Mr. B. Shankaranarayan (a.k.a. Shankar) started his educational sojourn at the Loyola High School, Jamshedpur. His academic career ended when, in 1975, he graduated in commerce by the skin of his teeth from Mysore Uni. The highlight of his academic career was standing first in class - from the bottom. He managed to fail in every subject in school except Moral Science.


He discovered the joys of highway travel when his dad bought an Amby in '64 and drove south and northwest. Memories include crossing the swollen Godavari on a ferry, driving amidst hundreds of dancing peacocks in UP, eating mangoes at orchards in Andhra and jamuns from roadside trees in Orissa. The carbug got him and never let go.

Remembering the quote from Julius Ceasar,
There is a tide in the affairs of men
Which, taken at the flood, leads on to fortune;
Omitted, all the voyage of their life
Is bound in shallows and in miseries. (IV,iii)

Shankar took a job in Dubai in '75 where in an upwardly mobile career, he had the pleasure of driving motor vehicles of excellence - BMW 320.i, Nissan Cedric, Toyota Landcruiser, Nissan Patrol, Range Rover, Ford Taurus, Honda Quintet, Caprice Classic, Cadillac Fleetwood, Mercedes SL 230 etc. He drove extensively in the UAE on the highways, in the wadis and over sand dunes.

In the early '90s he spent 3 years in the US and clocked 70,000 miles on his Buick Le Sabre driving the length and breadth of the country.

In 1994, at age 42, he retired from work, set up a small Carnatic Music label and moved to Pune.

In '95 Nov he bought - hold your breath - an Amby 1800ISZ in which he did trips to Ooty, Kanha, Goa, Konkan Coast etc. 50,000 kms and 6 years later, he sold the Amby and acquired a Bolero GLX on which he has done trips to Delhi and back, Goa, Konkan coast, Bangalore, Baroda and a 7,736 kms drive upto Sosoma in Ladakh via Manali and return via Srinagar. 30,000 Kms in one year.

Shankar has zilch knowledge of car mechanics. Anything beyond replacing a flat tire is beyond him. Preventive maintenance is his philosophy. None of his cars have ever had a mechanical problem on the road.

What he loves is driving around the country. Have Car Will Travel is his motto. He keeps detailed road information - time & distance logs, chart routes, maps etc. and is ever willing to help in planning a trip.

When he's not on the road, he runs his small music company, makes exotic cocktails, dabbles in cooking, organises barbecue picnics and generally tries to have a good time. Married with no kids, he lives in Pune with his wife.