The highlight of the meetup was not just the cars, it was the people. We were able to connect with individuals from different walks of life.
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Introduction
300km, 35+ members, 13 cars and innumerable photographs and memories
Ladies and Gentlemen, start your engines! A few enthusiastic XUV300 owners had a fantastic time with their cars on a drive and meetup near the beautiful city of Mysore. From Bangalore to Mysore, we embarked on a thrilling journey, filled with breathtaking landscapes, long highways, and unforgettable memories. The destination was never the priority, it was always the journey. We were able to connect with like-minded individuals who share passion for cars and make new friends along the way.
Our meetup was a celebration of the XUV300, a car that embodies the spirit of adventure and performance. From the powerful engine to the sleek design, the XUV300 is the perfect car for those who love to hit the road and explore new horizons. At our meetup, we had the opportunity to highlight the unique features of the XUV300 and share our knowledge and experiences with fellow enthusiasts.
But the highlight of our meetup was not just the cars, it was the people. We were able to connect with individuals from different walks of life, who came together to share their love for the XUV300 and create lifelong memories. From the selfies to the lively conversations, the meetup was a true reflection of the XUV300’s spirit of inclusivity and camaraderie.
Let me start from the beginning.
The idea of a Meet up
There are various groups for XUV300 where different problems are discussed, and people display their cars. There is a very active group for all Kerala owners and an offshoot of that was the Bengaluru wing.
The group had already gone for a drive to Lepakshi temple a few months ago and the experience was fantastic. The idea for the next trip was being discussed for a long time and finally bore fruit at the weekend of Diwali.
Planning the Details
Soon the interest forms were shared to see who all are available on the given dates. The location was discussed for a long time and finally decided to go to the Sri Venugopalaswamy temple, Kannambadi. This is near to the KRS reservoir. In fact, there is an interesting history behind this temple.
Before the Krishna Raja Sagara dam project was conceived by Sir M. Visvesvaraya in 1909, the temple complex was located in the village of Kannambadi. The KRS Dam project meant that Kannambadi and other surrounding settlements would be submerged. The then king of Mysore, Krishna Raja Wadiyar IV ordered the construction of a new village for the residents of Kannambadi and aptly named it Hosa Kannambadi (New Kannambadi).
However, the Venugopala Swamy temple complex and two other temples namely Kenneshwara (Ishwara) temple and Kalamma (A local deity) temple had to be abandoned. By 1930, the first phase of the dam was completed, and all three temples were submerged.
The main idol of Venugopalaswamy, Lord Krishna playing on the flute as a cowherd, was shifted to a new temple in the rehabilitated village before the submersion. Later, around 2010, the temple was rebuilt near the new Kannambadi village touching the reservoir water.
The route map was charted out.
And the details were shared with the group.
This was the plan
- 8.00 AM: Everyone must reach starting point after breakfast: Kaniminike Toll Plaza
- Arrange Cars, Briefing and Photos – Spent around 30 Minutes.
- 8.30 AM: Start driving towards Mysore.
- 11.00 AM: First Destination, KRS Dam. Site seeing and Leave by 12.30 PM
- 01.00 PM: Hotels for Lunch: There are a couple of hotels available nearby.
- 2.00 PM: Finish lunch and start driving towards Sri Venugopalaswamy Temple.
- 2.45 PM: At destination: Sri Venugopalaswamy Temple
- Car arrangements, photos, Introductions, Fun activities, sightseeing and meanwhile owners can have discussion on user experience and reviews.
- 5.30 PM: Return to Bangalore
The weather for the day was assessed. (The Drive was on the Saturday)
A poll was taken to find out the colour combinations.
And final locations were charted out to see who was coming from which side of Bangalore.
It was decided to have the first starting point at the Kaniminike Toll Plaza only as before that it would be really difficult to find a good place to park. Hence the wait began for the D-Day. In between more folks got added, few backed out and the discussion continued on how to make it better.
One thing which everyone agreed on was to make it a family outing. If it were just for us petrolheads, we would talk nothing but cars, but we decided to include our families to show them the car craze.
Everyone was busy washing their beasts and getting them ready. My cheetah after a good washing ready for the hunt.
Few things the volunteers made sure everyone noted:
- Have your breakfast and then reach the starting point at 8am.
- Carry water bottles, snacks, cooling glass, hats/caps.
- Additional clothes and toys for kids if they want to have fun in the lake.
- Selfie stick, tripod stand.
Start of the Drive
I started from my home by around 6.30 AM and navigated through the Bangalore traffic (yes on a Saturday morning at 7 AM) to reach the spot around 8.15 AM. By that time there were already 8-10 cars lined up. I will let the pictures do the talking.
Cars lining up for the start
A shot from the side
All members with their families
Once everyone was ready, it was time to tee off. Joby who was the main person to rally and organize this drive, spoke a few words on how we will go. The main points to be noted were.
- We will go in a convoy and stick to it as much as possible.
- The highway was crowded for Diwali break and everyone to be careful while driving.
- The speed will be maintained between 80 kmph -90 kmph and the max was 100 kmph.
- No one will overtake the convoy vehicle in front.
- In case there is an emergency, the car should put on the hazard light and stop on the side and inform the members.
- For taking photos, cars can put on hazard lights and overtake. Go to a km in front and then park and take photos and videos.
- The first car will have the map directions and others will follow.
And off we went. My wife said it looked like school kids being asked to go in a straight line!
On the way, on the highway
The Bengaluru Mysore expressway is the newly constructed 10-lane expressway. I could see only six lanes throughout the journey though. Maybe some places have all the ten lanes.
It is a beautiful expressway will smooth roads and no undulations even on the flyovers. It passes through the cities of Bidadi, Ramanagara, Maddur and Mandya to reach Mysore. But on XUV300 the journey was really boring as it was really crowded, and this car is not made for 70-80 kmph highway drives. There was no chance to keep the foot down, but it was a calm and rustic drive. In between few cars did speed forward to take reels. But overall, the journey was beautiful and in no time, we reached the end of the expressway where we had to exit and take the road to KRS dam.
The road to KRS had its share of wear and tear but it was not a problem for XUV300. We continued to move in line till we reached the entrance of KRS.
At KRS Dam
What would be the first thing one would do once you reach the Majestic KRS dam? Park the car, get out and get the tickets right. But for us, it was parking the car, again repark the car and again move and park it again to get the best possible shots.
Cars lined up near the KRS dam parking
A view of the surrounding area
Cannot get enough photos
Meet and Greet
Since we had some time to pass before lunch and it was getting unbearably hot, we decided to get inside the KRS park and have the Meet and Greet under the trees.
Inside the Vrindavan Gardens
Not much of a crowd as it was still afternoon and hot
Fountains
The KRS Dam wall in the back
Photographers on it again
Everyone talked about their experience with XUV300, the good and the bad part. Looks like AMT was the only sore patch on an otherwise competent car.
Lunch and Journey to Sri Venugopalaswamy Temple
We had our lunch at Hotel Heritage Shelters Resort. This is like 5 km from KRS Dam. It was a decent fare for that area and the best part was it had plenty of parking.
A group pic after having food.
It was 3 PM by this time and we decided to quickly go to the next location. The drive was good, the roads were empty and the last 1 km of the journey had broken roads but XUV300 was able to navigate it easily.
And finally, we reached our destination.
Keyword: Mahindra XUV300 meet up: 13 SUVs & 35+ people created lifelong memories