MUMBAI: Northeast state Arunachal Pradesh's tranquil village Dambuk, known for its orange orchards, came to life with the roaring sound of modified Gypsies and Jeeps and the high octane rock music as the third edition of Orange Festival of Adventure & Music began on Thursday.

The JK Tyre Orange 4x4 Fury off-roading event, which is part of the four-day fest, was flagged off in Dambuk amidst motor sports enthusiasts who cheered for their favourite team.

A total of seven teams are participating in the off-roading event, making up to 28 participants, but only three teams managed to complete the first stage.

There is a special category for participants from the northeast. They are participating as individuals with two members, making up a team in one car.

The Gerrari Offroaders from Chandigarh maintained their supremacy after stage one.

The four-member team, comprising two cars each, was led by drivers Sanbir Dhaliwal and Padam Chauhan. They were assisted by co-drivers Gurpartap Singh and Maneet Sandhu, as they manoeuvred past one 10-foot long pit after using two long planks.

"It was game of coordination between the drivers, the co-drivers and the machines. We couldn't afford to make a single mistake as the entry points into and the exit points from the pits were also very tough," Dhaliwal said here.

The three pits were lined up next to each other, and the team had to drag the same heavy planks to get past all the pits. In all, there were eight obstacles.

They overcame the obstacles in 10.41 minutes.

With more stages left, one can expect a lot more action and thrill in the next two days. The champions of this edition will be announced on Saturday.

The powerful sound of the machines was complemented by the beats of rock numbers, played by some of the bands at the fest.

The evening saw performances by The Baby Boomers - the first western style band in Bhutan, Kolkata-based funk alternative rock band GingerFeet, popular Delhi rock band Menwhopause, Sky Level from Shillong, singer Antoine from France and American act Scott Moses Murray.

Supported by Arunachal Pradesh Tourism department, the fest will be headlined by Swedish guitarist Yngwie Malmsteen.

There are higher adrenaline adventure sports like river rafting, dirt cycling and ATV rides in the forests that one can enjoy. And of course, the food stalls that are mostly offering chicken and pork dishes.

(Source: IANS)