SCORPIO AND I are old friends. We have clocked thousands of kilometres together, exploring the furthest nooks and crannies of this country. This story starts not in India, but on the road to Mandalay. On December 14, 2012 to be exact. We were driving down to India through south-east Asia after starting off from Singapore. After two weeks behind the wheel of a Scorpio, driving through Malaysia, Thailand, Vietnam, Cambodia and Laos, we reached the city of Mandalay in Burma, or Myanmar as it’s now called. During a tea break at a roadside eatery, an old Burmese man while conversing with me asked if I had seen his King’s tomb. What king? What tomb? I wondered.
Now, two years later, I am again behind the wheel of a Scorpio. I have been flirting with the idea of buying the New Generation Scorpio and have got my hands on one for a few days. I like the sharper looks of the new car, but is it much better than the old one? Since only a long drive would reveal the full story, I decided to head to Ratnagiri. Why Ratnagiri? The old Burmese man’s question had piqued my curiosity. On digging through some books, I discovered a fascinating tale. Now I understood why the man had asked me about his king after hearing I was from Mumbai. Ratnagiri, about 330km from Mumbai, is where the last king of Burma, King Thibaw breathed his last on December 16, 1916. He had been exiled here by the British after losing his kingdom to them in 1885. King Thibaw descended from the line of powerful rulers known as ‘Kings who rule the Universe’.
Power is something that the new Scorpio understands only too well. The 2.2-litre mHawk engine dishes out 120bhp; muscle memory tells me that this engine has been retuned, making it peppier than the old Scorpio. And it’s super smooth. The King would have approved.
King Thibaw landed in Ratnagiri on April 16, 1886 from the ship Clive. Along with him were his two queens, Supayalat and Supayagala and his two daughters. Later, two more daughters were born to him during his exile in Ratnagiri. They were called the First, Second, Third and Fourth Princesses by the authorities. Two of the finest bungalows in Ratnagiri with a breathtaking view of the Arabian Sea were rented for the royal family.
The view of the Arabian Sea is as magnificent today as it was more than a century ago. Theroad to Ratnagiri hugs the coast of Maharashtra and offers a spectacular drive. While the roads in most parts are good, there are stretches that test the car’s suspension. And I marvel at how far Mahindra has come in this department. The car rides noiselessly and the suspension takes the edges off the potholes. I like how the steering feels tied down, enabling me to turn into corners more enthusiastically.
Turning back to the King’s story; as the four princesses grew up, this accommodation was proving to be inadequate for the family. As no suitable home was available in Ratnagiri, the British sanctioned Rs 1,25, 711 for a new home for the King. On November 13, 1910, the family occupied the newly constructed royal residence. This was a two-storeyed building covering 25,000 square feet of carpet area in a 27-acre compound. And that’s where I am headed. This building still stands today, and I’m wondering what I’ll find.
Suraj Viswanathan
