u/crime_master_tj

We are planning a family road trip from Pune to Ujjain, Omkareshwar and Maheshwar in August.
We are planning to leave Pune on 5th Sept and want to attend Mahakal Sawari on 7th Sept (Monday) and hopefully attend Bhasma Aarti on 8th Sept.

We will be travelling by car and would really appreciate suggestions from people who have recently done this route.

A few things I need help with:

1. Best route from Pune and where to take breaks?
2. How should we plan Ujjain → Omkareshwar → Maheshwar?
3. Where is the best place to stay in Ujjain considering Sawari and Bhasma Aarti?
4. What is the practical experience of attending the Sawari? Where should we stand for a good view?
5. For Bhasma Aarti, is advance booking/Tatkal the best option? Any recent experience?
6. Any important things we should know regarding parking, crowds or road closures during Sawari?
7. Good vegetarian food recommendations in Ujjain, Omkareshwar and Maheshwar?

Any recent 2026 experience would be especially helpful.

Thanks in advance!

I stopped at a Shell petrol pump to refuel my Skoda. While I had the bonnet open to top up wiper fluid, two attendants suddenly got involved. One started filling water, while another pulled out the oil dipstick and checked the engine oil.

He immediately told me the oil level was low and started insisting that it was dangerous to drive the car. I told him I was close to my scheduled service and planned to get it checked at the Skoda service center. I even asked him directly, “Can I at least drive another 50 km safely?” His answer was a firm “No.”

That got me worried, so I drove straight to the Skoda service center.

The interesting part: as soon as I mentioned that a petrol pump attendant had checked my oil level, the engineer asked, “Did this happen at a Shell pump?” His guess was spot on.

The engineer explained that on the Skoda, if engine oil is genuinely low, the car would usually show a warning on the infotainment/instrument cluster. He also pointed out that checking oil immediately after the engine has been running can give a misleading reading because the oil needs time to settle back into the sump.

I’m not saying every petrol pump attendant is running a scam, but the whole interaction felt like a fear-based upsell tactic to get me to buy engine oil on the spot.

Has anyone else experienced something similar at petrol pumps?

I stopped at a Shell petrol pump to refuel my Skoda. While I had the bonnet open to top up wiper fluid, two attendants suddenly got involved. One started filling water, while another pulled out the oil dipstick and checked the engine oil.

He immediately told me the oil level was low and started insisting that it was dangerous to drive the car. I told him I was close to my scheduled service and planned to get it checked at the Skoda service center. I even asked him directly, “Can I at least drive another 50 km safely?” His answer was a firm “No.”

That got me worried, so I drove straight to the Skoda service center.

The interesting part: as soon as I mentioned that a petrol pump attendant had checked my oil level, the engineer asked, “Did this happen at a Shell pump?” His guess was spot on.

The engineer explained that on the Skoda, if engine oil is genuinely low, the car would usually show a warning on the infotainment/instrument cluster. He also pointed out that checking oil immediately after the engine has been running can give a misleading reading because the oil needs time to settle back into the sump.

I’m not saying every petrol pump attendant is running a scam, but the whole interaction felt like a fear-based upsell tactic to get me to buy engine oil on the spot.

Has anyone else experienced something similar at petrol pumps?

I stopped at a Shell petrol pump to refuel my Skoda. While I had the bonnet open to top up wiper fluid, two attendants suddenly got involved. One started filling water, while another pulled out the oil dipstick and checked the engine oil.

He immediately told me the oil level was low and started insisting that it was dangerous to drive the car. I told him I was close to my scheduled service and planned to get it checked at the Skoda service center. I even asked him directly, “Can I at least drive another 50 km safely?” His answer was a firm “No.”

That got me worried, so I drove straight to the Skoda service center.

The interesting part: as soon as I mentioned that a petrol pump attendant had checked my oil level, the engineer asked, “Did this happen at a Shell pump?” His guess was spot on.

The engineer explained that on the Skoda, if engine oil is genuinely low, the car would usually show a warning on the infotainment/instrument cluster. He also pointed out that checking oil immediately after the engine has been running can give a misleading reading because the oil needs time to settle back into the sump.

I’m not saying every petrol pump attendant is running a scam, but the whole interaction felt like a fear-based upsell tactic to get me to buy engine oil on the spot.

Has anyone else experienced something similar at petrol pumps?

I already spoke with my dealer multiple times and they said front parking sensors are not available.

I also mailed and tweeted Skoda India support earlier, after which they said the dealer would help me, but now neither the dealer nor support team is responding properly.

It has been around 6 months since owning the Kylaq Prestige, and honestly front parking sensors would have helped me a lot in daily usage.

My parking situation is very tight. I have to drive through a narrow lane for almost 50 meters with bikes parked on both sides, then take a sharp turn and fit the car into my entrance. Even with decent driving control, it becomes a real trial-and-error situation every single day.

I already got 2 scratches on the front bumper because of this.

Has anyone here:

1. Successfully installed authorised/OEM front parking sensors?
2. Got it done through dealer later?
3. Installed aftermarket sensors without warranty issues?
4. Found any good solution for tight parking situations?

Would really appreciate genuine guidance from fellow Skoda owners.