Gokarna is regarded as a pious Hindu pilgrimage centre
Fast forward to the present day, diesel cars are the bread and butter of the automobile industry. They are now not only more efficient than their spark-plugged counterparts, but also tend to make a lot more torque. Hyundai showcased their diesel engine competence with the Terracan SUV in 2004 and it was a little ahead of its time, but the 2.9-litre diesel with its 161bhp/345Nm output blew us away. Hyundai followed that up with the 1.6-litre CRDi diesel in the Elantra, which was top of its class. Hyundai started off early in India with their diesel engines, leading to the development of the 3-cylinder engines on compact cars.
The one in this Grand i10 is the second-gen 1.1-litre U2 CRDi engine. It churns out 71bhp and 160Nm of torque, which means with my heavy right foot, I would have to tank up often. Or so I thought. The i10 surprisingly returned an impressive 17kmpl on the drive, while being subject to both harsh weather and high speeds.
Back to Gokarna, that is famous for two contrasting reasons – it is incredibly popular with hippies and it is also one of the seven most pious Hindu pilgrimage centres in the country. The Mahabaleshwara temple is known to house the ‘Atma Linga’, which was gifted to Ravana by Shiva for his vigorous penance at Mt. Kailash.
I was really excited to see how this place lives up to its dual-nature of being a mix of the modern world with its mythological past lurking in the by-lanes around the temple. Nine hours of driving through rain and a spooky road in the dark of the night, we finally got to Swaswara, at Om beach in Gokarna. Swaswara, unlike your normal resort, is in a mini world of its own. At Swaswara it is believed that a holiday is more than amusement. Various activities and sessions are held to revive one’s mind, body and soul. The resort features villas where people stay for a number of days learning the ancient techniques of ayurveda, yoga and naturopathy. It is self-sufficient in every way, right from the use of rain-harvested water to growing organic food. Even the towels in the bathroom
are made from khadi, handwoven Indian cloth. The place has a different aura altogether and really makes you feel one with nature.
The morning after we arrived, we set out to explore the town. There is not much to see in the sleepy town of Gokarna apart from the main temple, which was flanked by pilgrims dressed in saffron hovering about the place carrying out their morning rituals. The narrow roads with bright coloured houses on both sides made it feel a lot like Goa. The beaches feel a lot calmer here though, and there are absolutely no tourists this time of the year so I had the brilliant idea of getting a perfect shot of the car with the waves in the background, and in the process, managed to beach the i10 in the sand. A few sadhus, who were well versed with the situation (I wonder why?) saw us struggling in vain and helped us out.
Like Goa, the shacks in Gokarna are shut during the monsoons so we had an empty beach all to ourselves. We stared into the horizon and enjoyed the peace and serenity the town had to offer before we made our way back to city life. If you are looking for a quiet and peaceful getaway by the beach, this is the right time to pack a bag and head down to Gokarna, before the hippies flood the beach town by fall. As for the Grand i10, it may be a small car but it is more than capable out on the highway. I finally had a relaxed trip, well for the most part. To the next adventure then!
Special thanks to the Swaswara Resort www.swaswara.com