Car Rally to commemorate 150th Birth Anniversary of Mahatma Gandhi

Car Rally to commemorate 150th Birth Anniversary of Mahatma Gandhi

KS Diwan/ royalpatiala.in/ Chandigarh

The Ministry of Road Transport & Highways will organise a Motor Rally to commemorate 150 years of Mahatma Gandhi’s birth anniversary. The rally will travel through places historically associated with Gandhiji, both in India, as well as in Bangladesh and Myanmar. It will connect the places of significance in Gandhiji’s life, and simultaneously take up advocacy on Road Safety concerns. This is part of the yearlong celebrations to commemorate the 150th year of Mahatma Gandhi in India and across the globe, initiated by Government of India on 2nd October last year.

The Car Rally will commence on the 4^th of February from Rajghat in Delhi which will also mark the launch of National Road Safety Week. The Rally will pass through Sabarmati, Porbandar, Dandi, Yerwada, Sewagram, Jabalpur, Lucknow, Gorakhpur, Chauri Chaura, Champaran, Shantiniketan and Kolkata in India before travelling to Dhaka in Bangladesh. It will conclude at Yangon in Myanmar on the 24^th of February. The motor rally will cover around 7250 km to reach Yangon.

One of the highlights of the rally would be the crossing of the Gulf of Khambat by Ro-Ro vessels. The event is supported by the Ministries of External Affairs, Culture, etc. Receptions and Flagging off Ceremony and people to people interaction events will be held at various places in different states, through which the rally will pass.

The aim of the event is to spread the great values of Mahatma Gandhi throughout its route. It will be a ‘Drive for Peace’ while remembering the great son of India in Bangladesh and Myanmar. It will also promote the message of safe driving on roads.

Route plan of the Motor Rally

Itinerary of the Motor Rally

Day	Date	From / Departure Time	To / Arrival Time	Distance in Km. / (Driving time)	Activity
1	04-02-2019 Monday	Rajghat, New Delhi 10.30 am	Ajmer, Rajasthan 7.00 pm	398 7 Hours	Event Flag Off from Rajghat, New Delhi Night Halt at Ajmer
2	05-02-2019 Tuesday	Ajmer 8.00 am	Ahmedabad 8.00 pm	529 Km 9 Hours	Ceremonial Flag Off Night halt at Ahmedabad
3	06-02-2019 Wednesday	Ahmedabad 9.00 am	Por Bandar, Gujrat 6.00 pm	394 7 Hours	Morning prayers at Sabarmati Ashram Ceremonial Flag Off Visit to Birth place of Gandhiji at Porbandar Night halt at Porbandar
4	07-02-2019 Thursday	Porbandar, Gujrat 8.00 am	Ghogha	321 Km 6 Hours	Cross over to Dahej by ferry service and proceed to Bharuch
		Ferry Service from Ghogha to Dahej		31 Km 1 Hour	Motor cars to be ferried through Ro-Ro service from Ghogha to Dahej reducing distance by about 200 Km.
		Dahej	Bharuch 6.00 Pm	53 Km 1 Hour	Night Halt at Bharuch
5	08-02-2019 Friday	Bharuch 7.00 am	Pune 8.00 pm	391 Km 9 Hours	Enroute visit to Dandi Beach Night halt at Pune
6	09-02-2019 Saturday	Rest Day at Pune			Visit to Yeravda Jail / Aga Khan Palace Night halt at Pune
7	10-02-2019 Sunday	Pune 6.00 am	Wardha 8.00 pm	631 Km 12 Hours	Ceremonial Flag Off Night halt at Wardha
8	11-02-2019 Monday	Wardha 9.00 am	Jabalpur 5.00 pm	353 Km 8 Hours	Visit Sevagram in Wardha Night halt at Jabalpur
9	12-2-2019 Tuesday	Jabalpur 6.00 am	Lucknow 8.00 pm	531 Km 12 Hours	Ceremonial Flag Off Night halt at Lucknow
10	13-02-2019 Wednesday	Lucknow 9.00 am	Chauri Chaura Gorakhpur, 4.00 pm	320 Km 7 Hours	Ceremonial Flag Off Visit to Chauri Chaura enroute Night halt at Gorakhpur
11	14-02-2019 Thursday	Gorakhpur	Patna	365 Km 8 Hours	Visit to Champaran enroute Night halt at Patna
12	15-02-2019 Friday	Patna 9.00 am	Dhanbad 6.00 pm	328 Km 7 Hours	Ceremonial Flag Off Night halt at Dhanbad
13	16-02-2019 Saturday	Dhanbad 9.00 am	Kolkata 7.00 pm	321 Km 7.30 Hours	Ceremonial Flag Off Rally to proceed via Shantiniketan Night halt at Kolkata
14	17-02-2019 Sunday	Kolkata 7.00 am	Dhaka, Bangladesh 9.00 pm	316 Km 11 Hours	Ceremonial Flag Off Border crossing via Petropole
15	18-02-2019 Monday	Itinerary as suggested by MEA
16	19-02-2019 Tuesday	Dhaka 9.00 am	Agartala 4.00 pm	157 Km 4 Hours	Ceremonial Flag Off Border crossing
17	20-02-2019 Wednesday	Agartala 9.00 am	Silchar 5.00 pm	286 Km 9 Hours	Ceremonial Flag Off
18	21-02-2019 Thursday	Silchar 8.00 am	Imphal 6.00 pm	254 Km 9 Hours	Night halt at Imphal
19	22-02-2019 Friday	Imphal 8.00 am	Kalewa, Myanmar	258 Km 7 Hours	Ceremonial Flag Off Border crossing at Moreh Night halt at Kalewa, Myanmar
20	23-02-2019 Saturday	Kalewa, Myanmar 8.00 am	Mandalay, Myanmar 6.00 pm	326 Km 8 hours	Night halt at Mandalay
21	24-02-2019 Sunday	Mandalay 8.00 am	Yangon 6.00 pm	625 Km 8 Hours	Night halt at Yangon
22	25-02-2019 Monday	Itinerary as suggested by MEA
23	26-02-2019	Rally participants return back