Bihar Centenary Car Rally that is passing through many cities of North India in order to mark 100 years of the state's inception. The rally, which started at Dilli Haat in New Delhi on March 22, 2012, reached Allahabad after crossing Dehradun, Mussoorie, Bareilly. It was welcomed with open arms by the masses at Allahabad as the masses thronged its route in order to learn more about Bihar. The rally will go to Varanasi next and conclude its journey at Patna, the capital of the state.
While speaking about the Bihar Centenary Car Run-2012, Pranav Sahi, a rallyist, commented that it was passing through New Delhi, Uttarakhand and Uttar Pradesh to exhibit modern Bihar and show the evolving perceptions regarding the state. The rally also depicts the rich art forms, cuisines, culture, heritage and the growth of the state, along with documentary films made on the state.
Bihar Centenary Car Run-2012 has been organised by the Department of Industries, Government of Bihar, in collaboration with Magadh Motor Sports Club. It includes a total of 11 cars, including sedans and Sports Utility Vehicles (SUVs), each model exhibiting a facet of the state of Bihar. The themes followed by the cars featured in the rally include heritage, tourism, women empowerment, cuisines, strides in agriculture and festivals, among others.
The participants at the rally include professionals, artists, doctors, engineers and entrepreneurs who want to promote the wondrous aspects of Bihar and contribute to its growth. They are Pranav Sahi, Divesh Anand, Arun, Nitu Singh, Birendra, Rajat Mehrotra, Yaqub Khan, Satyam Snehi, Dhananjay, Nilesh Amit, Nilmani Kumar and Dinesh Kumar. A 21 year old automobile engineering student, Shiraz Ahmed has also participated in the rally with them. Earlier, he was a part of Bihar Heritage Car Run-2011. Sumita Sahi, the coordinator of the rally, and Pranav Sahi are seated in the first vehicle, which bears the logo of the 100-year celebrations.
T-shirts, caps, mementoes, calendars and several sweets from Bihar, such as khaza, tilkut, lai and balushahi, are being distributed by the rally members. A camera team is carrying out interviews and recording the reaction of the audiences in order to make a film that will be shown across Bihar. The rallyists made use of social networking websites in order to promote the event and enjoyed an excellent response from Biharis on their journey.
