On Sunday, March 11, women adventurers of Thiruvananthapuram traversed through the city and its suburbs for a treasure that awaited them at the end of the second edition of ‘Heels on wheels’, all-women treasure hunt car ride organised by The Hindu MetroPlus . Many were newcomers who wanted a taste of the hunt while almost an equal number were participants of the first edition who were back in the chase for the thrill.
Organised as part of International Women’s Day celebrations, the contest had 70 two-member (a driver and a navigator) teams drive 35 km on one of two assigned routes (Sreekaryam-Kazhakuttam or Thiruvallam-Karamana). They had to follow clues at nine points along the route to find the treasure. J.K. Thakkar, general manager, SBI, and his wife, Anju Thakkar, flagged off the treasure hunt.
Having come second in the race last time, Bindu Sankara Pillai and her navigator N. Sharmila Anirudhan were gunning for the first prize and that is exactly what they took home in their Maruthi 800 with a timing of one hour and six minutes. “The first edition was brilliant and this time it was even better. We are now familiar with the event and that helped a lot,” says Bindu.
They bagged a cash prize of ₹20,000, an Indian Oil Corporation (IOC) fuel coupon for ₹10,000, and a holiday package of three nights and four days for ₹20,000 at a Club Mahindra resort.
Soumya Sanathanan and Sosy Thomas, first runners-up to Heels on Wheels
The competition was stiff and that meant there was just a minute or two to separate the winners. Soumya Sanadhanan and Sosy Thomas, who clocked one hour and 12 minutes were the first runners-up. They won ₹10,000 and an IOC fuel coupon for the same amount.
Although they couldn’t repeat their top prize-winning performance from the first edition, Soumya and Sosy are extremely happy with their second prize.
Soumya says: “It is a pleasure participating in this challenge, especially since it is a one of its kind in the state. But I feel it was not as challenging as the first edition.” She believes that it would be even more interesting if a proper route is not given while giving a clear idea of the checkpoints. That, Soumya adds, would be a clear test of the navigation skills of participants. But Bindu thinks a route is a necessity. “Not all are familiar with different parts of the city. Even with the given route, it is often difficult to find the correct checkpoints,” she adds.
A singer and percussionist, Soumya was the showstopper; she performed a medley of foot-tapping numbers that kept the contestants on their toes.
Rakhee G. Surendran and Devi P.S., the second runners-up to Heels on Wheels
The second runners-up were Rakhee G. Surendran and Devi P.S. who were just a minute behind the team in the second place. They took home a ₹5,000 and a fuel coupon for ₹10,000. Asha Biju and Lakshmi Bala (one hour and 14 minutes) and Naima Muhammed and Durga R.C. (one hour and 15 minutes) came fourth and fifth, respectively.
Sheila James, proprietor, Czarina, chose Pooja Chaturvedi and Monisha S. for the award for best rally attire. Dressed in grey and white, the two were colour-coordinated with their Maruti Ignis.
An impromptu skit staged by Jomy Jacob, Geenu Paul, Jyothi Pradeep and Joann stole the show on account of the exuberance and wit of the actors. Jomy, speaking about their performance, says, “It was not that difficult as four of us regularly do it for other events and parties. We decided to come up with something in line with the relevance of the occasion and the dialogues were all improvised. We are glad it turned out well and I am looking forward to coming back next year.”
Then it was time for the star act and Murali Gopy sang a Hindi song for the contestants, Ruk jana nahin tu kahin haar ke. After the prizes were given away, it was selfie time with the star.
All participants were given certificates, Indian Oil Xtra Premium fuel coupons for ₹500, and a buffet lunch at Hilton Garden Inn.
Alok Kumar Sharma, general manager, State Bank of India (SBI), was the guest of honour. Reghu K., senior divisional manager (Retail Sales), IOC, and Dipesh D.S., Sales Manager, Popular Hyundai, were present on the occasion. J.K. Thakkar; Dipesh D.S., sales manager, Popular Hyundai; and Sheeja G. Manoj, executive director, Gokulam GG Hospital, were present.
Popular Hyundai was the presenting sponsor of the event; YONO by SBI, the banking partner; and Indian Oil Xtra Premium, the powered-by sponsor. Czarina Boutique was the associate sponsor and Club Mahindra the holiday partner. Hilton Garden Inn was the venue partner. Gokulam GG Hospital was the health care partner who provided on-road medical assistance.
