By Yana Bay
Indo-Myanmar Friendship Car Rally will be flagged off on January 29 from Guwahati and will cover a distance of around 5,000 km
For motorsport buffs, next month brings a car rally with several interesting features — the foremost one being the itinerary. The Indo-Myanmar Friendship Car Rally will be flagged off from Guwahati in Assam and travel to Yangon in Myanmar before returning to Guwahati.
En route, the rallyists will see Kaziranga, the famed home of the Indian rhino, Kohima and Imphal before crossing the border at Moreh on the Indian side and Tamu on the Myanmar side. In Myanmar, the rally will pass through Kalemiyo, Monywa and Mandalay. This city, made famous by writers such as Rudyard Kipling and John Masters, is not only a night halt for the rallyists like the other places but has also been given its due status by having an entire half-day until lunch set aside for sightseeing.
Then it’s on to Naypyitaw, the capital of Myanmar and Yangon. Formerly known as Rangoon, this is another historic place and a city tour has been scheduled. After that the caravan will pass through Piyay and Bagan before heading back to Monywa and retracing the route back to Guwahati.
The total distance covered will be around 5,000 km. The cavalcade will set off on January 29 and return on February 9. This is the inaugural edition of the rally and it will hopefully become an annual feature.
The rally is being organised by the North East Federation on International Trade (NEFIT) and the Assam Speed and Adventure Club (ASAC). It is supported by the ministry of development of north eastern region, the ministry of home affairs, the ministry of external affairs, the ministry of commerce, the ministry of tourism, the government of India and the governments of Assam, Manipur and Nagaland. It also has the support of the government of Myanmar, the Myanmar embassy in New Delhi and the Union of Myanmar Federation of Chambers of Commerce and Industry (UMFCCI).
While the event is an attempt to retrace and revive the ancient trade route between the people of India’s northeastern states and erstwhile Burma, it also provides a rare opportunity to see some of the most remote and pristine parts of our country as well as Myanmar. The route will take participants through almost the length and breadth of Myanmar. Apart from discovering historical links, the trip will also be a cultural feast. While the advantages pertaining to trade and tourism are obvious, there is also much to reap by way of culture, the arts and cuisine.
There will be special business sessions and cultural programmes at the Myanmar International Convention Centre in Naypyitaw and in Yangon. The rally is being held with a theme: “Mapping connectivity in the perspective of North East India and Myanmar, focusing on building bilateral relations, culture, tourism and trade.”
Participants must form four-member teams and each team must travel in an SUV. The total number of participants is going to be 225, with 75 per cent being Indians and the rest foreigners. There will be a total of 55 vehicles. The cost is Rs 1 lakh per person. The organisers will provide food, accommodation and fuel and also pay the visa fee and any other charges. Another crucial requirement is passport validity — until July 31, 2012. Entries close on December 31.
Contact the rally organising committee at +919435016512, 9859984254, 9435045561, 9854079997 or indomyanmar.carrally@gmail.com
0 comments:
Post a Comment