The 149th
edition of the Mahindra Great Escape, one of India’s most popular off-roading adventures, concluded
successfully in South Goa with over 50 vehicles from the Mahindra stable
manoeuvering the challenging route. The event received an overwhelming response
from the off-roading community with Mahindra vehicle owners from all parts of
Goa and neighboring areas participating in the rally.
The rally was flagged
off at 9:00am from Club Mahindra Varka, Salcete, South Goa. Participants entered
the event in Boleros, Scorpios and Thar 4X4s- proving yet again the ruggedness
of vehicles from the Mahindra stable. These iconic Mahindra SUVs negotiated the
arduous terrain and en route, the convoy of vehicles passed through slushy rain
soaked terrain and streams. The rain soaked terrain ensured that there were
ample challenges for all off-roading enthusiasts.
Dattaraj Lawande
(WIOC) and Krishna Bhobe (WIOC) were declared winners in the Stock Category.
Earl Braganza was declared winner in the Modified Category, while Tejas Prakash
Shindilkar (WIOC) emerged as the First Runner-up. In the Ladies Category,
Maithili Bhobe (WIOC) was declared the winner.
Wrapped in a blanket
of green, with gurgling streams and rolling hills, Goa offered a picturesque
setting for a day of fun-filled off-roading. As a hub for off-roaders, Goa gave
auto enthusiasts the perfect opportunity to enjoy the monsoon and tackle the
challenging routes the state has to offer.
The Mahindra Great
Escape was first conceptualized in 1996 as a non-competitive, off-road rally
meant to encourage Mahindra customers to test the strength and performance of
their vehicles on terrain other than tarmac. Over the years, the Great Escape
has developed the reputation of being one of India’s most thrilling off-road
events with each edition seeing enthusiastic participation from die-hard
Mahindra fans and customers alike.
The first season of
the Off-Roading Trophy, Mahindra’s all-India off-road championship was held in
Goa in 2012. The best off-roaders from around the country fight for top honors
and to win a new Mahindra Thar CRDe 4×4.
Vinod Mukala Senior
manager of Mahindra Adventure, added that the event was a great event for the
Mahindra customers, and also an occasion to showcase the strength of their
vehicles on such terrains and route conditions to the public.
Many of the
participants had taken part in previous editions and they spoke about the
adrenalin rush they feel at these annual events. Earl Braganza from Curchorem
praised the ‘awesome event’ and complimented Mahindra for their organisational
capabilities. Speaking about his own performance he said it is his passion and
that he gets a chance to show his skills and techniques while the rest the
vehicle takes care of. Others like Krishna Bhobe, Tejas Prakash Shindilkar and
Dattaram Lawande also spoke about their past experiences and how passion drives
them as well and agreed that the annual event serves as a good platform for the
participants. .
Besides
the participants, the event also drew a crowd who came into watch the show with
some of them being accompanied by family friends and even their pet animals.
Amidst the numerous pictures taken by the bystanders, one such person, Sushant
Velip said he had come all the way from Rivona to watch the exciting event for
which he walked about six kilometers through a hill. While there were those
like senior citizen Dayanand Naik from Keri said that they would earlier only
get to see these kind of events in movies but here they get a chance to watch
it live and went on to describe how thrilling the spectacle was.
