SAARC Car rally completes Bhutan leg on day six

New Delhi, Mar 20 (UNI) After an easy run in Bangladesh, the over hundred participants of the non-competitive SAARC Car Rally got a taste of real rally driving on day six as they negotiated the treacherous hill terrain of Bhutan today.

Running behind schedule, ace rallyists, including five-time national champion Hari Singh, Col K S Chauhan, Hormazd Sorabjee and Renuka Kriplani put their driving skills to good use as the rally raced through picturesque Bhutanese countryside from capital Thimpu to Gelephu (Indo-Bhutan border), trying to make up for the time lost at numerous unscheduled stops.

The participants accepted the warm greetings of cheering crowds. With the road turning into a dirt-track at many stretches, it was a test of sorts for the convoy of Indian-bred Tata Safaris, which they passed in flying colours.

Earlier, the rally vehicles assembled at the Thimpu clock tower in the morning for the formal flag off. The importance that Royal Government of Bhutan has accorded to the rally can be gauged from the fact that the Prime Minister of Bhutan, His Excellency Mr. Lyonpo Khandu Wangchuk himself was there to address and flag-off the rally participants.

He asserted that the rally has accelerated the process of people-to-people contact between SAARC countries like never before.

The first stop after the send-off was at Dochula pass which offered a breathtaking view of the snow-capped mountains. After this, the convoy headed for the majestic Punakha Fort that is built at the confluence of two rivers. Lunch halt was at Tsirang.

After covering a distance of about 280 km, the rally arrived at the Indo-Bhutan border town of Gelephu in the evening. Tomorrow, the convoy will enter India and head for Guwahati, a PIB release said.

UNI