Nissan India celebrated the first anniversary of their second SUV, the Terrano, in a down-to-earth manner. We were among those who took part in this event
Story: Ravi Chandnani
Photography: Rommel Albuquerque
‘Son of the Soil’. Sounds like something the Punjabis would come up with. However, Japanese auto maker Nissan recently adopted this slogan to celebrate the first anniversary of their second SUV in India, the Terrano. In an attempt to portray the Terrano as a quintessential desi SUV, Nissan decided to go for the simple life experience rather than having a lavish party, which would have left everyone with just a hangover.
Anyway, this interesting concept began on the streets of Amritsar where we first visited the holy Harmandir Sahib (Golden Temple). It is a magical and highly spiritual experience to be at this holiest site in Sikhism. The gleaming golden dome looked heavenly and, since I am a strong believer, standing in front of Darbar Sahib made me realise how minuscule we mortals are in front of the Almighty. There couldn’t have been a better start to the day.
After immersing ourselves in the glory of the Golden Temple, we headed to the garden next door to pay our respects to the martyrs of Jallianwala Bagh massacre, who had faced the cruelty of a Briton called General Dyer. It is a must visit if you are in Amritsar. After a hearty Punjabi breakfast, we set out in our Terrano to discover the back roads of Punjab that are lined with wheat fields, tractors and hard-working ‘sons of the soil’. We journos often overlook the possibility of a travelogue in Punjab, but driving through those mustard and wheat fields and interacting with the colourful and vibrant people of Punjab made me realise how inspiring this part of our country is.
We drove for about two hours before turning off the main road in favour of a narrow unpaved road, which led us to our lunch stop. Now when you are in Punjab, especially in rural Punjab, it is mandatory for you to ditch the luxury of an enclosed dining hall for a more earthy setting, out in the open in the middle of a wheat field. It is a surreal experience to settle down on a charpai for yet another hearty desi meal. The improvised table was a plank of wood neatly balanced in the middle of the charpai. Take a look at the pictures and you will understand the great hospitality of the Punjabi people for whom serving huge portions is a way of showing their affection.
