Remarks from Delhi on the foot

Ritu Bhanot, 48, came onto a post from City Girls Who Walk Delhi encouraging women to join a group walk in the city while going through her feed on Instagram. Despite its intrigue, she was hesitant since it would require her to stroll beside others. She was reluctant at first, but in December of last year, she plucked up the bravery to go on her first stroll in the Hauz Khas Deer Park. This was a choice that would transform her life.

 

She remembers, “It made me feel like I was back in college.” Bhanot made new acquaintances on the stroll, and the two of them now go on adventures throughout Delhi. “Despite spending 20 years in this city, I’ve never really had the chance to explore.” Women often get overburdened with domestic duties after they are married. I’m now able to take care of myself since my kids are grown and my hubby is working a lot. So, in an effort to meet like-minded individuals, I decided to join this walk. I now go out with them, we exchange life stories, and we commemorate one other’s tiny and large successes. Through these walks, many women, like Bhanot, have discovered their “girl gangs.”

Beginning

“I wanted to keep myself busy on the weekends, so I started these walks.” After a lengthy relationship ended badly, I felt the need to keep busy, especially on the weekends,” says marketing manager Manisha Kalra, 28, who started the walk in March of last year after finding the City Girls Who Walk Instagram page run by New York fitness instructor Brianna Joye. Kalra was motivated to introduce a comparable idea to Delhi.

“I choose to launch it on my own. I invited ladies to go on walks with me, so I sent an invitation on Instagram,” she says. On March 25, the first stroll happened in Lodhi Garden. “I recall standing at gate number three, unsure of who might arrive. Seven ladies turned there, which surprised me,” she recalls.

The first response encouraged Kalra to keep on. The gang developed swiftly, going from seven to fifteen and finally thirty. As the weather became better, more people showed up—at times, over a hundred individuals.

“I just wanted to meet other women who share my values and establish a safe environment where we could talk about our experiences and encourage one another,” she adds. In fact, these walks have given many people a safe haven in this large metropolis that may often feel dangerous.

An Urban sisterhood stroll at Hauz Khas Deer Park

The 24-year-old Bhaavya, a senior analyst at EY in Patna, traveled to the city for work and soon realized she missed her family. She went for a stroll at Shanti Van in May and was pleasantly pleased by the help she got.

I was very lonely in this city. But I was so delighted after that first stroll. One of the girls requested to give me a hug after I confided in her about my homesickness. I realized then how long it had been since I had given someone a hug. I needed the emotional support that the walk gave me,” she adds.

These walks are intended to assist women in networking as well as providing companionship. The 34-year-old Neha Dhingra went on her first stroll at Purana Qila in January while looking for a new job. She made friends with two HR specialists who are helping her with the transition.

Zumba teacher Guneet Suri, 25, found out about the walk in April of last year and started getting more people into her lessons. “The girls wanted to enroll in my lessons as soon as they learned that I taught Zumba. I gained a lot of new pupils as a result of that. She continues, “I even ran two seminars with Manisha.

According to Suri, “these walks not only create a safe, nonjudgmental space where women are encouraged to take a break, but they also offer job opportunities to women seeking a change.”

A community with authority

Women are benefiting from Kalra’s walks in many ways, chief among them being the discovery of an emotional support network they were unaware existed. Talking about our emotions without worrying about being judged is really freeing. Even though I’m past 30, there’s a lot of pressure to get married. However, knowing that I’m not the only one who is worried about it is consoling. Others exist who are similar to me, Dhingra adds.

In partnership with Skechers, City Girls Who Walk, Delhi, commemorated its anniversary last month with a “Sakhi in Saree and Sneakers” walk.

The club has around 3,000 members that are linked via WhatsApp groups and channels, and it has 22.5k Instagram followers. As summer draws to a close, Kalra is now concentrating on planning more inside events. Next on the list is an April 28 puppy yoga session given by Pawasana, an organization that combines the health benefits of yoga with the happiness of bonding with adoptable pups from shelters and non-profits.