An Indian Navy-organised car expedition covering the entire 7,500-km coastline to encourage sea consciousness was flagged off from Kolkata on March 26 by the Navy chief and the Naval officer in-charge in West Bengal.
The expedition, christened 'Sam No Varunah', was flagged off from INS Netaji Subhas, the Naval headquarters for West Bengal.
![Cars parked during the flagging off ceremony of ‘Sam No Varunah’ coastal car rally conducted by Navy, at INS Netaji Subhas in Kolkata on Sunday, March 26, 2023. Cars parked during the flagging off ceremony of ‘Sam No Varunah’ coastal car rally conducted by Navy, at INS Netaji Subhas in Kolkata on Sunday, March 26, 2023.](https://www.thehindu.com/theme/images/th-online/1x1_spacer.png)
Cars parked during the flagging off ceremony of ‘Sam No Varunah’ coastal car rally conducted by Navy, at INS Netaji Subhas in Kolkata on Sunday, March 26, 2023. | Photo Credit: PTI
Held in association with the Navy Welfare and Wellness Association (NWWA), the maritime awareness coastal motor car expedition, covering the entire Indian coastline from Kolkata to Lakhpat in Gujarat, was flagged off virtually by Chief of Naval Staff, Admiral R. Hari Kumar, and on ground by Commodore Rituraj Sahu, NOIC, West Bengal.
It will arrive at INS Chilka on March 28 on the occasion of the passing out of the first batch of ‘Agniveers’ of the Navy, according to an official release.
Conducting awareness campaigns at cities and villages enroute with the aim to provide information about employment opportunities in the Navy, including the ‘Agnipath’ scheme, the rally is scheduled to culminate at Lakhpat on April 23.
The journey will also focus on women in the Navy, and interactions have been planned with Naval veterans and ‘veer naris’ en route, the release said.