You've hailed the auto in your suburb. To find out what it's like to drive one to Kanyakumari, with a bit of racing, charity and partying thrown in, sign up
You've hailed the auto in your suburb. To find out what it's like to drive one to Kanyakumari, with a bit of racing, charity and partying thrown in, sign up
In a rally car on a tricky road in Marrakesh, Morocco, navigating heavy traffic is not exactly the kind of situation where you'd be struck byu00a0 life-altering inspiration. As it turns out though, that was exactly when Aravind Bremanandam decided to organise the Rickshaw Challenge in India in 2006.
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Sharell Cook participated in the Mumbai Xpress 2009 Rickshaw Challenge |
"I was in a 400-dollar car, moving along merrily, while others in their SUVs were having a hard time. When everyone asked me how I was doing so well, I told them that this was a cakewalk compared to the roads and traffic in India!"
Aravind's brainchild, the Classic Run 2010 is the race to be part of if you call yourself an adventure junkie.
Rampage with a reasonSo why exactly should you drive a rickshaw through India? In Aravind's own words: "I wanted people to come and see India, not through a tourist bus or a hotel room, but in the national vehicle of sorts. In a rickshaw, you feel every bump and see India in the raw. Plus you compete in a motorsport event and contribute to a charitable cause."
The Rickshaw Challenge partners with Round Table India (RTI), an organisation that works to build schools in remote villages. Participants raise money for their projects before every race. The route is planned so that they RTI schools along the way, interact with children, and hand over funds and supplies collected.
Contributors are kept abreast of how their money is being utilised with regular updates. "Once, we managed to raise Rs 16.5 lakhs through Mumbai Xpress. Points are awarded based on your participation in the cause, which contributes to the total tally that decides the winner of the race," Aravind explains.
Fun on the runBut it's not all work. If you are looking for adventure, there's lots on offer. When you are not participating in a Treasure Hunt, you are using sign language to ask locals for help when your auto breaks down, and even running into police convoys.
Once, Aravind asked foreign participants to watch 25 minutes of a regional film in a local theatre, go to a local wine shop, purchase a bottle of beer and answer the question: How many times did the actors change their clothes in a particular song in the movie? "Trust me, when you are used to sidewalks and seat belts, and have to drive a tin can through some of India's worst roads, and complete tasks like this one, you won't miss adventure at all," Aravind laughs.
I was there!Australia-born Sharell Cook and husband Pradeep Maharana participated in the Mumbai Xpress 2009 Rickshaw Challenge in August last year. Sharell, who writes for a travel website, was invited to participate and blog about her experience. "I thought it was a once in a lifetime travel opportunity, and I couldn't imagine what it would be like to drive an auto across India, especially because I has always been desperately uncomfortable in one," she says.
So what was it like? "Driving one was difficult, especially with the accelerator on the handle bar. Every time I tightened my grip in fear, the rickshaw surged forward!" Indian traffic made her an aggressive driver, but that doesn't mean Sharell didn't see the good side. "People are everywhere, and I always found willing helpers who gave me directions, and pushed the auto when it suddenly spluttered, lost power, and stalled."
The Classic Run 2010From December 29, 2009 to January 8, 2010, you will trapeze through Chennai, Pondicherry, Thanavur, Madurai, Rameshwaram, Tuticorin and Courtallam, finally winding up at Kanyakumari.
