KOHIMA: As it roars up the hills in the northeast, the first India-ASEAN car rally is being greeted with war dances, gospel songs, elephants, candles held up by children and the hysterical cheers of thousands.

Dressed in feathers and colourful shawls, young men and women performed tribal war dances and sang gospel songs at a dinner hosted by Nagaland Chief Minister Neiphiu Rio.

"This evening we welcome you," said Rio. "This is a land of wonderful natural beauty and we hope it'll touch your hearts."

Before that, smiling children filled both sides of the streets and for miles held out candles lighting the curving hill path as the convoy of 60 cars carrying 240 people whizzed through the forests and hills of Assam into Nagaland.

For almost the entire 500-km journey from Guwahati to Kohima, the capital of Nagaland at a height of around 1,400 metres above sea level, hundreds upon hundreds of people lined the streets, many waiting for hours for a glimpse of the cars.

In some places, like the Kaziranga National Park, mahouts holding up banners that said, "Welcome rally participants, we love you", poked twigs on to their elephants causing them to raise their trunks, saluting the caravan.

In others, people waved banners and placards, shouting out: "Best of luck," "Have a safe journey," "We love you," and even "Take us with you."

"This is the best thing I've seen in my life," said Sati Barua, holding up her two-year-old son as they grinned at the passing cars and waved frantically.

"I am so excited that I want to touch the cars, you people."

At Rio's dinner, Ronald Jamir, a young arts student, who was one of the dancers, smiled shyly as he confessed: "Everyone here is terribly excited. It might seem strange to you but, you see, we've never seen anything like this before. This is fantastic."

The rally, in which 10 countries are participating, would end in Batam, Indonesia, Dec 11, having traced an 8,000-km land route from India over 20 days.

It has generated tremendous enthusiasm especially in India's landlocked northeastern states, which geographically happen to fall right between the Indian mainland and the countries that comprise ASEAN.

Apart from the Philippines, all other ASEAN nations are participating in the rally aimed at boosting India-ASEAN ties and also pushing trade and development in the northeast.

"Frankly, it's our big hope," said an official of the Nagaland government. "If it works out, a lot of problems would be solved."