Explorer’s guide

Delhi-based documentary filmmaker Arjun Pandey has created an mobile app to help Delhiites know their city’s rich history

Documentary filmmaker Arjun Pandey used his technical knowledge to launch a location-based mobile application called ‘Delhipedia’ that provides real time information about the city through a video and picture gallery. He speaks to us about the need for an interactive city-based app and its uniqueness.

Tell us a little about your mobile app — Delhipedia The application covers all aspects of the city — from its heritage monuments and crowd-happy bazaars to its thriving cultural scene and platefuls of delicious food. The aim is to bring alive the true essence of Delhi and its magnificent culture. In a way, Delhipedia is an audiovisual running encyclopedia about the city and its hidden, unexplored things that many of us are still unaware of. How does it work Delhipedia is a location-based app that allows viewers to see places of interest around them and then preview or learn more about the place with the help of a short three to five minute video. The app takes the viewers on a virtual tour of the location according to their preferences. The USP of this app is our ground work. My team and I interact with the locals to get real stories like old legends and some community-based stories about each place for the users. What inspired you to develop an application like this With digitisation and technology being the key drivers for our day-to-day activities, we thought of creating an application that could help people to explore and know the city better. In a way, our objective was to provide a ‘One-Stop Delhi Shop’ information source that could be accessed anytime or from anywhere by just surfing the mobile. To make it more connected with people, we have made it visually appealing through videos and photo-features. Why did you opt to visually connect with the audience Since I am a filmmaker, my knowledge in this segment came very handy. Also, I believe that in today’s technologically driven world, to stand out among the ten thousand other mobile applications one must explore an innovative and interesting technique to grab the audience’s attention. According to me, visuals are the best way to do this. And another important aspect is that youngsters these days prefer to watch a two-minute video instead of reading a text about any subject. So, in this app we have listed the best of Delhi with videos and a visual library for people who are searching for new things in the city to visit and explore. There are numerous other niche apps catering to city specific needs. Do you think there was space for one more We love Delhi and wanted people to discover Delhi along with us, and fall in love with this city. No other apps provide information about the history of the city in an interactive or in-depth manner. Another reason is that somewhere, the rich cultural heritage of the capital is getting lost. We should focus on reviving and documenting this history for future generations. Today’s generation does not even know the number of monuments the city holds or what all places to visit other than the 10 popular monuments. At present, the definition of ‘going out’ is ‘eating out’, the app is a step to change that.