Pre-paid tonga rides on cards for tourists

Tonga Ride Heritage Experience Zone coming up under ‘Swadesh Darshan 2.0’ scheme

Mysuru: Tourists visiting Mysuru may soon be able to avail themselves of pre-paid tonga rides, similar to the city’s pre-paid autorickshaw service, if a proposal under the Union Tourism Ministry’s ‘Swadesh Darshan 2.0’ scheme is implemented.

As part of the project, an eco-friendly Tonga Ride Heritage Experience Zone is being developed at an estimated cost of Rs. 2.71 crore to revive the city’s traditional horse-drawn carriage as a heritage tourism attraction.

Heritage-style ticket counters are being constructed using Matti Mara (Terminalia elliptica) wood at Dr. Rajkumar Park, opposite the North Gate of Mysore Palace (see pic.). These counters are proposed to issue tickets for pre-paid tonga rides, which have witnessed a decline in patronage over the years.

The proposal is also expected to address complaints of overcharging by some tonga and sarot operators, who allegedly collect anywhere between Rs. 600 and Rs. 1,500 for rides around the city.

However, officials said, a final decision on introducing the pre-paid system will be taken after discussions on its feasibility at a meeting of the  Tourism Department.

Under the project, designated

tonga ride zones have been planned at the Varaha Gate (main entrance) and Balarama Gate (north entrance) of Mysore Palace, Sri Chamarajendra Zoological Gardens (Mysuru Zoo), Kukkarahalli Lake and the college premises near People’s Park in Nazarbad.

Mysuru, renowned for its royal heritage, architecture, Mysore-style paintings and several Geographical Indication (GI) products, has long been associated with horse-drawn tongas. Once an important mode of transport during the reign of the Wadiyars, tongas have gradually evolved into a heritage attraction for tourists.

The traditional two-wheeled ‘Shah Pasand’ tonga, which enjoyed royal patronage, can accommodate four passengers, while the four-wheeled ‘Sarot,’ a Victorian-era carriage, seats up to eight people. Demand for Sarots typically rises during annual Mysuru Dasara celebrations.

Karnataka Tourism Infrastructure Limited (KTIL), the implementing agency for the ‘Swadesh Darshan 2.0’ project, is constructing the wooden ticket counters using environment-friendly materials. Officials said, the structures are designed to withstand heat, rain and wind and can be relocated with ease whenever required.

Speaking about the initiative, V.M. Prabhuswamy, Assistant  Director, Tourism Department, said, “Environment-friendly Tonga Ride Zones are being built in order to promote tonga ride. These are not permanent structures built by brick & cement. It can be removed or relocated with ease.”