SILIGURI : The fifth edition of Biswa Bangla JK Tyre Himalayan Drive, which is now India’s only international TSD (Time, Speed & Distance) rally was ceremoniously flagged off by Siliguri Police Commissioner Chiling S Lepcha here on Saturday. Amidst the beating of drums and playing of the bugle by a smart police band, and with hundreds of motorsports enthusiasts cheering on, the participants zoomed off from the City Center.
The city police chief said she was thrilled to do the honours and hoped the rally would fulfill its objectives of popularising motor sports in this part of the country, promoting tourism in the region and fostering people-to-people contacts among the citizens of India, Nepal and Bhutan.
She said that while motorsports fosters good spirit and a sense of discipline and camaraderie, the rally would also showcase the enormous and still-untapped tourism potential of this region.
Himalayan Drive 5, she added, would also go a long way in enhancing ties between India, Nepal and Bhutan through better people-to-people contacts.
This year, a record 47 participants from across the country are participating in the five day rally that will cover 1250 kilometers. The participants will drive off from Siliguri’s City Center early Sunday morning and traverse through the picturesque Dooars before crossing the international border into Bhutan.
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