Maruti Suzuki Dealer's Exotic Car Ayudha Pooja Goes Viral [Video]
In the Indian culture, Ayudha Puja is an important ritual. Performed on the occasion of Dussehra, it pays reverence to the tools and vehicles that a person uses in his/her life. Every year, we come across videos and pictures of public figures and celebrities performing Ayudha Puja on their vehicles. Many of these show expensive and rare vehicles, and gain massive traction online. One such video shows Sanjay Rao, a highly successful businessman from Karnataka and the director of Mandovi Motors, worshipping his multi-crore car collection.
This video has been shared on Rao’s official Instagram handle. In it, we can see his fleet of cars and SUVs parked in the premises of what looks like his residence. At least 10 vehicles can be seen in the video, spanning across segments and price brackets. A pujari is seen performing rituals on these. You can also see the businessman chant prayers and make offerings. According to tradition, once the Puja is done, the vehicles are taken on a short drive. In this video, however, we can see all of them being moved slightly forward after the puja.
One of the biggest highlights of this video is that it shows some exciting cars from several foreign manufacturers in a very ‘desi’ setting. From BMW’s to Lamborghinis, there’s a lot! Puja being performed on a 5Cr Lamborghini Huracan STO, adorned with a garland, isn’t a common sight...
The other cars and SUVs featured in the video are BMW M2, a custom-painted Maruti Swift (which also has a lot of modifications gone into it), Jimny, an older-generation Audi TT, a Ford Mustang, a Maybach GLS600, a Mercedes-Benz C43 AMG, a Mini Cooper, and an OG Grand Vitara.
Interestingly, this year’s video doesn’t include any motorcycles. Some of the cars and SUVs we have seen him with in the past are also missing from the lineup. It is unclear if he has traded them off. It remains a possibility that those vehicles are kept at a different location/ residence.
Another BIG highlight this time is that the video features a personal watercraft (PWC), receiving the elaborate Vahan Puja. At least some of us are used to referring to PWCs as ‘Jet skis’ (like how we use JCB to refer to a backhoe loader)- which is essentially a name associated with Kawasaki’s PWC lineup. The model featured here is the Yamaha Wave Runner EX Deluxe. It likely has a price of over Rs 18 lakhs!
The short-form video has left netizens awestruck. At the time of writing this article, it has crossed over 2.1 million views on Instagram. This milestone was achieved in just 16 hours after it was taken live! Rao’s follower count stands at 91.3K.
This businessman now enjoys huge popularity on various social media platforms. His empire, however, wasn’t built overnight. Mandovi Motors was the first Maruti dealership in Karnataka, established in 1984! Rao is now associated with multiple successful businesses, in various sectors.
The Ayudha Puja video shared by Rao last year looked a lot different. It had two pujaris perform rituals on his fleet. Both motorcycles and cars/SUVs were featured in it. The video showed some brutally fast models from Ducati and MV Augusta. It even had a Lamborghini Urus, a BMW M5 Competition, and some classic/vintage cars (including a pristine Rolls Royce and Cadillac from the past), which are missing in the new clip.