Lydia Price/Travel + Leisure
Shristi Shukla’s first day as a tour guide did not go as planned.
What kind of woman are you, being on the road with so many men?
he added, all in English so her European guests a group of men could follow along.
Credit:Lydia Price/Travel + Leisure
Out of nowhere, he just came and started abusing me, Shukla told me.
In Delhi, a lot of young women do this job.
It was very weird and uncomfortable for them to see a woman leading the tour.
Shristi Shukla/Travel + Leisure
Their approaches to teaching Indian history and culture were just as remarkable.
Travelers can experienceancient wonders of art and architecturealongside bustling bazaars and a thriving artisan community.
Neha Agrawal/Travel + Leisure
Shukla grew up in a forest-filled region of central East India, miles from Jaipur.
Neha Agrawal/Travel + Leisure
They still think that Im unemployed, she half-joked about her family back home.
Ive always been rebellious in my house.
Im the first woman who has actually gone out on my own.
Piero M. Bianchi/Getty Images
Like her family, strangers dont stand a chance of shaking her confidence.
Men always weirdly stare at you.
I always stare back at them, she said.
akegooseberry/Getty Images
And as for women?
They always come and counsel me, she said.
Youre very sweet and beautiful; you should not do this work.
Your skin will be burned doing this walking tour daily, and who will marry you?
After their father’s passing, Agrawals brother encouraged her to become a tour guide.
She was the only woman in her guide training class.
The stigma has significant repercussions.
Its a polite no.
But I keep on knocking, she said.
Piero M. Bianchi/Getty Images
Luckily for anyone visiting the Pink City, Agrawal and Shukla persevere amid the challenges.
I spent my first day in Jaipur with Shukla.
Equally gutsy and charming, she has a way of immediately putting you at ease.
The storyteller glides through Jaipurs bustling streets with a calm grace, and that confidence rubs off on you.
No one is used to seeing history from a female perspective.
In our history books and everywhere, we have always read stories about the kings.
Thats how I started curating the stories and showing the city from a female perspective."
Its magnificent and a landmark of India.
But the men proudly say its a security wall for the women.
I would not feel secure being trapped on the other side of a wall.
Shuklas work profoundly impacts her female visitors, and she believes they become confident after hearing her storytelling.
I see an excitement in their eyes," she said.
“And I think they see hope in India and how a woman can be [here].
Like Shukla’s, Agrawal’s ideology emphasizes the impact and experiences of women.
Kings came, kings went, just because of women.
They have been strong mothers and strong maidservants.
The history wont change.
While educating travelers about India’s history, Agrawal is also learning a lot.
She’s forged friendships with people worldwide, and her work with women travelers has been especially gratifying.
When I am with my lady guests, we are in a different zone,” she told me.
We talk abouteverythingandanything:their personal lives, struggles, and how they achieved those levels.
That is a beautiful day for me, always.
I love to hear their stories because they inspire me a lot.
Im at one place, but Im getting a bit of the whole world every single day.
