Mahindra Adventure Alphonso Escape: A Tale Of Savouring Mangoes With Chandan!

What’s the craziest thing you have ever done to eat Mangoes? Well, we have an interesting adventure to share with you.

This one began the moment we left Pune.

Pune To Ratnagiri Ft. Misal Pav

Senior Photographer Kamesh and I had a fair distance to cover before reaching Ratnagiri, but neither of us was particularly concerned about the kilometres ahead. The route itself was reason enough to be excited.

Instead of taking the most direct route possible, we headed towards the Tamhini Ghats. Even after countless drives through this stretch, it remains one of Maharashtra's most enjoyable roads. The early morning air was pleasant, traffic was sparse, and the winding roads made for an excellent start to the weekend.

Of course, road trips and breakfast stops go hand in hand. A small roadside eatery in the ghats became our first halt of the day. Plates of hot misal arrived almost immediately, accompanied by steaming cups of chai. Sitting there, surrounded by fellow travellers and locals beginning their day, it felt like one of those moments that make road trips memorable. Nothing fancy, nothing planned, just good food and good company before a long drive.

Back on the road, the ghats eventually gave way to the wide stretches of NH66. Traffic steadily increased as we headed deeper into the Konkan region. Many of the vehicles around us seemed to be Goa-bound, packed with luggage and holiday plans. The road itself was excellent, making the drive effortless, and before long, Ratnagiri appeared on the horizon.

The Mahindra Adventure Alphonso Escape had officially begun.

Meet Chandan

The first day was all about settling in, meeting fellow participants and soaking in the atmosphere.

One of the best things about Mahindra Adventure events is the people. Whether you've attended ten events or it's your first one, conversations begin almost instantly. Before long, strangers become convoy partners and meal companions.

As evening approached, everyone gathered for the briefing session. Now, briefing sessions at Mahindra Adventure are never just about routes and safety instructions.

This time, every team was asked to name their vehicle.

The fleet included a healthy mix of Scorpio Ns, Thar 3-doors, Thar Roxxes and even an XUV700. Predictably, the naming exercise quickly turned into an entertaining competition.

Some names sounded tough. Some sounded funny. Some made absolutely no sense.

Our vehicle for the weekend was a Thar Roxx.

I had the perfect name for our beloved SUV, and without any hesitation, I went on the Mic and christened it “Chandan”. If you, too, like the others, are wondering, why Chandan? Well, it is inspired by the saying "Muft Ka Chandan, Ghis Mere Nandan."

After all, the Thar Roxx wasn't ours. Mahindra had generously handed us the keys and invited us along for the Escape. It felt like the perfect tribute.

The name quickly caught on. For the rest of the weekend, nobody referred to it as a Thar Roxx. It was simply Chandan.

The evening wrapped up with route briefings and dinner before everyone called it a night. Day Two promised to be the busiest part of the itinerary.

Convoying Through The Konkan

The next morning began early.

Rows of Mahindra SUVs lined up neatly as participants prepared to head out in convoy. Seeing multiple Scorpio Ns, Thars and Thar Roxxes together always creates a unique atmosphere. There's a sense of anticipation that comes from knowing the day will involve far more than simply driving from one location to another.

As the convoy rolled out, the roads of coastal Maharashtra began revealing their charm.

The route took us through small villages, winding roads and stretches of countryside that seemed untouched by time. Locals stopped to watch the convoy pass by, while participants enjoyed the constantly changing scenery.

Convoy driving requires discipline, but it is also one of the most enjoyable parts of an event like this. Everyone moves together, everyone experiences the same roads, and every stop becomes a shared memory.

However, the biggest surprise came just before we reached the petroglyphs.

Driving Up A Staircase

Normally, reaching a historical site involves parking your car and walking the rest of the way. Not this time.

To access the petroglyph site, the convoy had to climb a series of stone steps in the vehicles themselves. Actual steps. 

At first glance, it looked unusual enough to make everyone stop and stare, then came the fun part. Drivers carefully selected their lines before slowly easing their vehicles up the staircase. The key wasn't speed. It was patience.

One step at a time.

The suspension worked overtime as each vehicle climbed over the uneven surface. Spotters guided drivers through the trickier sections while photographers eagerly captured the spectacle.

It wasn't an extreme obstacle, but it was one of those challenges that perfectly blended adventure with fun.

Watching a convoy of Mahindra SUVs quite literally drive up a staircase isn't something you see every day, and by the time we reached the top, everyone was grinning.

And we hadn't even reached the main attraction yet.

Stories Hidden In Stone

The petroglyphs themselves turned out to be one of the most fascinating parts of the weekend.

Standing in front of carvings that have been dated to about 35,000-40,000 years. Initially, they appear as markings on stone, but the more you learn about them, the more extraordinary they become.

But this wasn't just a carving etched into stone thousands of years ago. There was something unusual about it. Place a compass near the petroglyph and the needle would noticeably deflect, hinting at magnetic properties within the rock itself. What made the phenomenon even more fascinating was that it wasn't restricted to the carving alone. Similar magnetic disturbances were observed at various spots within a roughly 300-metre radius around the site, leaving us with more questions than answers and making the petroglyph all the more intriguing.

A huge part of that experience came courtesy of Nilesh Bhau.

His passion for the subject was impossible to miss. Every carving had a story. Every symbol carried meaning. Every explanation added another layer to what we were seeing.

Konkan Hospitality At Its Finest

If the petroglyphs fed our curiosity, Ganesh Bhau and his family fed absolutely everything else.

The convoy eventually arrived at Ganesh Agro Farm, where we experienced hospitality in its purest form.

There was no sense of formality. No elaborate introductions. No awkwardness. It felt as though relatives rather than hosts were welcoming us.

What made the experience even more remarkable was learning about the scale of Ganesh Bhau's operation. Spread across the surrounding landscape was his sprawling mango farm, home to more than 22,000 mango trees. And as we soon discovered, this wasn't just a farm visit. Almost everything that found its way onto our plates had been grown right there.

The lunch spread was a celebration of Konkan produce and home-cooked flavours. There were soft rotis, fragrant Indrayani rice, comforting amti, delicious jackfruit sabji, sprout sabji, multiple varieties of chutneys and the ever-popular aloo wadi that disappeared almost as quickly as it was served.

But of course, the stars of the meal were impossible to miss. The Alphonso mangoes.

Freshly sliced mangoes arrived one after another, while bowls of aamras seemed to refill themselves endlessly. Sweet, rich and unmistakably fresh, they tasted exactly how Alphonso mangoes should when they're coming straight from the source.

Nobody stood a chance.

Every attempt at moderation was doomed from the start.

Second servings became third servings. Conversations slowed. Plates remained full. And every few minutes, someone would inevitably reach for another mango slice despite insisting they couldn't eat any more.

What made the meal truly special wasn't just the food itself, but the pride with which it was served. Knowing that everything from the rice to the mangoes had been grown, harvested and prepared by the family added a layer of authenticity that restaurants simply cannot replicate.

Putting Chandan Through Its Paces

As enjoyable as the food and sightseeing had been, there was one activity everyone had been waiting for.

The off-road course. And finally, it was time for Chandan to justify its reputation.

The specially designed course featured a mix of technical obstacles intended to showcase vehicle capability while building driver confidence.

The first challenge involved articulation obstacles.

These sections demonstrated just how much wheel travel modern off-roaders possess. As Chandan crawled through deep ruts and uneven terrain, individual wheels lifted dramatically into the air while the vehicle continued progressing without hesitation.

From outside, the articulation looked impressive, but from inside, it felt as though the entire vehicle was twisting around you. The side slopes were equally entertaining.

Even though the vehicle remained perfectly composed, the view through the side windows suggested otherwise. More than a few passengers instinctively reached for grab handles as the SUVs leaned over and calmly carried on.

Then came the climbs, steep enough to demand respect but manageable enough to encourage confidence; they required smooth throttle inputs and trust in the vehicle's capabilities.

The descents proved equally interesting. Modern off-road technology did much of the heavy lifting, allowing drivers to focus on steering while the vehicle carefully managed its pace.

Throughout the session, one thing became clear. The objective wasn't to conquer obstacles, but to understand what these vehicles are capable of when driven correctly.

By the end, Chandan was covered in dust, and everyone inside it was covered in smiles.

Exactly as it should be.

Sunset Over The Coast

Just when it felt like the day couldn't possibly offer anything more, the convoy headed towards one final location.

A cliff overlooking the coastline.

The timing couldn't have been more perfect. The setting sun painted the sky in shades of orange and gold while the Arabian Sea stretched endlessly into the distance.

Vehicles lined up neatly against the backdrop, creating the kind of scene photographers dream about. For a while, nobody really said much.

People wandered around taking photographs, soaking in the view and reflecting on the day.

It was one of those moments that didn't need words. Just presence.

Sitting on the cliffside, watching the sky slowly turn shades of pink and orange, I found myself doing something that's becoming increasingly rare in today's world: slowing down. For a few minutes, the mind that constantly runs in overdrive finally hit pause. 

There was no rush to be anywhere, no pressure to do anything. Just the horizon, the sea, and a beautiful sunset unfolding in front of me. As I sat there, I couldn't help but reflect on how life has unfolded over the years, the people who have become part of the journey, and the experiences that have shaped it. 

Somewhere between those thoughts and the silence of the evening, a sense of calm took over. It wasn't excitement or happiness. It was peace. The quiet reassurance that perhaps, despite all the chaos, life is unfolding exactly the way it is meant to.

The Perfect Ending

Later that evening, as darkness slowly settled over the coast and the sound of waves became more prominent than the conversations around us, someone brought out a guitar. What followed felt like the most natural conclusion to the weekend. People gathered around instinctively, songs flowed from one to another, stories from past adventures were shared, and laughter drifted effortlessly through the cool sea breeze. 

Sitting under the moonlit sky, with the vast coastline stretching into the darkness and surrounded by people who had started as fellow participants but now felt like friends, it was difficult to imagine a better way to celebrate the past two days' experiences.

As Kamesh and I eventually pointed Chandan back towards Pune the following morning, there was plenty to reflect upon. The drive through the Tamhini Ghats, the convoy routes through the Konkan countryside, the surreal experience of driving up a stone staircase to reach the petroglyphs, the fascinating stories shared by Nilesh Bhau, the warmth and hospitality of Ganesh Bhau and his family, the technical off-road course that tested both drivers and machines, the unforgettable sunset overlooking the Arabian Sea, and the guitar session that carried on late into the night. 

And, of course, there were enough Alphonso mangoes and bowls of aamras consumed over the weekend to ensure those memories would stay with us for quite some time.

Some adventures are remembered for the places they take you to. Others are remembered for the people you meet, the stories you discover and the moments you never expected to become highlights. The Mahindra Adventure Alphonso Escape managed to deliver both, making it one of those rare weekends that stay with you long after the journey has ended.

While the sun-tan may fade over a few days, those extra kilos that I gained from the Aamras might not go that easily!