[Venkad]

Prologue -

Having covered most of India on wheels, we have had the pleasure to relish the changing landscape, local culture, food and people during road trips. For the winter 2022, we geared up for the trip to Kalinga land. For most part, our trip remains un planned since we wouldn't know what surprise is waiting while on road and where we would land for the night. Mahindra cars has been a constant companion for past 12 years of our driving episodes and this time we were travelling in Thar.

Road conditions -

Bangalore to Tirupati - Good
Tirupati to Nellore - Partially good with lots of rough patches and single roads
Nellore to Vishakapatanam/Puri - Good
Puri to Chilika/Cuttack - Good
Cuttack to Sambalpur - Mostly good with some patches under construction
Sambalpur to Nagpur - Good, Traffic in Raipur
Nagpur to Bangalore - Good, except for some rough patches between Hinganghat to Adilabad


Day1- Bangalore to Vijayawada via Tirupati (23 Dec)

Generally we start during early hours to cover up maximum distance and the plan was to reach Vizag by night. Since my wife was bit unwell, we ended up starting by noon and so we planned to reach Vijayawada. We stayed in a Treebo C Plaza near MG road for the night. The stay was good and pocket friendly. Breakfast was okish. Anyway we were only looking for a good sleep and proceed to Vizag.

Day2 - Vishakhpatnam (24 Dec)

Started around 8 AM from Vijayawada and reached Vishakapatnam around 2 PM. We had good Andhra lunch at SubbayaGari hotel.





Around 4 PM, To our surprise, We noticed oil leaks below the engine bay and immediately called Mahindra Service Center (Automotive Mahindra, Vizag) for help. They asked us to get the vehicle for inspection. Upon checking the vehicle for about 30 minutes, they could not identify the root cause for the oil leak and they asked to leave the vehicle for more analysis. They also indicated that this may be a bigger issue and the leak could be from the cylinder head, which worried us further.


Our problem was that it was a Saturday evening and if we decide to leave the vehicle at ASC, we would have to wait till Monday morning for them to even start analysing the issue. This will jeopardise the plan since Vizag hotels were all fully booked for Christmas weekend and were either expensive or sold out. We also had booked our stay at Puri since we didn't want to take any chance considering it was Christmas weekend. Now rescheduling the hotel bookings will not be an option.

Given all the above problems, ASC guys suggested to drive the vehicle to Bhuvaneshwar (450+ KM) with periodic oil checks and leave it for service at Bhubaneshwar. We were bit anxious since oil was getting empty at much quicker phase which may lead to engine seizure. Since Vizag ASC was not willing to take up the vehicle for further analysis on the same day or on Sunday, we were left with no options but to drive to Bhuvaneshwar.

I reached out to Prahalad from Mahindra Bangalore for help and he spoke to Automotive Mahindra (Vizag), Aditya Motors (Cuttack) to understand on the issue and what can be done given the situation. He did everything to ensure our holiday plan stays uninterrupted and my car is received at Aditya motors on Sunday (25th Dec). Also arranged a courtesy vehicle until my car is ready for delivery so that my holiday plans stays intact. We were overwhelmed by the support and care provided by Mr.Prahalad and Mr.Debanand (Aditya Motors, Cuttack) in spite of being a weekend and Christmas day. A big shout out for the Mahindra team and Aditya Motors.....

Day3 - Bhubaneshwar/Puri (25th Dec)

Next day, We left at around 10:30 AM from Vishakapatnam with bit of anxiety since the oil was fully drained out and had to top up (2 litre) during the start of trip. Hoping we could manage by having a close check on the temperature and on any engine noise, We started the journey but stopped every 50 KM to check the oil and kept topping it up as soon when it hits lowest mark in the dip stick. We also ensured that the vehicle is driven between 70-90 KMPH (less than 2K RPM) range to not the heat up the engine quicker. In this mode, We reached Aditya Motors, Bhubaneshwar at around 7:30 PM on Sunday.

We were pleasantly surprised to see Mr Debanand and his team was waiting to receive the vehicle. Additionally, they provided us with a courtesy vehicle and ensured our Holiday stays uninterrupted. We were overwhelmed with the attitude and service provided. They had to cut short their weekends and family time to ensure Mahindra customers stays safe and happy. BIG THANK YOU for the entire team!!!!

Mahindra certainly builds good products, but dealers and people like Prahalad, Debanand, Team at Aditya Motors are the ones who build the brand



We drove back to Puri in the courtesy vehicle provided, completely satisfied that we have made the right decision to choose Mahindra. On the way back, we were much relieved and had hot rasgullas in Pahala area on the highway between the Bhuvaneshwar and Cuttack...MUST TRY!!







Day 4 - Puri (26th Dec)

We started our day by going to the Puri beach and found an interesting sand art there. Considering the amount of people visit this beach everyday, govt has maintained the cleanliness of the beaches reasonably well.







Then we reached Raghurajpur (about 20 KM from Puri) to see the PattaChitra, Tussar Silk painting, Palm leaf paintings, stone sculptures. Each house in the village has a lineage of artist who specialises in various art forms. That said, there were lots of PadmaShri’s and State Award recipients. We wanted to buy that is more affordable for our pockets and support this art form and culture as much as we could. Just a word of caution-Few people there do take tourists for a ride by quoting very high price.

Then we proceeded to Pipili to get some appliqué handicrafts. There are Govt. co-operative societies which sell Appliqué bedsheets, lamp shades at a reasonable price. It is a must visit.



Mr.Debanand from Aditya Motors called us in the afternoon that the vehicle is ready to be delivered, and the problem was not big one like we anticipated. It is just that some Oil switch had cracked and was to be replaced. Team at Aditya had taken the vehicle for inspection the same night anticipating bigger issue and found out that the oil switch was the issue. However, they kept the vehicle overnight for monitoring and test drives.
We then rushed to the service centre and took delivery of the vehicle. We cannot thank the team at Mahindra and Aditya Motors enough for ensuring our holiday stays as planned without any major interruption and to get the vehicle fixed without giving us any stress to us. The attitude and the kind of integrity with which the team worked during such situations is JUST AMAZING.



We then reached back to Puri and went to Jagannath temple for a Darshan at around 9 PM. The temple was crowded but we had a very good Darshan. Feeling content, we then had feast of Holy Mahaprasad from the Anand Bazar inside temple complex. Beware, there are scammers all over ready to get money in the name of quick Darshan. There is only one line which takes to the sanctum, and there are no special VIP lines as far as we know.

Day 5 - Puri (27th Dec)

We went to Puri Beach today morning to play in waves. The beach was well maintained and clean. There were enough guards to protect the tourists and provide chairs for sitting, for a very nominal charge.
Later we went to Konark temple. The route leading to Konark was lined with pristine clean sand beaches . The Konark temple is indeed an amazing architectural marvel. It is better to hire a guide to walk us thorough on the important details of the complex. The shops outside temple were selling cashews and kas-kas. On the way we spend lot of time in Chandrabagh beach and enjoyed a beautiful sunset. There are water sports also available in this beach.



Day 6 - Chilika lake (28th Dec)

Next day we left to Satapada side of Chilika very early in the morning and reached by 7 AM. There are couple of points in Satapada one which is run by Govt and the other one is run by local village people. The rates vary from INR.1000 to 5000 depending on the package. We had a chance to see Dolphins swimming across and catching fishes. Post that we landed on the Rajhans Island for sight seeing which is basically no-man island, but flocked by tourists. Then the boat guy took us to a place to see red crab where we would be flocked by the vendors to sell Pearls, corals and gem stones. Beware!! Mostly they are all fake..





Since we couldn’t get a proper stay in Chilika, we then thought of taking a stay on the highway to Sambalpur

Day 7,8 - Sambalpur (29th Dec, 30th Dec )

We then drove to Sambalpur via Deogarh. The route to Sambalpur was very scenic and roads were pretty good. We reached Sambalpur and had authentic authentic cuisine in Odia Swada.

Next day we visited Hirakud dam and spend some good time with Mahanadi river. In the evening, we visited the Huma temple, which is known for the slanted towers. From here, we visited the Mukteswar temple and drove back to home ending our 2022 winter vacation.

[scorched_earth]

Thanks for the writeup. Especially the information on rasagullas at Pahala.

I was in the same route during the last week of December (24th to 31st) - from Bengaluru to Vijaywada, Vizag, Barkul and Satpada.

I am happy to read that you could move on with your vehicle and complete the trip with the help of Mahindra support team. Unfortunately, for me, last September while going to Gwalior I had to return from Anantpur after a few hours of starting the journey. I did not have the luck to move on, you can read my experience at https://www.team-bhp.com/forum/stree...l-failure.html (Bundelkhand Road Trip | A successful-failure).

I have a couple of questions for you, if I may -
* Did you buy RSA from Mahindra before commencing the trip?
* Did you first contact the ASC at Bengaluru or did you just called WithYouHamesha call centre for assistance?

It's commendable on the way Mahindra coordinated with the ASC at Bhubaneswar and resolved out the problems.

Why I am asking you this is because next time if I face any problems with my Scorpio I can use this information.

Many thanks and good wishes to you and your family.

[Venkad]

Originally Posted by scorched_earth

* Did you buy RSA from Mahindra before commencing the trip?

We Did have RSA before the trip.

Originally Posted by scorched_earth

* Did you first contact the ASC at Bengaluru or did you just called WithYouHamesha call centre for assistance?

I contacted ASC guys at Bengaluru and Vizag for help and dropped a note in the Bengaluru Thar WhatsApp group through which Prahlad-Karnataka region manager for service stepped in and helped to connect us with Bhuvaneshwar ASC.