ETW STAFF – Mumbai
Kashmir is staking its claim as one of the premier destinations for adventure tourism in the country, and globally. The J&K Bank Mughal Rally, an annual motorsport race, has redefined Kashmir in terms of adventure sports. The Mughal Rally ran its fourth edition this year, over June 28-29. About 120 rallyists from various parts of the country competed in two categories: Rally Xtreme and Rally Enduro. While Rally Xtreme is an all-out speed rush, Rally Enduro follows the Time-Speed-Distance (TSD) format. From 2010 to 2013, about 1,000 motorsport buffs have rolled into Kashmir to compete in The Mughal Rally.
The region’s magnetic appeal for motorsport is spreading. The third season of the JK Racing Series, re-christened Formula BMW, may hold its third round on the smooth, wide road skirting the fantastic Dal Lake. Formula BMW is slated in Srinagar in the first week of September.
The Mughal Rally is a fast, technical event on a track that was once an elephant trail – at the time of the Mughals. This is the historic track used by Emperors Akbar, Jahangir and Shah Jahan to traverse Kashmir to go to Lahore.
Construction of the Mughal Road was conceived decades ago by the then J&K Chief Minister Sheikh Abdullah – the grandfather of the present Chief Minister, Omar Abdullah. Omar’s father Farooq Abdullah was equally keen on it, and pushed it all along during his tenure as CM. In May 2007, the Supreme Court finally gave clearance for the construction of The Mughal Road.
In its fourth edition, The Mughal Rally has been the first motorsport event in the country to be a hill climb battle. Ghulam Ahmad Mir, J&K tourism minister, said that this year, the event was patterned on The Pikes Peak Hill Climb, the hugely-popular automobile and motorcycle hill climb in the USA. “We realised that Pir Ki Gali on Mughal Road and Sinthan Pass offer the same challenge to motorsport enthusiasts. This year, we had entries from almost all parts of the country for the hill climb, and it has the potential of becoming an international challenge,” said Mir. Pir Ki Gali and Sinthan Pass are two of the highest mountain passes in the country.
