Raahgiri Day - Gurgaon, India
From left to right: Ms Bharti Arora, Joint Commissioner of Police, Traffic, Gurgaon; Mr. Alok Mittal, Commissioner of Police, Traffic, Gurgaon; and Mr. Shekhar Vidyarthi, Deputy Commissioner of Police, Traffic, Gurgaon. Arora, Mittal, and Vidyarthi announced the launch of Raahgiri Day at a press release on October 18, 2013. Photo by EMBARQ.
Young bicyclists line up for a cycle rally at the first Raahgiri Day on November 17, 2013. Increasing awareness among Gurgaon's urban residents about the benefits of active transport - such as bicycling and walking - has been one of the greatest positive impacts of Raahgiri Day. Photo by EMBARQ.
Participants celebrate the first Raahgiri Day with a dance on November 17, 2013. Over 10,000 people attended the inaugural event. Photo by EMBARQ.
Young participants join in a road race at the first Raahgiri Day on November 17, 2013. The promotion of physical activity has been a major goal of Raahgiri Day, and running is just one of many athletic activities that can now be seen on the streets of Gurgaon every Sunday. Biking, yoga, zumba, dance, weight lifting, and more are all common scenes at the weekly event. Photo by EMBARQ.
Raahgiri Day participants enjoy yoga on December 17, 2013. Closing major city streets to automobiles on Sundays has allowed urban residents to take advantage of many group fitness classes and physical activities, including yoga. Photo by EMBARQ.
Raahgiri Day participants engage in a soccer match on February 9, 2014. Photo by EMBARQ.
Dancers entertain a crowd at Raahgiri Day on February 16, 2014. Photo by EMBARQ.
A crowd dances along with a performer at Raahgiri Day on February 9, 2014. Both music and dance performances - planned and spontaneous - have been staple features of Raahgiri Day. Photo by EMBARQ.
Raahgiri Day is India's first sustained car-free day. Launched in Gurgaon – India’s “Millennium City” – on November 17, 2013, the event closes 4.5 kilometers (2.8 miles) of major streets to automobiles every Sunday from 7:00 am to 12:00 pm and opens them up for recreational and community leisure activities. The name Raahgiri was chosen to resonate with Gurgaon's residents and Indian citizens across the country. The term brings two ideas together - raah refers to a path or journey towards a final goal, and GandhiGiri is a colloquial adaptation of Mahatma Gandhi’s transformative technique of non-violence.
10,000 people participated in the inaugural Raahgiri Day, and that number has grown each week – reaching over 20,000 by Week 5 and nearly 90,000 by Week 8. The event has generated significant public and media attention, sending a strong message that Indian roads have great potential to positively benefit urban residents when they are accessible not only for cars, but for pedestrians, cyclists, and for recreational purposes as well. More importantly, the event has succeeded in driving home the fact that many of India’s urban residents are willing to use sustainable modes of transport, provided they have access to safe and secure infrastructure.
EMBARQ India was involved from the beginning stages of conceptualizing and planning Raahgiri Day. To learn more, see TheCityFix's coverage of Raahgiri Day since its launch in November 2013. For more photos of the event, visit EMBARQ's Raahgiri Day Flickr set.