Rajputana Grandeur

The Rajputana Grandeur

The Rajputana Grandeur is an impressive touring trip organised by Western Motorsports. 

The tour riding trip would cover all authentic historical places related to Rajasthan history and culture. 

During the the Rajputana Grandeur your stay would be truly royal.  Giving you the feel of how the erstwhile royals lived their life. 

The Rajputana Grandeur would be between 26 to 28 January 2018. 

Supercharged Rasta Baba - Himalayan Backlands

Himalayan Backlands - Rasta Baba Are You Game For It?

Himalayan Backlands

Supercharged Rasta Baba

By W & W Bros

Uttarakhand is one of the youngest States of India. It is a region with great diversity filled with lakes, flowing rivers, enchanting valleys, green hills and snow covered mountain peaks. It would seem like the almighty had taken time to create this place. That might be one of the reasons why Uttarakhand is known as the Abode of the Gods. 

People of Uttarakhand are as cool as crisp mountain breeze. Generally known as the “pahadis”. To them life matters. They celebrate everything. They are fabled simpletons when it comes to the rat race seen in the urban landscape. Their lifestyle may be of fabled simpleton, but they do value trust and it is always high among them. 

Petered with natural lakes and landscapes, Uttarakhand is an ideal place for adventure sports activities, like trekking & water sports to name few. 

Himalayan Backland organised by Wildrift Adventures and Western Motorsports adds to the list of adventure sports. 

Himalayan Backlands is an adventure that will take you on across Kumaoni region of Uttarakhand. Himalayan Backlands has several activities combined with a car rally. Each day your destination is part of the challenge. Your first challenge of the day starts as your team exit the parking lot on a day filled with adventure, challenges and motorsports combined into the ultimate fun filled adventure rally. 

Himalayan Backland is meant for young and old to embark on a journey of discovery through the world of motorsport. You combine the experience of enveloping yourself in the lap of nature that Uttarakhand has and also the world of motorsports. Every participant of Himalayan Backland would feel like a rally driver - whether you are young or old, family members, buddies or two hearts in love who want experience something different and thus strengthening the bond between them on Valentines weekend. 

Himalayan Backland, a five day car rally event (from Feb 14-18, 2018) that happens on Valentines weekend. This car rally event has been conceptualised such that, you return to home carrying not only memories but also prizes on winning the competition. 

You experience four days of mind-blowing ‘rasta baba’ competition, earning points for conquering challenges. Four days of exploring the ‘Abode of Gods” that will challenge your driving skills, leaving just one team standing as victor each day. Five nights of laid back networking with fellow competitors and car enthusiasts, reliving your storied moments of the day’s challenges. Join Himalayan Backlands rejuvenate yourself along with similes and laughs from spending less than a week with friends in the lap of Kumaoni region. 

Himalayan Backland doesn’t require you to be an expert driver (Rasta baba). It requires that you have basic experience in driving on hill roads. However, what is required is a good (dhaansu) navigator (co-baba) One who could read the road book, interpret and direct the rasta baba appropriately. (it helps in improving communication and bonding among the couples, family & buddies) 

Himalayan Backlands car rally is based on the TSD format i.e. time, speed and distance. You are given a route map that you need to follow while looking for the signs and collect clues/food from the right locations, while keeping your time right according to a preset average speed given to you. 

The preset speed would be a moderate one. At the preset average speed there is always an ideal time for you to sign in at the secret check points. In fact you will lose more points for arriving earlier that for arriving late. Your co-baba (navigator) plays an important role to keep the rasta baba (driver) in check and not get penalised. 

The trick is to read maps well, drive at the calculated correct “rasta baba speed” at all times. Phew. Does that sound challenging? 

As you go on doing and collecting things on the way according to the map you will keep adding to your score. Additionally there are other fun and adventure activities at every place you stay which will be added to your score. 

The top winners will be the team that cumulatively scores the highest in the rally and the adventures. Followed by the team that scores the highest in the rally score standalone. 

Are you game for it? 

The starting line - Camp Syat (the wild side of Jim Corbett), Uttarakhand. 

The finish line - Camp Purple, Mukteshwar, Uttarakhand.

What you need - A partner and a car (any roadworthy car will do) 

How to compete - Read the road map, solve clues to determine destination, compete in challenges 

Do I need a fast car? - Nope, this won’t give advantage, but you will look good 

Who does this? - Normal people who have time and energy to have fun 

What should I bring? - A internet enabled smart phone or device, with GPS. Camera to record the    your adventure of a lifetime.

Himalayan Backlands - Adrenaline Filled Valentine Week

Himalayan Backlands

Car Rally Like Never Before

Adrenaline Filled Valentine Week 

Exploring For The Future - Camping

Exploring For The Future

Camping With Yashwant

Most of us try to take a break and go on weekend rides or do a ride cum overnight camp. This duo, Anukraman and Yashwant did that in middle of a working week. Some of the office going riders were left tending to their envy and eagerly waiting to see the ride pictures. 

Anukraman and Yashwant kicked of two nights and three days ride cum overnight camping on early hours of 17th January. They travelled covering the areas between Jaipur, Sambhar Lake, Pushkar and Merta. Which included camping on open grounds and making their own meal. Living true the spirit of motorcycle riders. 

Yashwant, works at Delhi and is a resident of Jaipur. He is has been riding with Western Motorsports and Jeypore Bike Riders over many years. He is also well known for his dance moves during our get togethers. 

On the second night of the ride, they were joined by Harsh and Chitrarath. Both these riders are budding aspirants of Motocross. They have won few podium places in local events at Jaipur. 

Western Motorsports and its subsidiary group Jeypore Bike Riders,  support and give technical assistance to young aspirants in competitive motorsport. 

Ride cum camping

With Yashwant

The man, the machine and the whole world to explore

A new whole experience - riding in dark where there is no road.

At sunset

Lets not lose our traction on this sandy path

Riding out in the morning - following the sun

Camping on open grounds

In company of the ship of desert - Camel

No civilisation nearby - just us and the thump of our motorcycles

Let me say hello to fellow wanderer.

Tour de Thar 2017 - Fun For Both Driving Enthusiasts And Lay Tourists

Tour de Thar 2017

Fun For Both Driving Enthusiasts And Lay Tourists

By Rahul Rajagopalan

We first heard of Tour de Thar (TDT) some years ago from our friend, Shalini. She had loads of exciting stories to share about how much fun it was. But it sounded like one of those typical motor sports events that was meant for hardcore motor enthusiasts who were passionate about their vehicles and driving. It didn’t sound like an event meant for the usual tourist kinds like us. And certainly, our Nano didn’t seem to fit the bill in my mind. 

Eventually, I succumbed to the TDT stories from Shalini, Sagar bhaiya and decided to join TDT December 2017 with family: my wife Anupama, brother-in-law Siddharth, and our 5-year-old daughter, Kanika. My initial apprehensions seemed completely unfounded. 

True, most other vehicles were large SUVs, 4-wheel drive vehicles. But our Nano managed to hold its own with some help from the team on sandy stretches and the fact that we probably slowed the convoy a bit (owing to my driving abilities, not Nano’s capabilities). 

TDT has much to offer both for the driving enthusiast and the lay tourist: back roads of Rajasthan besides the beautifully laid out highways, some bits of off-roading: sandy stretches, dunes, dry lake beds (tricky because you might encounter slightly wet patches that are not easily identifiable), beautiful night-camp locations, local cuisine, and some undiscovered forts, abandoned villages (historical), the bullet baba temple (it happens only in India) in Jaisalmer, water bodies with migratory birds in the middle of the desert, a Bhopa-bhopi performance on a cold winter evening; and a full-fledged Langa team performing on another evening. 

My most abiding memory of the trip was the Langas performing at sunrise on the sand dunes with Anukraman ji requesting for traditional numbers that they would usually avoid performing for groups of tourists from outside Rajasthan: at the most, you could get a ‘Kesariya Balam’ out of them. Otherwise, it would be a medley of some traditional numbers followed by a few Sufi numbers and maybe a traditional song or two popularised by Bollywood. The sunrise performance ended with a soulful bhajan. Can’t ask for more, thank you, Anukraman ji. 

Our little one, Kanika, enjoyed the entire journey to the hilt. Definitely the fittest member in our family, she wasn’t tired after a day of driving and fully charged up for the evening fun. She explored the dry lakebed at WM Sar (named by Digvijay 'Deejay' Singh and Anukraman ji of Western Motorsports since it didn’t seem to have a name) and was thrilled to see our Nano stuck in the mud. She closely watched the efforts to extricate the Nano and even offered help to dig out the mud around the tyres. She was excited about the possibility of the Nano being towed by the powerful Toyota Fortuner (no such luck though, I missed adding the tow-hook to Nano before the trip). The team helped with manually pushing, lifting the Nano out of the mud-trap. We reached the camp without further incident. Kanika loved the sand dunes at the next camp in Jaisalmer, rolled over to her heart’s content and scaled the dunes several times. 

Kanika is now following up with us: ‘hum wapas TDT kab jayenge?’ We look forward to being a part of TDT December 2018.

Rahul Rajagopalan is a well read person. His genre in reading is mostly related to literature, historic importance, historic period, art and music.

He plays Indian classical music on guitar. His hobbies includes birding and new found passion in driving.

He currently works with a leading publishing house at Delhi, India.

He drives Tata Nano.

Tour de Thar 2017- Emotional Urban-achar !

Tour de Thar 2017

Emotional Urban-achar !

By Shalini Singh

Every year I eagerly wait for the Christmas break. It’s Tour de Thar (TDT) time of the year! 

This is my reason to escape from the usual, boring and predictable routine idiosyncrasies of our societal prison. Driving day after day endlessly through those long-isolated snake-like stretches straight into the horizon may sound meaningless to the urban dwellers. Like a withered leaf, I drift in the metal convoy night after night. Sleeping under the dark deep blanket of sky with stars glittering above my head, the persuasive night breeze gently putting my racing restless mind and soul to deep sleep. Leaving behind a bit of the unwanted in me, taking back a bit of something with me. Like the shiny golden sand of the deserts, my eyes glinting with completeness. 

Un-plagued by the digital slavery, I put faces and emotions to names on the Whats app list. I go as an individual, unaware but open to meet another lost soul. We come back as friends (real, not FB). With many million gigabytes of new memories which don’t need any fancy gadget to store and high-speed internet to download. I fill my bank, not with money, but with memories that keep me afloat when the tides hit me low. 

With each mile I explore, I feel closer to my true inner self. Yes, it’s nirvana for me. The transcendent state of mind that this urban bread earning earthling longs for. Where there are no boundaries, no purpose, just aimless wandering where the earth meets the horizon, getting busy with my nothingness. 

I’ve missed TDT 2017. The worldly demons got me this time. Come soon TDT 2018 as my bank balance is diminishing. 

Shalini Singh has been associated with Western Motorsports over a decade. An experienced, well respected driver,  and has been part of almost all events of Western Motorsports. 

Driving though being her number one passion, she is equally passionate in wildlife photography, especially birds.

She currently works in a leading publishing house at top-management level at Delhi, India.

Think Outside, No Box Required - Rent Your Camping Equipment

Think Outside, No Box Required

Rent Your Camping Equipment

Eat. Sleep. Camp. Repeat. 
Planning on going camping this weekend and don't have the required equipments? 
You can now rent camping equipments. Give a call at +91-9001012786 today! 

Tour de Thar 2017 - Taking A Break In the Dunes Of Thar

Tour de Thar 2017

Taking A Break In The Dunes Of Thar

By Mrinal

Travelling and specially road trips have always excited me since childhood and when its gets more adventurous it is more interesting. I love driving and so does my best friend Naval Sharma.

The Western Motorsports had organised a self-drive expedition the Tour-de-Thar, 2017(“TDT”). Naval and I, took few days off from the usual work life and left to venture in the desert of Rajasthan.

With My Best Friend Naval Sharma - Tour de Thar

The D-day was on December, 24, we reached the rendezvous point met the other team members and participants introduced each other, we had early breakfast and the convoy moved on. The convoy had 5 vehicles plus a service vehicle and 17 of us. We were on our way to explore Rajasthan from a new and a very different perspective. We saw the temple of living God on the way and the Bullet Baba temple also known as Om Bana Temple.

Our first destination was a hut resort on the outskirt of Jodhpur in a village. Naval identified the hut and we unloaded our luggage from the car and made our selves comfortable. The caretaker of that place had organised nice hot cup of tea and a bonfire for all of us.  The beautiful stars lighted up the sky. We were served the local cuisine for the dinner, which was tasty and sumptuous.

The next day we went to the Mehrangarh Jodhpur Fort and were exploring the history of the Rajput clan. Our lunch was arranged at one of the restaurants which had the majestic Mehrangarh as the backdrop.  Post lunch Anukraman Singh / Digvijay Singh and Naval Sharma had organised a surprise birthday party at the rooftop of the restaurant which was really touching and I never felt that I was away from the family. Digvijay did the honour of smearing the cake on my face and every one was clicking my photos.

Celebrating My B'day - Tour de Thar

The next day we left for WMsar. We drove through the narrow back roads through villages and state highway exploring the beautiful lakes and ponds and the ruins of the forts.

The convoy moved on and the windmills welcomed us at WMsar. As we were reaching the campsite there was lots of excitement and fun, as we had to camp in the tents on a vast salt lake.

To reach our campsite we had drive through cross country track on a sandy terrain. Anukraman Singh told me and Rahul not to move till we get specific information on the radio as we were driving 2 WD vehicles and we were briefed about the risk of getting stuck in the sand.

Harsh Pabri our radio operator told me that the Nano and Innova should move to the campsite and maintain momentum. As we heard this we became too adventurous with our cars and the result of which that we got stuck in the sand. Anukraman said what happened and why did we move from our location. I said we were told to maintain the momentum by Harsh… HaHa… That was a real fun story.

Vast Expanse Of Thar - Tour de Thar

Ritesh arrived with his Fortuner to rescue us. The Fortuner towed out the Innova and Tata Nano was pushed out of deep sand by sheer man power and some “power” driving. Finally both the cars reached the campsite safely. Anukraman was gracious enough to become the chef for the evening and he made very delicious Junglee Maans (A shikaar recipe from the bygone era of Rajas and Maharajas) for all the non-vegetarian’s in the camp.  We had the bonfire and we had a lot of fun. We did the star gazing at night.

In the morning we saw the beautiful sunrise, it had so many colours and shade to it, which is not visible in our polluted cities, we took pictures of the sunrise.

Sunrise At Our Campsite - Tour de Thar

We moved on through the backroads and on our way we visited the famous temple of Tanot Mata, Longewala post and the Ghotaru fort.  All these 3 places reminded us of the sacrifices made by our defence forces.

We moved on to Sam our camping site, which was on the sand dunes. We had learnt from our past mistakes in WMsar and left our vehicles outside the village and hopped into the 4x4 vehicles.  The terrain was only for 4x4 vehicles anyway. The tent was being put and the bonfire preparation was also on, fresh food was being cooked. The dunes were looking so beautiful under the moonlight. I, Naval and Anukraman got up early in the morning to see the sunrise.  We had a photoshoot on the dunes.  Anukraman got camels for the camel ride and we all enjoyed the camel ride.

Camel Ride - Tour de Thar

We moved to Ossian, on our way we saw the abandoned villages of Kuldhara and reach Ossian, Naval had pre scheduled plans with his family, he said bye to the gang of TDT.  The bonfire was lit, the folk singer started to sing the folk songs one after the other and everybody was made to dance to the music.  In the morning we had the folk singers sing songs for us now in the backdrop of the sunrise. We had our breakfast and packed up.  Officially the TDT had concluded.  Jatin said bye to us and moved on to Jaipur little earlier than the convoy.

Bonfire - Tour de Thar

The convoy started a little in a relaxed manner and we again took the backroads to Jaipur and on the way we took our cars to the salt pan of Sambhar Lake. The experience of driving into the sunset at Sambhar Lake was amazing. 

With Our

These memories will always be with me forever. I didn’t know anyone when I started the expedition except Naval but by the end of the trip we all become friends and like a family. One thing I must mention would be that hats off to Anupama and Rahul to get their 5 year old daughter Kanika on the expedition, Kanika was the star of the expedition and she was no less than anybody in keeping up with the pace of the expedition.

Kudos to Western Motorsports for putting together such fabulous road trip, hope to join WM on the other expeditions.

Mrinal is a corporate lawyer by profession. He currently works 
for one of the leading law firm of India.

He was accompanied with his best friend Naval Sharma. 

Tour de Thar 2017 - My Blue PJ's On Expedition

Tour de Thar 2017

My Blue PJ's On Expedition

By Prachy Singh

When I walk, I move around a secure sphere. No don't look at me, dont speak to me. Im invisible! That much introvert I think I am. But that's funny how different this trip came out for me.  I like to explore new things. Travelling I love because a part of me doesn't like to settle. But wander endlessly. Every part inside me is just as extrovert as I am reserved from the exterior point of view.

Tour de Thar 2017 - At sunrise

If I talk about Western Motorsports, the first time I heard about it was 3 years back from my mother who has been associated with WM for long.  In 2017, I participated in WM event titled  "Moto Dangal" as part of their crew, where I was managing the Instagram page. I have never been out of Delhi without my homies. This was my first. Though my uncle was with me and his eye balls followed me most of the times, "Prachy why is that weirdo, buzzing around you all the time?" Lol But I felt free and on my own. This was the best part. I could represent my individuality on my own. Like a boat without a sailor. I was sailing slowly, feeling every inch of the wind.

With fellow riders of Tour de Thar

Tour-de-Thar is much more than just an event, where you travel and discover places which are hidden from one's perspective. I met different, enthusiastic, interesting, funny, good people. I met people! And I like how gradually I jelled in the group. Jelled in so well, I didn't care showcasing my blue bunny pyjamas (PJ's); cause obviously those are funny Haha!

I haven't yet experienced snow. Don’t know how it would be to walk on snow either, I am sure, not better than walking on sand dunes. Though I only changed my socks thrice in 5 days (Gross?), but believe that could have changed it in every 10 minutes. We stayed two nights at Sam sand dunes and was dying for Gum boots! But sometimes you have to let certain things in your life, only to realise that it's not too bad. So I let the sand enter voluntarily in my shoes as I ran, swirled and rolled over it. I felt lighter. The world around me felt lighter, when my feet melted with every step that I was taking.

Sand everywhere at Tour de Thar

We travelled almost 200-300 kms every day, which it is still surprising for me, as I haven't travelled for so long. Also it was my first long bike ride, I rode as a pillion, from Delhi to Jaipur.

 "Let’s call it a day!" We used to sit together and chill every night. Like literally chill. Brrr! One of the highlights would be the folk performances. That kinda music is so earthy and pure. I simply admired every song, sitting still at one place with my hand under the chin. But I believe 'bonfire and gupshup' every night was the best of all.

Bonfire and gupshup at Tour de Thar

What I also loved was the ending of everyday. When I sat on the salty river bed and only a little amount of sunshine was resting on my face. That little amount of fading sun light was enough to warm my soul. I felt peace. I could feel a slight smile from the sides of my lips and every day used to end with a peaceful view. I loved the view at Sambhar salt lake and every other place we stopped by to savour the heavenly vibe of sunsets. As it's said, "sunsets are proof that even endings are beautiful".

Sunset at Sambhar Lake - Tour de Thar

The ride was great with amazing people. I talked more during the travel. Convoying felt dope! And I look forward to the next Tour-de-thar. Probably as a bike rider. Haha!

Prachy Singh

Prachy Singh, a new entrant into the world of motor expedition, who aspires to be the world traveller.

In her own words "Travelling is what I really like" "Though I haven't been to many places but I would love to"

She apart from interest in travel and motor expeditions, also pens poetry and is pursuing her graduation. 

Follow her on Instagram

 "the. purple.paranoia"  and "abstracts_of_life"

Himalayan Backlands - 14th Feb To 18th Feb 2018

Himalayan Backlands

14th Feb To 18th Feb 2018

W & W Bros presents an adventure car rally with your Valentine

Wildrift Adventures & Western Motorsports (W & W Bros) presents Himalayan Adventure Car Rally

Register for an adventure with your Valentine (14th - 18th Feb)

Format - TSD (Time Speed Distance)

Early registrations (5th - 15th Jan) - Rs. 32,000/- Standard registrations (16th Jan - 5th Feb) - Rs. 36,000/- Late registrations (6th - 10th Feb) - Rs. 40,000/- The costs given above are for a team of 2 people (Driver + Navigator) * For extra passengers, Rs, 15,000/- per passenger

Call us on 9810808448 or 8826100126 for more details or write to us at info@wildrift.com

Western Motorsports Up Coming Car Rally Event - Himalayan Backlands

Himalayan Backlands

TSD Format Car Rally In Uttarakhand 

Himalayan Backlands Details

Longing for the road Rasta baba.

Cutting through crisp mountain air. The cold breeze blowing my mind.

The winding road whizzing ahead. Ever ready for an adventure.

Here comes the Adventure Car Rally “Himalayan Backlands”

Be the Rasta Baba in 5 day adventure car rally in Kumaon Himalayas, UK, INDIA

Features: 

5 day car rally – bring your own car and a co-baba or two

Rasta* in Kumaon Himalayas, UK, IND

Exciting camp/hut/machaan stays at Wildrift shelters

Fun adventures to add to your scores

(trek rally, kayak, treasure hunt along the way & more)

Joint(ly) organized by Wildrift Adventures and Western Motorsports

Download Himalayan Backlands itinerary.

Download Registration  For Himalayan Backlands here

*Rasta means route or road in vernacular language.

FAQ:

You can actually bring your Red Maruti 800

Not any potholes only a bit dirt road

You don’t need to be the speed queen but be the dhaansu navigator

Land up at the secret checkpoints at the right time

The trick is to not be fast, not be slow but the moderate rasta baba speed

Rasta Baba qualification needs basic mountain driving skills and a co baba who can read road maps

Non driving action safety is providing by W&W bros. While driving safety is in your hands

Encouraging first time rally drivers .. no prior experience needed

No need to pep up your vehicle

Format:

TSD (Time Speed Distance)

COST:

Early registrations (5th – 15th Jan) – Rs.32,000/-

Standard registrations (16th Jan – 5th Feb) – Rs.36,000/-

Late registrations (6th – 10th Feb) – Rs.40,000/-

The costs given above are for a team of 2 people (Driver + Navigator)

* For extra passengers, Rs.15,000/- per passenger

Contact Details:

Wild Drift Adventures - 09810808448, 011-29531036
                                      info@wildrift.com

Western Motorsports - +91 98280 12786

                                      asrbhagwanpura@gmail.com

Tour de Thar 2017 - A Sneak Peak From The Purple Monster Team

Tour de Thar 2017 - A Sneak Peak From The Purple Monster Team

By Siddharth

Hmmm….NO… Maybe…I don’t know…maybe next year. This is what I started with when my sister and our friend Sagar, persuaded me to join the Western Motorsport’s Tour De Thar 2017. At first, I was very reluctant but at the very last moment I decided to join in. It is a decision which I won’t regret. It was the most exciting, adventurous, fun- filled, memorable trip I have endeavored upon.

Purple Monster Team Nano

Additional bait for the trip was to be part of team Nano which comprised of my brother-in-law, Rahul, my sister Anupama and my cute little 5-yr old niece Kanika. We could never have imagined Nano to be part of a team with the big guys read SUV’s mostly all 4-WD’s, but in the end we realized Nano was no small fly. Rahul and I took turns in driving the Nano for the entire tour. It was Rahul’s passion for long drives on the Nano that made this trip happen in the first place. Being number 2 in the convoy of 5 vehicles it was at times difficult to keep up with the pace but nonetheless we managed, and managed well.

Anupama

There were quite a lot of exciting moments with the Nano, one was when we were just about to reach a place dubbed by Western Motorsports as WM sar, an expansive piece of dry lakebed, it was already dark and we were expecting to reach the designated spot and relax besides the bonfire but lo & behold what happens next is straight out of a thriller movie, we are in the middle of nowhere and you can’t make a thing out in the darkness that surrounds us and there you are the wheels of your car stuck in the sands of WM SAR, as if the tyre and sand suddenly discovered they were made for each other and they don’t want to part ways. An Innova got stuck in a similar fashion. So many thoughts were racing through our minds as we stepped outside our car, shivering from the thoughts and the cold night. The other cars had easily maneuvered in the sands and reached the camp site which was barely 100 mtrs away. Finally, we found solace in the expertise of Govindji who finally managed to pull out both cars from the sand and up to the camp site. But this was not without the efforts of everyone pushing, heaving, shoveling (even Kanika put in her efforts in the rescue part) and I would have probably lost couple of kilos! Phew. WOW the Nano Made it…wo hooo.

Rahul

Next morning, we had another interesting episode with the Nano when Govind Ji decided to take the Nano from another route through the WM SAR to avoid the risk of it getting stuck in the sand again. He took the reins of the car and I was sitting beside him rather unprepared for what was coming. The Nano suddenly sped on the dry, dusty plains of the WM SAR like a cheetah running on the plains of Savannah. This was also beautifully captured on a video taken by one of the participants on the Innova. The Nano finally made it out the WM SAR without any glitch. Three cheers to Govind Ji & the Nano.

Camel Ride With Rahul

On our way back, I had an adrenaline-rush moment when we went to the Sambhar lake on the outskirts of Jaipur. This was another vast empty lake bed though in patches was moist. It was risky as well as adventurous to drive on this as one has to ensure to follow any tracks visible. If mistakenly you drive over a moist piece of land, rest assured, your vehicle is going to be stuck for a long time. I was driving the Nano this time with Rahul besides me and although initially engulfed in the sand storm created by the other vehicles which we were following we managed to sneak out of this dusty curtain and charted our own course beside the other tracks and boy-o-boy what feeling it was for a good 15-20 mins.

A special note about the place. Other than Jaipur I haven’t seen much of Rajasthan. I must say we drove past the most scenic routes you could ever imagine. This is not the Rajasthan I had in my mind. You cannot express it with words it has to be felt.

Each day of this tour had its moment of glory, each day was different. Be it the village resort near Jodhpur but away from the city, which was being run by a local family, although it had its share of modern equipment but at the same time it had the warmth of staying in a village, the local delicacies made there was lip smacking or the camping in the middle of WM SAR, or the camping in the Sam sand dunes, riding on a camel’s back in the dunes or the night at Osian with the intoxicating music played by the local Rajasthani folk singers which in the end made you dance like a trance or the folk music played by the same musicians amidst the dunes with the trickling warmth of the sun rising and early morning chill made your blood warm and mind going into a deep relaxation.

Purple Monster Team Nano With Niece Kanika

We also met so many people who came from different walks of life sharing the same enthusiasm, passion for adventure and at the end of each day our friendship become stronger and stronger till we all felt we are part of one family, sharing our thoughts, enjoying each moment to the fullest.

Finally, thanks to the organizers of the Western Motorsports for making this trip something to remember for a long time to come.