Mangaluru: CISF Vande Mataram Coastal Cyclotho-2026 was flagged off from Panambur Beach Thursday, with cyclists from Mangaluru pedalling towards Bekal.Themed ‘Surakshit Tat, Samriddh Bharat’, the cyclothon began on Jan 28 and will culminate at Cochin, Kerala, on Feb 22, as part of the commemoration of 150 years of Vande Mataram.The 25-day outreach initiative covers the entire coastline of India. A total of 130 CISF cyclists, including 65 women, are riding about 6,500km across nine coastal states, engaging coastal communities, youth, students, local stakeholders and institutions along the eastern and western seaboards.The cyclothon aims to integrate messages of coastal security, ecological security and national pride to support the vision of Viksit Bharat by 2047. As part of the initiative, CISF will adopt 52 villages and raise awareness of the employment opportunities available to youth in India’s security forces. The participation of women cyclists is intended to inspire young girls.The flag-off ceremony was conducted by Manjunath, DIG and chief airport security officer, Bengaluru; Ajay Dahiya, DIG (intelligence); Darshan HV, DC, Dakshina Kannada; Sudheer Kumar Reddy, CH, city police commissioner; and other senior CISF officers. Around 500 participants gathered at the venue to cheer the cyclists.Meanwhile, Wednesday, the rally entered Trasi in Udupi, where it was welcomed with local traditions. The cyclists interacted with students and community members before proceeding via Kundapur to Brahmavar. They later held an interaction programme at govt college in Kaup and continued on to Hejamady, then to Mangaluru.
