Seventh Himalayan car rally flagged off in Shimla
by Nagendra Ranta

     Shimla: The seventh edition of the Maruti Suzuki Raid-de-Himalaya Rally was flagged off in Shimla on Saturday. The rally will end in Srinagar making it the first major sporting event in Jammu and Kashmir after a span of 17 years. After starting at a height of 7,000 feet in Shimla, the rally will pass through to a height of 17,500 feet. About 74 participants, including women and Army personnel, are taking part in the rally. The rally has been divided into three categories, namely extreme, reliability and bike-extreme. The rally, considered as one of the toughest in the world, Will cover 1,800 km. and pass through areas where the temperature drops to minus 20 degrees Celsius. "The total distance of the event is about 1,800 km. It is the largest event in our country. The other speciality of the event is that the motor sport event is returning to Srinagar valley after a span of 17 years. The area was not considered as safe but the Jammu and Kashmir Government, the Central Government and the Army had assured us of providing maximum support and security," said Manjit Bhalla, an organiser and the president of the Himalayan Adventure Sports Association. The Himalaya car rally is fraught with danger as the mountains are rugged and the roads are treacherous, tough, unpaved and full of potholes. The weather here is considered to range from severe to the extreme. "The rally is quite challenging. I think being in the Army I am prepared for it. So I am ready to take the challenge and prove that Army men are the best," said, Captain S.S. Bhatnagar, a car rallyist from the Indian Army. "This is considered as men's sport. We will take it as a challenge. We can do well and prove our ability," said Sarika Sherawat, a women car rallyist. The third category of the rally is the Bike Extreme. Altogether 33 participants are participating in this category. Last year bad weather with severe snowfall disrupted the adventure event. But the organizers of the event this year have claimed that they have taken adequate steps for the safety and the rescue measures for the rallyist. However, it is believed that the success of the rally this year entirely depends on the weather Gods.
-Oct 1, 2005

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