The Tjaarda Tom1 EQUUS EQ500 68 Replica will be driven by Tom Tjaarda in the
rallye
BOMBAY
- JODHPUR
January
2009
______
Ford Mustang
Shelby and Equus- A
DREAM TRIP ACROSS INDIA
Some
kilometers from Bombay, the Indian megalopolis, lost on a hill of Bollywood, is
the grandiose set of a vast temple with a magical touch, reminiscent at the same
time of an Indian shrine and an ancient Inca temple.
Inside, Ten
Ford Mustangs are waiting.
Ten Ford
Mustang with an incredible pedigree: Bullitt GT390, Shelby GT500, Shelby GT500
KR 1968...
Waiting for
what?
No
time to wonder, a troop of colorfully dressed dancers descends the staircase
dancing to the beat of frenzied music… Two young beautiful Indian women,
looking like princesses, make their way through the dancing troop to introduce
the people who will discover the Rajasthan in this incredible expedition.
The
deep sound of a gong resounds, the doors of the temple open launching the first
edition of the Road of the Maharajahs. At the wheel of the ten Ford Mustang,
passionate people coming from all over the world: Indian, French, American,
Italian, Lebanese... they are business men, automobile designers, manufacturers,
artists…
From
Bombay to Jodhpur, a 2.000 kilometers tour will lead our Mustangs through India.
From the Rats Temple in Deshnoke city to the thousand-and-one
palaces, the two princesses will show the Rajasthan to the adventurers of the
road in an eventful trip…
STAGES OF
THE ROAD OF MAHARAJAHS - Pictures will be filled in as we get
them
(courtesy B.A.).
Friday
16th/3pm and Saturday 17 January 2009
Start in the
vast impressive set built in Film City.
This decor consists of a magnificent temple reminiscent of the ancient Incas
temples.
Sunday
January 18
First stop at
Surat, the city of diamonds, the hub of global diamonds trade. 92% of word’s
diamonds are cut and polished in Surat.
Monday
January 19
Two days at
Dungarpur in the Maharajah’s palace. The Maharajah himself will welcome
the cars at the arrival.
A stay in this
wonderful small palace on the banks of a lake, a magical place out of time. Some
of its rooms seem like a travel in the past to the British colonial era.
Wednesday
January 21
Arrival in the
impressively huge Palace of the Maharajah of Udaipur, the most important
Maharajahs of the Rajasthan. The Maharajah himself will présent to the
participants his own astonishing collection of vintage cars: Rolls Royce,
Mercedes, Ford, etc
Thursday
January 22
Two days in
Narlai, a charming relay of hunting of the Maharajah of Udaipur. Next to two
exceptional sites: Kumbalgarh Fort and Ranakpur Temple.
At Kumbalgarh
Fort is the second longest wall of the world after the Great Wall of China.
The fortifications of the Fort add up 36 kilometers length and make 7 meters
thickness. Behind this
enclosure stand the most spectacular temples and palaces of the area. In the
palace, inside the fort, the Maharajah has perfected a special accoustic system
in his bridal room: every
word becomes a piece of eternity, carried by an echo lasting more than fifteen
seconds…
Ranakpur
is
one of the most important center of pilgrimage for Jaïns. Every inch of the
white marble is decorated. Built in the fifteenth century, this huge temple is
formed of 29 rooms and 80 cupolas. Over 1444 marble pillars, all differently
carved in exquisite détail, support the temple.
Saturday
January 24
In
Siana,
amazing tents will allow to spend one night in a wild spot under the shade of
huge rocks and we will have the privilege of watching the wild leopards.
Sunday
January 25
Located in the
heart of the Thar desert, the Desert of Death, Jaisalmer, known as the Golden
City, was an important caravan step between India, Persia and Arabia.
The city is famous for its havelî, remarkable mansions built in the eighteenth
century by caste members of the merchants. They are decorated with a very fine
work.
Monday
January 26
In the middle
of a natural reserve, home of many wild animals, we will celebrate the
Ceremony of Opium with the savage warriors of the Rajasthan. Opium is crushed in
a mortar and prepared as
decoction before to be drunk three times in the palm of the hand. All the team
will sleep in sumptuous tents in the desert.
Tuesday
January 27
After
Gajner,
the Red City, about thirty kilometers of Bikaner, is one of the most holy
places of India: the Temple of Karni Mata which hosts hundreds of rats free in
the building. These small animals have human souls...
The Temple Rats
of Deshnoke is dedicated to Karni Mata, a mystic who lived in the
fifteenth century and was a reincarnation of the Durga goddess, the mother of
Ganesh. This holy hermit,
member of storytellers caste, have asked to Yama, the god of Death, to
give the life back to the son of an afflicted storyteller. Yama accepted, but
the young man raised as a rat. Anger, Karni Mata stole all the souls of members
of her caste from the kingdom of Yama: they are now rat’s reincarnation,
before rebirth in a human form…
Wednesday
January 28
Stage in the
ancient palace of a Maharajah.
Thursday
January 29
Arrival at
Jodhpur in the majestic Umaid Bawan Palace. It took fifteenth years and
thousand workmen to build this huge white and pink palace. A procession of
musicians, dancers, camels and elephants will welcome the cars.
Jodhpur is
commonly called the blue city because most of the houses in the old part of the
city are painted with this color. Blue indicated that these houses belonged to
Brahmins, the priestly caste
of India.
In the center
of Jodhpur, Mehrangar - “The Splendid Fort” - is one of the largest forts of
India. Its ramparts offer an extraordinary view over the city. Among its several
palaces, the most notable are
the Pearls Palace, the Palace of Mirrors and the Flowers Palace.
A spectacular
celebration in the gardens of the palace will mark the end of the Road of the
Maharajahs.
in our Bullitt section.
Official website Road of Maharajahs