Karad Chronicles
Rohit Nalawade
Water and cars don’t mix. I can attest to that ever since I have the unfortunate memory of the 2005 deluge in Mumbai hardwired into the recesses of my memory. I remember being pulled out of school, ferried home with two equally nervous schoolmates in a gingerly-driven hatchback, with the water level just shy of rising over the bonnet. I still get chills thinking about it. Nature’s fury is not to be trifled with, and things can get particularly nasty when things go sideways.
In these trying times, 4x4s are often seen on the frontline to provide assistance – and this is far from easy, because this is where the abilities of an off-road vehicle are tested to the limits with lives (quite literally in this case) hanging in the balance. When the going gets tough, the close-knit off-road communities end up as unsung heroes, and it was a similar circumstance that led to the creation of Team Karad Offroaders. Abhay Jadhavrao tells us that while he joined the club in 2023, it was set up in the year 2017. “In parts of Western Maharashtra such as Kolhapur, Karad and Sangli, there was a flood which took place due to heavy rains, and there was so much water that we had to step in and help conduct a rescue mission. In conditions such as these, normal cars just don’t cut it, and this was when we made alternations and modifications to our 4x4s – the only machines that could make it to the affected areas in such conditions. That’s when the idea of setting up a club for all of our 4x4 vehicles took shape, to take things to the next level,” Abhay tells me.
Since its inception, Team Karad Offroaders has competed in competitions across the state of Maharashtra as well as India, but the club started off with humble beginnings, having grown considerably over the years with 60 active members including support staff and mechanics in addition to just the drivers and co-drivers. “When we take part in an event in the states of Maharashtra, Goa, Karnataka or Kerala, we usually have 30 to 35 members from our team taking part in events, as well as cooks to ensure the whole team is fed since we’re a large contingent,” Abhay explains. He proceeds to add that this club is open to all, not just 4x4s of a particular make or brand, and that team members have also received basic medical training to tend to those in need and to provide CPR (Cardiopulmonary Resuscitation) if required. “One memory that stands out for me with Team Karad Offroaders is from July 2025 at the Sahyadri Offroad Challenge in Pune, where the team absolutely dominated in each category. In just one event, we managed to win 18 trophies out of 30. That was a big win for the team.” Abhay proceeds to excitedly tell me about his ride, named ‘Dynamite’, referring to the pale blue 4x4 seen on these pages. “All of us team members from Maharashtra tend to give our cars a name and my daughter told me that ‘Daddy, please name this car Dynamite,” he chuckles. It usually competes in the Modified category and is an amalgamation of parts from various vehicles put together.
As I pen down these words, the rains are yet to hit my neck of the woods, but the off-road enthusiasts at Team Karad Offroaders are waiting for the rains to hit eagerly – because when the terrain gets rocky, slushy, even downright undrivable, that’s when these 4x4s come out and play, making the best of the slush fest.
