Nasir Hussain of the Lahore Transport Company said tourist tonga rides would not be possible on main roads in the city, but there was no harm if tongas were used for tourist rides within the Walled City. PHOTO: AFP/FILE
The Old Lahore Walkabouts, a tourism company, in collaboration with the Walled City of Lahore Authority has arranged a Tonga Tour of the Walled City on October 13 (Sunday).
The tour will begin with a tonga ride on the Circular Road. The tour’s participants will then enter the Walled City from Taxali Gate and stop at Haveli Naunihal Singh. A tour guide will be assigned to each tonga.
Old Lahore Walkabout CEO Farhan Shah said, “Tongas used to be the primary mode of transportation in the Walled City... but have now been banned.” The venture is a step towards reviving the tradition of travelling on tongas, he said.
Nasir Hussain of the Lahore Transport Company said tourist tonga rides would not be possible on main roads in the city, but there was no harm if tongas were used for tourist rides within the Walled City. It would generate revenue from tourism, he said.
Tongas used to be an institutionalised mode of transportation at one time, said Shah. They used to be registered and each tonga cart had a registration number. Cart inspectors would check if tonga owners adhered to regulations regarding the road-worthiness of tongas, he said.
“This tour is an effort to familiarise people with this old mode of transportation. Each tonga will have a dedicated tour guide who will regale participants with insights and stories of monuments on the way to the haveli.” said Shah
That makes it much more than a tonga tour, he said, it is also a tour through the history of the Walled City.
He said the tour’s destination, Haveli Naunihal Singh, was one of the most historically important havelis in Lahore.
WCLA Culture and Heritage Expert Talib Hussain said, “Naunihal Singh was a grandson of Maharaja Ranjit Singh who ruled over the Punjab till he died in mysterious circumstances. He lived at the Haveli and played a major role in shaping the history of Punjab.”
At the haveli, participants will attend a talk by Fakir Khana Museum curator Fakir Saifuddin on the history of tongas and Haveli Naunihal Singh. The talk will be followed by dinner and musical performances. The tour will end with a guided walk inside the Walled City.
WCLA Deputy Director Tania Qureshi said, “The new generation is quite unaware of the cultural traditions of old Lahore. Tonga rides are one such fading tradition.”
Old Lahore Walkabouts is commercial enterprise that conducts walking tours of the Walled City for tourists.
Published in The Express Tribune, October 9th, 2013.
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