Revisiting rare relics: Story-based walking tour firm Storytrails is set to organise a walk at Egmore Museum this weekend

In a tiny interior village in Andhra Pradesh, an Englishman Colonel Colin Mackenzie chanced upon some ruins of an ancient stupa in 1797. This accidental discovery exposed a glimpse into the oldest collection of Buddhist art in the world. Fast-forward to now, these antique stones have found a home within the red-walled of the Government Museum, Egmore, peppered with whispers from the past. 

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This colonial-style building also houses a portal into the world’s oldest civilisation with the Pallavaram hand axe or the copper plates inscribed with codes from the Chozha and Pallavas. With tales framed around these unmissable artefacts, city-based Storytrails will guide children around the museum during their walk ‘An Adventure at Egmore Museum: A Walking Tour for Children’ on an otherwise sweltering lethargic Sunday morning. Over the past 15 years, the story-based walking tours firm company has helped citizens navigate through history and form connections with their distinctive local narratives via the art of storytelling.

Unlocking curiosity beyond textbooks
Unassuming beads, coins, and little pieces of relics divulge tales of trade and life from aeons ago. “The idea is to use the artefacts to set a context to tell children about a slice of history, about a person, language,  monument,” explains Lakshmi Shankar, head of operations at Storytrails.

As for how the stories are scripted and framed for a younger audience, Lakshmi believes that children are curious beings and hence, none of their tales are simplified. “We remove all the unnecessary information around it but we don’t talk like we know everything. The child is just receiving information. The idea is to excite the curiosity of the child and give them a thread of thought, to tickle his or her imagination, and then let them build a connection.” she says. 

In times where rote learning and marks rule the roost in classrooms, looking at environments, nature, and museums is crucial, explains Lakshmi. In their mind’s eye, the world widens and an enriching understanding of the past emerges. “It’s very important for a child to step outside, go sit in a park, walk around, visit the local bakery, go visit the local fire station or an Animal Care Center to see in reality. (You need to see) what is happening around you and how can you be a part of that. Then when you come back and read a book, it just clicks, it makes the connection so far stronger,” the storyteller explains, adding that school excursions, too, are important to the learning process. 

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Instead of the usual overload of dates, and disconnected facts, the walk hopes to jolt children out of their usual encounters with history. “We focus on telling the most interesting story to the child. There’s no point telling 200 things to a child because whether you’re a child or an adult, you can’t pick it up and your brain will can’t process it,” says Lakshmi.

As for how the stories are scripted and framed for a younger audience, Lakshmi believes that children are curious beings and hence, none of their tales are simplified. “We remove all the unnecessary information around it but we don’t talk like we know everything. The child is just receiving information. The idea is to excite the curiosity of the child and give them a thread of thought, to tickle his or her imagination, and then let them build a connection.” she says. 

In times where rote learning and marks rule the roost in classrooms, looking at environments, nature, and museums is crucial, explains Lakshmi. In their mind’s eye, the world widens and an enriching understanding of the past emerges. “It’s very important for a child to step outside, go sit in a park, walk around, visit the local bakery, go visit the local fire station or an Animal Care Center to see in reality. (You need to see) what is happening around you and how can you be a part of that. Then when you come back and read a book, it just clicks, it makes the connection so far stronger,” the storyteller explains, adding that school excursions, too, are important to the learning process. 

Instead of the usual overload of dates, and disconnected facts, the walk hopes to jolt children out of their usual encounters with history. “We focus on telling the most interesting story to the child. There’s no point telling 200 things to a child because whether you’re a child or an adult, you can’t pick it up and your brain will can’t process it,” says Lakshmi.

Join in for the walk 
Date and time: June 11, 10.30 am- 12 pm
Age group: 7-12 years
Venue: Government Museum, Egmore
Ticket price: Rs 500
To register, contact +91 9940040215 or visit https://storytrails.in/events/