Dambuk, where speed meets music

The chief minister of Arunachal Pradesh keeps two modes of transport for his trips around the state. One, his usual cavalcade of cars, and the other an elephant. Yes, do not be surprised!

Arunachal, the land of the rising sun, offers stunning sights and plenty of natural beauty and one of these is the Lower Dibang Valley which is spread over an area of 4,149 square km. It is, in fact, the 10th least populous district in the country.

Rich in biodiversity and extremely scenic, the place has breathtaking views but is completely shut off for close to six months in an year when it sees heavy rainfall.

It is then that the second mode of transport — the elephant — comes in handy as the Dibang Valley is hard to reach from the rest of the state.

A car rally or a music festival at such a place is the last thing one would imagine but JK Tyre decided to take a plunge into the unknown when they took motorsport to the picturesque valley that had little to offer in terms of infrastructure or facilities.

Every December, it is a unique amalgamation of adrenaline high and music when the JK Tyre 4x4 Fury racing championship and the Orange Music festival are held in Dambuk simultaneously.

There was a marked increase in interest and audience as the second year of the tournament rolled out last month from December 14 to 18, with Siddarth Santosh and Lokesh Shivaraja of Team Boda being declared the race winners.

Says Sanjay Sharma, head corporate communications and motorsport at JK Tyre, “This place is different. The terrain is not easy to find anywhere else in the country and makes for a great venue to hold extreme rallies.

“As part of our mission to support motorsport in the North-east, we begun to sponsor this rally. Now there is local participation too and motorsport enthusiasts come together for four days of competition and festivity.”

At the actual camp site, one experiences a world far away from the humdrum of everyday life. On an open area of around two acres near the riverbed, huts and small tents to house participants — drivers and musicians — and media alike and local flavours at the dinner table. Amenities are far and few but there is plenty of enthusiasm and natural beauty.

The Dibang river flows nearby and offers a stunning view at sunrise. Music fills up the little shacks at the makeshift village, as booze and talk flow. It is a strange mix of everything young and modern — speed, thrill and music — and yet there is a distinct rustiness to the entire festival. For those visiting the valley, river rafting too is an option.

This year’s music festival saw well-known guitarist Yngwie Malmsteen from Sweden as one of the main attractions. Malmsteen, who first became known in the 1980s for his neoclassical metal playing style in heavy metal, set the stage on fire on the final day.

For those who feed on the high of cars and extreme sport, the 4x4 Fury off-roading event was a novel experience.

Said Shivaraja, whose team won the championship, “We have to be really mad (for motorsport) to invest our own money and carry our vehicles to this part of the country.

“Our vehicles (mostly modified Gypsies) cannot be driven on road, so it is quite a tedious process to get them together here and take part in this tournament.

“This year we had quite a number of tasks, driving on wooden planks, making our way through the river to climbing steep hills. It is a celebration, a festival... it is our love for sport which is way of life for us.

“I reckon off-roading is in its nascent years in India, but with events like these we are sure to grow and find our footing in the coming years,” he added.