LAHORE: The Walled City of Lahore Authority (WCLA) on Saturday launched the ‘Wekh Androon Lahore’ (a glance into the inner city of Lahore) tour which starts from Delhi Gate and ends at Chowk Purani Kotwali.
In this guided tour, the tourists see 14 different locations on the Shahi Guzar Gah (royal pathway) with trained tourist guides. This unique tour will take tourists into the narrow streets of Androon Lahore (inner city), heritage sites and bazaars.
The tourists will also visit Shahi Hammam, Sabeel Wali Gali, Akbari Mandi, Tang Bazaar, Gali Surjan Singh, Haveli Mian Sultan, Chitta Gate, Dina Nath well, Pakistan Cloth Market, Azam Cloth Market, Wazir Khan Masjid, Chowk Wazir Khan, Craft Bazaar and Craft Ghar.
This tour will also have several cultural performances including Dhol and Dhamal (a traditional dance on a drum beat), kotwal, danka and bigl performance, harmonium and tabla (musical instruments), Heer goi and monkey show. Tourists also get to taste the local food, like lassi (a yoghurt drink), haleem, muraba, naan khatai and much more.
Commenting on the new initiative of the Walled City of Lahore Authority, its Director General Kamran Lashari said this is a unique designed guided tour of old Lahore. “Our trained tourist guides will show them around the places, which have been hidden from the public and not easy to explore. The tourists will get to enjoy the true life of Androon Lahore, its cuisines and culture. It is an honour that we have received a good response on the launch of this guided tour from the public,” he added.
On the first day, almost 150 tourists from Lahore and other cities in Pakistan attended the guided tour. A large number of families were also seen on the tour who appreciated the efforts of the Authority.
Many of them said that the tour provides an opportunity to explore the old Lahore and that too with expert guides who give a history of the place, which gives a better perspective of our heritage.
Khalid Anwar told Business Recorder that Walled City has provided outstanding family entertainment: “it was a good educating tour of old Lahore”.
A female tourist was jubilant to be a part of the tour. She said that it was an amazing day: “we were shown different parts of the old city and gave us delicious refreshments”. She was excited to visit the Wazir Khan Mosque.
A family from Okara was seen on the tour. One Javed said they have come from Okara to visit the old Lahore and the ‘Wekh Androon Lahore’ was an amazing tour. Apart from tasting different local cuisines, they learnt the background of their heritage, he added.
Copyright Business Recorder, 2022