Mantana Group of House Boats & Mantana Tours has a very long and rich history. As early as in 1890, during the British occupation, Abdul Rahman started his service of renting out Houseboats in Kashmir. With hard work, he managed to gain five houseboats, which were situated at the Dal Lake nearby Srinagar. Kashmir had always been a holiday location for people from India. Kashmir was during a long period a centre of the Sanskrit culture and rich in literature, sculpture, music, dance, painting, Handicraft  and architecture. Abdul Rahman hoped his houseboats would provide a good stay for them who wanted to enjoy culture and the beautiful nature of Kashmir.

His son, Ahmadoo (Karnai) Ratta, took over the business 1918. In his days, during the British occupation, Kashmir was a large principality, already famous for his hospitality.  Ahmadoo Ratta took the rental business to a higher level. He changed the houseboats into floating palaces and he took care that his guests were treated like kings. From all over the world, the rich and famous visited his houseboats and, after the second worldwar, the High officials of the United Nations were regular guests.

The Profile People Names are Below who had Stayed with Ahmadoo.

• N.J. Ford (Owner of the Automobile Ford Car Company.)
• N.A. Khosla (The Clive Insurance Company Ltd.)
• Minerva Movietone (First Movie Producer in India from Bombay).
• Owner of the Brooke Bond India Limited (Famous Tea Company in 1952 from Kolkatta).
• F.A. Bower (M.D. Mission of California)
• John A. Spencer M.D. California USA
• Miss. R. Angove (C.M.S Hospital – Vellore South India)
• Miss. A.L. Ediger (M. B. Central High School Mahbubnagar, Andhra Pradesh)
• M.W. Utas (United Nations Military Observer Journal)
• G. R. Swiggum F / O Royal Canadian Airforce
• G. H. Russeel (Department of National Defence).
• F. Pring Mill (Oxford University Expidition to Kashmir)
• K. W. Essai (Global Trekker Expiditions Ltd. London)
• A. Neil Pedlar (Yokohoma International School)
• Mrs. B. E Pike ( General Manageress Sharikat Straits Central Agencies ( B ) SDN. BHD.)
• Mr. Andrew Benjamin Phillips (Trustee Saving Bank of Eastern England)
• Mr. J.M. Church (First Secretory of Canadian High Comission, New Delhi ).
• Dr. S. N. Dhananjay (Jay Clinic Bangalore).
• S. K. Charttarjee (Oxford Mission, Kolkatta )
• Michel Bourdeaux (Comissional Principal of Police, France.)
• L. & H. Hermanne (Doctor of Science, Belgium.)
• Bhashkar Jasbhai Patel M.D. Doctor (Kula Kampur, Malaysia).

After Ahmadoo passed in 1972, his three sons, Gulam Mohammed, Gulam Nabi and Abdul Rahman, took over the business which was called “Mantana Houseboats”. They also had their share of famous people, especially since the Bollywood movie industry had discovered Kashmir as a good location for their movies. Actors like Prithvi Rajkapoor, Raj Kapoor, Deelip kumar, Ashabhosle and Mufat Lal stayed at the houseboats.

In 1976, the three brothers started a small travel agency in Kashmir, Mantana Tours and Travels, to provide the growing quantity of Indian tourist a good summer or winter holiday in the mountains. Beside places to stay (in houseboats or elsewere), they offered trips and tours through the mountains and religious trips to the many temples, shrines, nature in the area of Srinagar.

Sadly, the second brother died in 1987. This was a big loss to the family, since Gulam Nabi was the one who cheered everybody up when needed. His passing was also the beginning of a more difficult period. The struggle for Kashmir between Pakistan, India and China since 1947, finally started to have effect on tourism. Especially on the international tourism, since a negative advice for travelling into Kashmir was given.

The two remaining brothers now had more time to concentrate on Suffism. In the hard days they were a big support, not only to their own family but also to their neighbours, friends and the people who asked them for support. The youngest brother, Abdul Rahman, also known as “Tiger”, passed away in 1988, leaving the eldest brother Gulam Mohammed the task to point out the successors of the business.

In 2003, Pakistan and India came to a ceasefire. They agreed to solve their dispute over Kashmir in a peaceful way and Pakistan reopened his airspace for Indian flights. A new period of peace came and with that, new chances for The Family Ratta.

In 2004, Gulam Mohamed Ratta the elder son also passed away and left the task to  Manzoor Ahmed Ratta to support the business of their great grandfather.

Manzoor Ahmed Ratta, son of Abdul Rahman Ratta, came to live in Delhi, India, in 1985, to provide support for his family that stayed in Kashmir. For years he had been working in the heat of Delhi. But he couldnʼt forget the history of his family and in 2000 he decided to start a travel agency in India. His first goal was to relive the tourism in Kashmir. But with all his knowledge of India, he understood he could offer a good trip through India, too.

Nowadays, Manzoor works together with his younger brother, Javeed Ahmed Ratta, who is in charge of the headoffice in Srinagar, Kashmir. They are both owner of Mantana Tours and the Manana Group of Houseboats. Since 2003, travelling to Kashmir is a great experience again and Javeed takes good care of the tourists who come to visit Kashmir.

The houseboats have regained the luxurious glory that the (great-) grandfathers originally created. The office in Delhi has grown rapidly. With more then 500 clients in 2009, Manzoor has employed eight enthousiastic collegues and a team of fiftheen private chauffeurs in Delhi, to help him take care of the tourist that trust their journey through India to Mantana Tours.

Mantana Tours has gained good contracts with the best hotels through India, to be certified of the best rooms against the best prices. By travelling to Belgium, Holland, Dubai and South Africa, Manzoor created good contacts with foreign travel agencies.
This would not have happened without the spirit of their forefathers, nor without the hard work of the brothers. Mantana Tours has become one of the leading and top ranked Indigenous Inbound Tour Operator, not only in Kashmir but across whole India. Mantana Tours is affiliated and recognised by

• the IATO (Indian Association of Tour Operator),
• the Government of Jammu & Kashmir Department of Tourism,
• the TAAI. (Travel Agents Association of India)
• the TASK (Travel Association Srinagar Kashmir)

Our head Office is Located in Kashmir – The Paradise on Earth. And our branch office is located in the Political Capital of India – New Delhi. India is the most popular tourist destination for travellers across the globe and New Delhi is not only its Political Capital but also the fastest and one of the busiest metropolitan of the world. Regarding our service we would like to say that we are highly professional in all kind of service related to travel management. To know more about us please read our news letter achieves.

Mr. Masood Ahmed Shangloo who is a very good friend of Manzoor and is a right hand of the Company. His goal is to make Mantana Tours & Travels a big name in Tourism Industry. Masood is very well known in the Northern Himalayas as he does takes international groups from Italy, Belgium, Thailand and other countries into these areas for Trekking and has a sound knowledge of these areas.

Mr. Rens H. Wiegeraad (Lawyer, University of Amsterdam) & Mrs. N. de Cloe (Lawyer, University of Utrecht). These two valuable persons have given me a lot of courage and a great support to put Mantana Tours & Travels in order in New Delhi. These Valuable two persons are wonderful people and may they always be healthy & happy in their life. That is my wish to them and I would like to take this opportunity to say them big thanks from bottom of my heart I love them both.