As the Kala Ghoda Arts Festival 2026 kicks off today, heritage walks emerge as a key attraction, offering guided tours of Mumbai while giving people insights about the city’s history and culture. Curated by Bharat Ghotoskar and Kaevan Umrigar, the walks include tours in English, Marathi, Gujarati, and Hindi, along with sessions for children and the differently abled, plus heritage talks at Khaki Labs to make history accessible to all. It offers the unique opportunity for art and culture enthusiasts to deep dive and rediscover Mumbai’s timeless charm while stepping into the future.
From looking back at Fort for kids, wandering around Wadia Clock Tower, discovering Dongri, dipping your toes into Mumbai’s theatre history, to soaking in the beauty of Girgaon and Colaba, these walks also include fun stuff for children and differently-abled people.
Vertical curator Bharat Gothoskar shares, “The theme this year for the heritage walks is ‘Looking Back To Move Ahead.’ History repeats itself, and there is a lot to learn from what has happened in the past. In this vertical, we have realised that not everybody wants to walk, so we have also introduced heritage talks. It is basically a history tour through a talk.”
According to him, the heritage walk hopes to help people understand the ethos of a place as they walk around and explore it. During the walk, stories are narrated, and there’s a mention of the particular place’s history, which makes the walk memorable. “Most importantly, we are doing specific walks in Marathi, Gujarati, and Hindi to reach a wider audience and promote inclusivity. We are also doing a walk for the differently abled community so that a wider part of society can participate,” he reveals.
There will also be an exhibition for nine days by artist Saurabh Chadekar, named Aqua Line, where people will be introduced to the history of Mumbai’s water heritage; its fountains and pyaus.
“We will have people who are equipped with skills to communicate with differently-abled people using techniques specially curated for them. We are focusing on how different senses can help people understand the purity of that place. Like if they can’t see, then they can touch things around at Horniman Circle and understand the meaning behind it.
“Everyone should participate as the Kala Ghoda Arts Festival is free for all. We don’t charge for anything. Ideally, plan to visit on a weekday to skip the rush,” advises Bharat. “We also have late-night walks for people who can’t visit during the day.”
How to register for the heritage walks?
Tickets for the events and workshops will be distributed at the helpdesk at the Rampart Row. Distribution of the tickets starts at 3 pm daily for the heritage walk activities. Visitors are advised to come early, as it is on a first-come, first-served basis, and people start queuing up from 2 PM onwards. All the events and activities are free of cost.
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