Interested in adventure sports? This summer try off roading in Chennai

Chennai’s growing community of off-roaders and the colliding words of man, machine and Nature

A trail of nine SUVs sets off to an undisclosed location North of Chennai. Past wetlands and fields of red earth they arrive at a sandy patch of land, well off the beaten path. From the vehicles emerge a group of recreational off-roaders who meet every weekend to keep their passion for the sport alive. 

For this community, unforgiving terrains are a barometer for the adrenaline that this underrated sport generates. The thrill of the sport is tied to two key pointers — the undulation or the nature of the landscape and the mechanical challenge that the SUV or four wheeled vehicle must take on.  And of late, Chennai is seeing a robust growth of off-roading communities whose connect is in the clash — with terrains as varied as mud, muck, sand and rock.

Sundararaj Subbarayalu, a mechanical engineer says, “To me off-roading is about three things — first, is to be with Nature, second, is the connect between man and machine. Finally, it is like meditation because it requires complete focus.”

Arkaprava Datta, off-roading organiser and auto motive technician with Chennai-based Terra Tigers, has been organising expeditions for the past fifteen years. “Terra Tigers started off as a recreational space that has now evolved into a professional team owing to the growing interest. We organise sessions, do vehicle prototyping, offer training to budding off roaders on how to retrieve a vehicle when stuck and on the sport in general. We also have our technical division which is called Terra Tech India.”

Competitive off-roaders from Chennai like to unleash higher levels of the sport and test their mechanical strength on rugged, sandy and snowy terrains. While the community is growing, Chennai has always drawn a committed group of off-roaders. The Palar Challenge, held annually before the onset of monsoon, is organised by Terra Tigers and is one of the country’s oldest and most celebrated off-roading challenges.

Jaisalmer in Rajasthan is famed for its Ultimate Desert Challenge where expert players race on the dunes followed by a series of activities that are on the higher side of endurance and difficulty scale.  

Tawang in Arunachal Pradesh is popular amongst off-roaders who own sports bikes and take on the extremely rocky trail on the Sela Pass.