The ninth edition of JK Tyre Himalayan Drive supported by Experience Bengal, Government of Sikkim and Gorkha Territorial Administration (GTA) was flagged off by Honourable Tourism Minister, Government of India, Shri. G. Kishan Reddy from Siliguri’s Mayfair Tea Resort at 9 AM on April 2, 2023.
Union Minister of State for Minority Affairs, John Barla, Darjeeling Lok Sabha MP Raju Bista, the ambassadors of ten G20 nations, and senior officers of Government of India (GoI) and the West Bengal Government were present at the grand flag-off ceremony.
This edition of JK Tyre Himalayan Drive was an integral part of the prestigious G20 Tourism Working Group Global (TWG) Meet which was held in North Bengal. Delegates from 29 nations participating in the TWG Meet were also present at the flag-off of the three-day rally that traversed through the Dooars, Sikkim and Darjeeling Hills over three days.
After the ceremonial flag-off, the 28 rally cars sporting the G20 flags and the flags of individual G20 nations participated in a convoy drive of Siliguri city before regrouping at Khaprail in the outskirts of Siliguri from where the competitive section of the first leg of the rally was flagged off. The competitors then drove through the Simulbari Tea Estate before traversing onto Mirik Road, Phulbari Bye Pass, Gajoldoba Barrage, Odlabari, Gorubathan, Damdim and Chalsa before finally culminating in Murti. This first leg of the rally covered 208 kilometres and passed through river beds, river embankments, tea gardens and forests.
The second leg of the rally covering 194 kilometres was flagged off from Murti on Monday, April 3. It was a challenging leg that witnessed competitors pass through scenic tourist sports like Chapramari forest, Samsing, Lava and Pedong before taking to the road to Pakyong airport and then finally culminating at Gangtok.
The third and final leg of the rally covering around 140 kilometres was flagged off from Ganesh Tok in Gangtok by Honourable Minister, Power, Government of Sikkim, Shri M.N. Sherpa, Honourable Minister, PHE, Government of Sikkim, Shri Bhim Hang Subba and Honourable MLA of Soreng, Shri Aditya Golay. After the ceremonial flag-off, the rally cars once again sporting the G20 flags and the flags of the G20 nations took a round of Gangtok city. The competitors then congregated at Chungthang Road in Gangtok from where the competitive section of the third leg of the rally began. The competitors passed through Temi Tea Estate, Namchi, Jorethang and Hill Cart Road before culminating at North Point School. From here the competitors drove through Darjeeling town in a convoy and headed to Gorkha Rangmanch Bhavan.
The three legs of the JK Tyre Himalayan Drive covering a total distance of slightly under 600 kilometres offered the opportunity to competitors to drive on varied terrain. In the first leg, the competitors negotiated through river banks, river embankments, rural roads and dirt tracks along with verdant tea gardens and dense forests. The second leg offered a combination of jungles, tea gardens and mountainous terrain. In the final leg, the competitors traversed through mountain roads – both metaled and non-metaled along with passing through the picturesque Temi Tea Estate and a thrilling gravel section on the last leg of the mountain section.
The Prize Distribution Ceremony of the JK Tyre Himalayan Drive 9 will be held on Wednesday, April 5 at Darjeeling where the names of the winners will be announced.
Photographs by Ranadip Mandal
Power Drive 