Art on Wheels tourism takes tourists on a journey through the world of Pakistani truck decoration. These ornately adorned vehicles depict all aspects of life and fuel an extensive artisanal industry. Art on Wheels tour explores designs and motifs in truck art, the motivations of those involved in the practice, and its cultural significance to provide a unique understanding of Pakistan’s complex and rich cultural society. An accomplished tourism professional, Mehmood Malik illustrates his exclusive research work with regard to the importance of art on wheels tourism and its role in the promotion of tourism.
Art on Wheels Tourism reflects the way of life that goes around the customs and traditions of this Indus Valley culture. Art on wheels takes us five thousand years back and not a matter of years or centuries. All smaller girls and boys are beautified with a black shed on their eyebrows to protect their beauty. One of the Hindu deities “Shiva” is always accompanied by Baronath who is totally black-dressed and with a black face to protect the beauty of Shiva Jee which is supposed to be extra beautiful. So same is with truck paintings and the trucks always hang black pieces of cloth behind and in front. There are dark colors used for truck paintings that reflect and symbolize the colorful Indus Civilization.
Art on Wheels tourism does not mean only paintings on trucks one may observe people riding on motorbikes or even walking on roads wearing dark-colored dresses, especially in Sindh province. Colors play a vital role in people’s lives in the sub-continent, either it is yellow rice (Zarda) or colors on religious sites such as Temples (Mandars), Gurdwaras, or Mosques are visible. Saffron flowers are also used to cook yellow rice (Zarda) but also used to paint on the walls and interior of shrines, especially in Hindu, Buddhist, and Sikh temples. The men wear white color dresses because Lotus flower and the milk of cows is also white one’s character is as pure (Pak aur Pawittar) as milk. Brides are traditionally worn wedding suites in red color. Similarly, the truck is supposed to be the wife of a truck driver and that is why people decorate them in the same patterns.
Truck paintings reflect the way of life of the people of Pakistan – most married and sometimes unmarried wear musical chains (Pazaeb) on their feet and the same chains but little in bigger sizes are fixed at the front and the back of trucks – in other words it is a dancing girl with four legs on the roads.
We are pleased to invite you to Pakistan if you are keen on truck painting tours and to see truck painting workshops. We also specialize in other segments of tourism related to Pakistan tours, including adventure, mountain, desert, and religious tourism.