Jeep celebrates one of the largest festival of India, in a unique manner – with help from Compass SUVs
Every year, the festival of Lord Ganesha is celebrated with huge fanfare in the state of Maharashtra. Almost every major street in the state, has their own pandal, where a statue of Lord Ganesha resides. For each of the 10 days of the festival, you can see thousands people out on the roads celebrating, taking a look at various pandals, which are specially decorated for festival duration.
The modern day celebration has a more recent historic relevance than mythology. The 10 day celebration was designed by Lokmanya Tilak in In 1893, which made the annual family festival a larger than life public event.
While families may select any of the chosen days within the 10 day celebration for a symbolic departure, the public celebration culminates in all public idols being submerged on the 10th day. The grand design aimed to unify all in Tilak’s nationalistic fight against the British in Maharashtra.
But this year was different. Thanks to the corona virus pandemic, the festival was subdued. Public celebrations are now a complete no-no keeping in mind the need to maintain physical distancing. This year there’s been no splash of colour and flower petals, the continuous ringing of bells and brass instruments, or the beating of larger than life drums, public parades, and song and dance.
Lord Ganesha idol created using 122 Jeep Compass SUVs
Jeep India designed their own celebration this year. The concept came to fruition after test runs to encapsulate the spirit of the occasion, and has perfected after 50+ hours involving 8 professional drivers. Orchestrated on a space of 29,970 sq.ft, by using 122 Compass SUVs that have formed an idol of Lord Ganesha that is 162 feet long and 185 feet wide. This was created inside the company plant parking lot, in Ranjangaon, near Pune. Watch the video below, shared by Jeep India.
For Jeep India, Compass has become a definitive vehicle, the one the brand is recognised for here. In keeping the lineup relevant, Jeep India has continually introduced new variants that highlight the vehicle’s form and performance in the last 3 years. That’s how long Jeep Compass has been around for now, in a segment that has seen newer contenders over time.
Compass Sales
Speaking about sales, FY21 started on a still note for the automotive industry with manufacturing and sales activity reduced to zero. Activity resumed in a phased manner in May 2020. YTD FY21, Jeep India reports 739 units of Compass sold. Compass exports stood at 1,193 units for April – July 2020. Export numbers for August 2020 are not yet available. Domestic sales of Compass in Aug 2020 stands at 468 units.
Last month, total Jeep Compass domestic sales was clocked at 44,630 in the 3 years it’s been in the market. The occasion was marked with the launch of Compass ‘Night Eagle’ Limited Edition.