Known for its curated walks across the State, the upcoming Goa Heritage Festival is slated for five days of walks with a spotlight on the cultural and architectural heritage in the State. Beginning on November 15 the festival this year will offer a total of 18 walks till November 19, taking the participants on a heritage trail.
The participants can sketch at a scenic location to discover Panaji's forgotten freshwater springs, to an interesting food trail peppered with local stories and folklore told by the local inhabitants, the festival will go beyond the streets of Campal. The participants will walk through underground tunnels and wade through water channels to see the source of freshwater along with architect Tallulah D'Silva and learn about the history, structure, mechanism, ecology, biodiversity and related issues during the walk led by her.
Jack Sukhija who is leading the curation of the heritage walks said, “We have selected an insightful tree walk at the Bhagwan Mahavir Garden at Campal led by writer Arti Das, a city signage walk with Vishal Rawley and a bird walk by the Goa bird conservation network.”
Panaji is home to a variety of native, exotic heritage trees such as pines and palm trees which are not to be seen anywhere else in the state other than the capital city. “Heritage goes beyond monuments and old houses. Through these walking tours, we can spread awareness about the type of biodiversity that the state has and bring in the focus about the degrading conditions of these heritage places and the need to promote their care and restoration,” said Arti Das.
Murali Shankaran, co-founder of ‘Make it Happen’ will be hosting the Fontainhas and Campal walk. “The heritage walks initiated by us will add unique experiences that champion local cultures and help travellers connect with local communities in a more meaningful way. The participants will be hosted by storytellers who are knowledgeable, qualified and professional unravelling the essence of the place through vivid storytelling,” said Murlai.
As a culinary trail is always an interesting tour and the Goa Heritage Festival will showcase a different side of Goa through its food and taverns as a part of the 'Secret Food and Tavern Trail ' in Panaji. “Here, one can get to experience a six course meal, with stories, games and drinks as we visit some of the most unique places in Panaji,” said Varun Hegde, director of Soul Travelling.
“I have had the privilege to walk on and learn about the streets of Panaji with knowledgeable people for about two years and have discovered that this is the longest promenade in the state, which has quite interesting histories attached to it, from ancient architecture in places like Fontainhnas to knowing about important historical figures and personalities such as Miguel Dias, the heritage walks cover it all,” says Harihara S S, organising member of the walking tours.
