There are so many stories one can recount about the city which hosts IIMA. About how Ahmed Shah founded today's Ahmedabad in 1411. About the earlier avatars of the city in the form of the hamlets Ashaval and Karnavati. About the variety of political dispensations up to the time of Indian independence-the Gujarat Sultanate, the Mughals, the Marathas and the British. About its deeply mercantile character. About its famous business leaders, its textile mills and its entrepreneurial genetic code. And about the Sabarmati Ashram, Gandhiji's home for many years. The state of Gujarat, of which Ahmedabad is the commercial hub, likewise, offers a number of stories. Some, such as the legends of Lord Krishna and Dwarka, and the Indus Valley Civilization sites of Dhola Vira and Lothal, take us back to antiquity. Others, such as the Patan Step Well (which our new 100-rupee note so gracefully carries), give us a glimpse of our rich architectural legacy. But perhaps the best stories are those that one tells oneself while visiting these sites and reimagining them, and while interacting with people and participating in their cultural activities.

It was this sentiment that drove Abrar Ali Saiyed, a student of the doctoral programme at IIMA, to take his friends on a walking tour of the old ("walled") city during the holy month of Ramzan in July 2012. The visit was a chance to participate in the traditions of Ramzan. Soon, other students, driven by a passion for our historical and cultural legacies, supported the idea of doing such activities regularly. Abrar tried to build a platform for these passionate souls that would be able to conduct such activities for the IIMA community. The 'Heritage Group' was thus formed, and it officially became a part of 'student activities' on October 2, 2013.

This 'Heritage Group', over the years, has organized a number of city walks, and has collaborated with a number of stakeholders, including restaurants offering authentic local cuisine, publishers of tourist guidebooks, and art connoisseurs through whom artists, singers, musicians and dancers have been invited to IIMA. In April 2020, the 'Heritage Group' was renamed "Virasat", a word that means heritage in many Indian languages. Virasat will continue to work to bring our students and community closer to their roots. The possibilities are infinite, and so is our passion for our heritage and culture.