people closer to their cities,” said Sudha Gopalakrishnan of Sahapedia.
Rana Kapoor, MD & CEO, Yes Bank and Chairman, Yes Global Institute, said, “India boasts of a rich heritage and cultural history, which resides in its diverse and profound architectural sites. Civil society participation with heritage through heritage walks is integral to the preservation and conservation of these sites. The model of heritage tourism works in tandem with the local community and has the potential to instill the value of self-pride to further the agenda of development.”
Preeti Sinha, Glocal Convenor, Yes Global Institute and Senior President, Yes Bank, said, “Through YES Culture’s heritage programmes, we are committed to developing socially inclusive heritage cities in India for 21st century citizens. India Heritage Walk Festival is a concrete step towards achieving this goal as collective interventions will create opportunities for young people to engage with their cities and understand the latent potential for developing India’s creative and cultural industries.”