How can I be useful, of what service can I be? There is something inside me, what can it be?
This question has remained in my head since I started Grade 3 at school. This was the time when I had started looking at the world around me with a different eye.
By professional I am doing job in software company but tourism is my passion .
Why do people beg?, Why do they quarrel or end up hitting each other when our religion says to forgive?, Why do people sleep on the pavements on the road? Living and being brought up in the Walled city of Lahore these questions use to circle my mind at all times. While my friends had idols such as superman, batman, I used to imagine myself being called out in-front of millions of people introduced as Mr Adil Lahorei who followed the footsteps of legends
As days of my life passed by I soon came into the practical life. There were many things I had learnt during this process but one thing had pinched me at all times. Do people really fear the Walled City? I had heard many rumors as to Lahoris fearing to enter the Walled City as it was known as the area of the gangsters. My aim was to change this thought. It was that day that I began my passion of doing voluntary work starting from promoting local tourism and wiping out the bad name of my beloved Walled City. I make my club Adil lahorei Cultural Club on that time
With this aim I used to head to the city of Lahore inviting people to visit me in the Walled City and often would gather a small group who I would end up giving a detailed tour of the area eventually making them agree on the point that no, the walled city is not only about fighting, its full of culture, love and heritage. During my struggle I had met upon many groups working for the betterment of Pakistan such as Pakistan Bikers Club, Motorcyclists Association of Pakistan, Diecast Model Collectors Club of Pakistan, Vintage and Classic Car Club of Pakistan, MAP, Lahore Junction, Lovely Lahore.
I started my journey of promoting tourism with a foreign friend that visited Lahore with my Uncle and that was on foot !
It was with Pakistan Bikers Club and its members that I hosted my first Tonga Tour of the Walled City Lahore. This tour soon became a success and I had many several tours with people from all over Pakistan and even a few foreign tourists. The tour would consist on a group of people who would sit on the Tanga and pass through the Walled City seeing many unseen places such as old havelis, traditional wrestling rings and even the traditional breakfast of the walled city.
Another one of my work was Clean Lahore project. This was initiated by me after a few riots had taken place in Lahore and a bad image of our city was being presented by the media after which I got together a group of passionate youngsters and cleaned the roads of Gawalmandi portraying and a peace loving image of our country and its residents.
By now tourism had embedded into my blood and I wanted to move it to a bigger scale. Why promote local tourism of my city when I could spread it to all parts of the world? This thought helped me explore my beloved country and promote tourism in parts of Pakistan that were even well known for tribunal wars. I would get a leave from my office and head off to the northern areas of Pakistan packed with all the camping gear needed. From the beautiful hills of Murree to the mouth watering spectacles of Lake Saif ul Malook, my aim would be to spread peace and educate people about my love for tourism. During this time I had met many tourists both local and foreign who would not only appreciate my work but would give me the honour to spend time with them and sometimes guide them to hard to reach places such as Fairy Meadows.
My passion for tourism had propelled me to travel across our borders too. I had the honour to represent my culture in India 3 different times in 2008, 2012 nd 2013. My aim once again was to promote my culture thus I would wear my cultural dress and head out to our nieghbours to spread peace and to educate them on our culture. I even had the honour to perform a Punjabi play in India promote my language and my culture. My plans to promote tourism is propelling me to once again visit India and this time with a team of my friends as well as head to other parts of the world to spread the peace loving nature of our country and its native.
In 2013 I headed towards khunjrab. My idea was to reach the highest border in the world wearing my cultural dress so once again I set off on my journey heading to my destination wearing my cultural dress of the Lacha and kurta topped off with my signature yellow dupata. Holding my flute in my hand along with my bag pack I would trek, ride on the bus and event ride a horse to complete my journey. The dramatic scenes of the northern areas made me even more passionate to invite people and make them enjoy as much as I was enjoying.
Working as a volunteer to promote tourism has always been my passion and by my small contribution u can judge that I can be added in the lists of fanatics. Watching news on the television or hearing people talk negative things about my country is what keep me motivated that I have to prove all this wrong. I have met many foreign tourists who go back to their homeland saying that Lahore Lahore hai and even expressing great love for us. When motorcycle tourists come to Lahore I am given the honor to give them a local tour of my Walled City and after they see the true heritage of my city they are forced to erase all the negative rumors about our country.
Another thing that I truly believe on to spread smiles. I would be honored to share my theory with you which basically consists of the fact that you can turn painful situations around through laughter. If you can find humor in anything, even poverty, you can survive it. In our life full of problems and troubles its upto us how we deal with them. Being positive will not only make the problems less but will keep one motivated eventually resulting in finding solutions for the problems.
One value that was sewn into the stitching of our character by our religion had to do with our responsibility to help others. We are expected to be of assistance to others. “Being neighborly” is synonymous with being kind, friendly, and helpful to our neighbors and something that we are encouraged to do on a regular basis. It is more like mandatory community service. Following this I have always wanted to help those in need. Spending time with the drug addicts commonly found in Lahore, listening to their problems and trying to help them to solve the issues. Spending time with orphans or the disabled, another one of my passions is to spread happiness.
Its common for me to roam around Lahore taking pictures of such people and forcing them to smile infront of the camera bearing in my mind that maybe my forcing of two minutes made them forget about their tragic lives and brought a little happiness.
What is ALCC
It is our duty to preserve our culture and heritage which the new generation is forgetting as time passes. Our unique affiliation with history requires revival thus keeping this in mind, in 2008 Adil Lahorei formed Adil Lahorei Cultural Club with the vision to promote old traditions and cultures amongst not only the locals but foreign tourists too.
ALCC aims to promote the true heritage and culture of the Walled City of Lahore. With tours hosted for both local and foreign tourists, ALCC provides everyone with the opportunity to travel back in time, relive the historical moments and have a glimpse at the hidden yet forgotten treasures in Androon Lahore.
Whether it be by moving on foot, heading back in time and travelling on the horse cart or preferring comfort above others in the coaster, we guarantee a unique and pleasurable experience.
The horse cart ride or as we call it Tanga Tour is a unique and now a trademark to ALCC on which our guests are given the chance to enjoy the royal ride of its time and move across architectural and historical marvels. With the horse trotting on the Mall Road and then heading to the narrow streets of the inner city, our guests experience Lahore as it was in the old and golden times.
Overtime ALCC has served many foreign tourists presenting them with scrumptious local nashta, divine traditional dinners, visits to old havelis and detailed visits of Mughal architectural wonders such as the Lahore Fort and Badshahi Mosque. Things unique to Lahore such as the horse dance and dhool wala are also a part of the journey. ALCC has also been honoured to host tours for international delegates such as United Nation Organistaion (UNO) Asian Study Group and NETSOL, Aiseces
It is now time ALCC serves you and your family so hurry up and book your trip with ALCC. Remember as the locals say JINAY LAHORE NAI TAKYA O JAMYA NAI ( the one who hasn’t seen Lahore, hasn’t been born yet).
Last but not least me and my team efforts will go on for the country till death!
Projects that we are doing now
Adil Lahorei Cultural Club
Clean Lahore
Lovely Lahore
Lahore Social
I am Lahore
Thank u so much
regards: Adil Lahorei (Volunteer of Pakistan)
Volunteer of Lahore 🙂
