The sixth edition of the J&K Bank presents JK Tyre Rally of Himalayas was officially flagged off here on Saturday.

The Cross Country Rally (CCR) — with 140 competitors across Moto, Extreme and TSD (time, speed, distance) categories — will take drivers through Kaza, Jispa, Padum and Pensi La before culminating in Padum, Zanskar, on Wednesday.

The ceremonial flag-off took place at Dev Lok, 15th Mile, with Manali MLA Bhuvneshwar Gaur being the chief guest.

The 2026 iteration of the rally is also being held as a special tribute to Hari Singh, the ‘Gypsy King’ and a five-time National Rally Championship winner.

Gaur spoke about the region’s motorsports heritage. “We’ve been brought up seeing these rallies pass through here. I remember people coming up for rallies in Ambassadors, Fiats and Mahindras. Such events would attract a lot of people from all over the globe. Because once you look at the place, the scenic beauty of the Himalayas, that is our USP.”

(The writer is in Manali at the invitation of JK Tyre).