In urban areas, one of the biggest concerns people face is that cities are not designed to be walkable. In India, everywhere you will find traffic, two-wheelers flooding footpaths to beat jams, and broken walkways. However, there is one city in India where all these issues do not exist.
The most walkable Indian city
On July 1, Tanya Khanijow, an Instagram influencer and travel vlogger, posted a video of herself visiting a city in Northeast India, calling it the ‘most walkable Indian city.’ It is Gangtok, the capital of the mountainous northern Indian state of Sikkim. Sharing the video on social media, Taniya wrote, “The most walkable Indian city, in my opinion.”
According to Tanya, Gangtok is an exceptionally pedestrian-friendly destination that stands out among Indian urban cities. How did they make it possible? Elevated walkways and better management. In the video, the vlogger emphasised that the city’s elevated walkways allow people to travel safely without disrupting vehicular traffic.
“This is the most walkable city that I have ever been to in India. There are so many of these elevated, uninterrupted footpaths that don’t interfere with traffic, and you feel safe while walking,” she shared.
‘There is a ₹1,000 fine for honking unnecessarily…’
Beyond the infrastructure, the vlogger shared that the city is known for its peaceful environment, thanks to strict fines for unnecessary honking. Moreover, a pleasant climate encourages long strolls.
“On top of that, the weather is so pleasant that I walked for 30 minutes without even realising it. There is also a ₹1,000 fine for honking unnecessarily, so there isn’t much noise,” she revealed.
Additionally, she noted that women feel secure walking alone because they are not subjected to uncomfortable stares or harassment. “Ladies, if you are walking by yourself, people won’t stare at you intrusively here; it feels very safe,” Tanya said.
Ultimately, she expressed admiration and surprise at witnessing such high standards for walkable areas, respect for women’s spaces, and understanding of what common people need. “It’s strange, isn’t it? Something that should be a right in every one of our cities feels like a pleasant surprise to find here,” she shared.
How did the internet react?
While many appreciated Gangtok’s commitment to making the city livable for everyone, others expressed concern about more tourists coming and ruining the peace. One Instagram user commented, “Please don’t promote it much, as people will reach there and destroy the city like Himachal and Uttarakhand.”
Someone else wrote, “Northeast is the paradise of India.” Another user expressed, “Every city should be like Gangtok and the sticker behind every car, ‘Be kind to animals’.” A user pointed out that Shillong, Shimla, and Chandigarh are also the same.
“I went to Sikkim in 2019, and I can honestly say that Gangtok is one of the most beautiful cities with the sweetest people. If you want to cross the road, they will willingly stop their cars for you. The city is so clean, with no weird people at all,” a user commented.
Note to readers: This report is based on user-generated content from social media. HT.com has not independently verified the claims and does not endorse them.
