Fifth Day – Mangalore to Bhatkal (Murdeshwar) – 9th August, 2007

Driving an eggshell in the rain - Rickshaw rally heads North along the coast

The CEAT Mumbai Xpress Autorickshaw Rally 2007 started the fifth of thirteen stages on Thursday morning, setting off from Mangalore in the south-western corner of Karnataka for an 147km leg along the coastline to Murdeshwar. All of the 32 teams and 72 participants with their individually decorated autorickshaws completed the stage successfully in heavy rains as India’s monsoon rains really began to get into high gear for the participants.

As soon as the race left town, the participants were met by a heavy monsoon storm, with the rain hitting the rickshaws literally horizontally. For those who have never experienced the autorickshaw, it is rather unique vehicle by modern standards. It has no seatbelt nor windows, no doors around the driver or on the left side of the passenger. An old English Mini is a terminator of the road in comparison with it. It is extremely deft, but one wrong move can roll it over. So, what is the attraction for sitting in an eggshell, dodging speeding trucks and giant potholes in the pouring rain?

To quote a few of the racers’ answers: “It’s a good way to test one’s limits”, “It’s a unique driving experience that is only possible in India”, “You get to see what one’s karma can take”, “You get to meet other clinically insane people” and “It’s just like home in England, but the food along the motorway is much better”.

This year is the 50th anniversary of the autorickshaw, and this unique vehicle has lost none of its appeal or versatility in that time. Today, after 140 km of roads covered with mud pools and potholes the size of Liechtenstein, none of the vehicles needed serious repairs. All of the teams reached the flag down point, the picturesque town of Murdeshwar, near Bhatkal on the coast of the Arabian Sea.

Tomorrow, Friday 10th August, the rally travels further North towards Bombay.

Pictures can be found here:

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The route:

The Indian Autorickhaw Challenge team is sending out a press release on a daily basis.

For more information Contact:
Aravind Bremanandam, Lead organizer
Phone: +91-44-421-43343
E-mail at:admin@indianarc.com