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Journalism of Courage
In India, it’s a long-standing tradition to perform a ‘vahan pooja’ when bringing home a new vehicle. The ritual typically involves taking the car to a temple or inviting a priest to bless it with prayers, breaking a coconut, applying vermillion (kumkum), and decorating it with garlands. Believed to bring safety and prosperity, the practice has been passed down through generations and remains popular, even in the era of electric and futuristic cars.
Hyderabad-based Dr Praveen Koduru recently followed this tradition after purchasing a Tesla Model Y in striking Ultra Red colour. Sharing photos of his freshly decorated car, he wrote, “No car, including Tesla, can get a five-star safety rating in Indian culture, unless a vahan pooja is done.”
The pictures show the shiny Tesla parked outside a temple, with family members in festive attire posing around it as the rituals were performed.
The post quickly went viral, striking a chord with social media users who appreciated India’s mix of tradition and modern technology. Tesla Club India commented, “True that!!! Lovely.” Some found humour in the situation, with one X user saying, “Even Tesla is not safe without nimbu or mirchi,” while another said, “The Tesla Auto pilot needs support from God’s to drive on Indian Roads.”
Another X user wrote, “Lemon crush is most required even if it is fighter jet. Else can’t be accepted,” and one user said, “because we don’t believe in science, and good infra but left everything on ‘Bhagwan Sahare’.”
Tesla officially entered the Indian market in July this year. Dr Koduru, a laparoscopic surgeon, received his Model Y last week, marking the first delivery of a Tesla in Hyderabad.
