Traditional horse-drawn carriages still do good business in India

02 February, 2013

Chennai is home to the traditional business of horse-drawn carriages in India. The trade is almost a century old and people who are still in the business use these horse-drawn carriages for marriage occasions. Not only in South India but in North India as well, horse-drawn carriages, and horses are an important part of weddings as the bridegroom normally has to ride these horses to the wedding venue.

T.R Thennavan, owner of a horse and carriage horse shop said, “My great grandfather was in this business, and then my grandfather and I have been in this for about 30 years now. For occasions like marriages, birthday parties and temple functions, the horses are booked,” reported ANI. His shop has 10 carriages some are even 100 years old. The place looks like it belongs to another era where horses used to be the medium of travel. Thennavan further added, “God has been very gracious to me. We get good revenue through this. Including me there are 15 families and even their families are doing well by this income.”

These carriages are popular in and around Chennai just like in North India, as in Chennai, too, no wedding is complete without them. Traditionally, these carriages form a procession for the marriages. India, still has a tradition of horses and carriages. In the recent past when Pranab Mukherjee was sworn in as the President, he chose this royal mode of conveyance to enter the Presidential palace. Even Jawaharlal Nehru, India's first Prime Minister used to ride on horses to go to work.

Many organizations in modern India, however, strongly object to horses drawing carriages. People for the Ethical Treatment of Animals (PETA) recently released their findings about these carriages and they showed that malnourished and overworked horses are forced to work in bad conditions. They are fighting against such practices, which use harmless creatures.