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I think another option would be : Arcot-Arani-Pour-Tiruvannamalai

google maps shows three routes for V'puram - T'malai. Which one do you mean?

I meant the NH 234 from Villupuram to T V Malai

Seen it mentioned many times earlier, however I am not able to find it out on Google maps. Can someone share location of Ashram BP bunk in Pondicherry, I guess that is the most recommended bunk there.

Hope this helps

Guys yesterday i did bangalore - Pondy : Route taken : krishnagiri- vellore - arcot - cheyer - Vandavasi - Tindivanam - Pondy .

4 lane roads till vellore and awesome 2 lane road till Tindivanam and Tindivanam - Pondy is 4 lane . total time taken 5.5 hrs with a breakfast break :). Iam in Pondy til sunday and back to Mysore sunday night .

Anyone who dared to travel Krishnagiri-Tiruvannamalai route recently? Is there any work going on? Found from NHAI website the below details on Tindivvanam-Krishnagiri road upgradation:

61
2-Laning of Krishnagiri-Tindivanam (Approved Length 170 Km.)
66
176.51
624
Annuity
May 2011
Apr 2012
Sep 2014
Transstroy (I) Ltd. - Corporation Transstroy OJSC Consortium-Indian - Russian

-
Under Implementation


According to the above, the completion date is Sep 2014. It is NH but just 2 lanes but is supposed to have 4 flyovers, 9 bypasses when completed. Till such time that is ready, via Vellore seems to be the way to go for Pondy travellers from Bangalore.

Cheers

Even if the NH is ready, it would make sense to stick to Arcot,cheyyar and vandavasi route as the NH will be completely dominated by govt, private buses, lorries, vans etc. Speed will be a limiter on the NH.

Just returned from a weekend trip to pondicherry - a few observations that may be important to those headed that direction from Bangalore.

Started from Bangalore 11am Friday to reach Pondy by around 630. Heeded the advice to avoid the shorter and direct NH 66 route and took the one via Vellore and Arcot. However as opposed to the 5.5 some have taken to get to Pondy from Bangalore, I took 7 hours including a 0.5 break for lunch. The trip was a last minute decision and thus not the best planned from a routing standpoint. I knew I had to go through Vellore and Arcot to Tindivanam and thought the GPS would get me there - it did, but not via Vandavasi (which I forgot to plot), but via Arni and Gingee. Nothing wrong with this route, but for a 3-4 Km stretch in between where road widening work is in progress. The GPS also took me through the town at Arcot and routed me into interior village roads where from I had to reroute delaying me a little.However, the stretch was largely a fast and traffic free two lane after the turn from the GQ. I could have made it in 5.5 hours had I known the bypasses and plotted right.

On the way back, while on NH 66 till Tindivanam, the 280 odd KM distance to Bangalore was enticing and made me wonder if I should give it a try just to see how bad it can get. Having done various notorious stretches like the one via Gonikoppal to Payyanur/Kannur and the last 50 KM stretch to Palakkad from Coimbatore and various others, I knew I wasn't new to notorious roads and thus decided to brave it - the fact that I was driving my XUV 500 could have emboldened me further to go against popular opinion. Now there are various illusions that we come across in life but this one takes the cake for being the greatest of them all. The first few KMs of NH66 from Pondy - butter smooth and inviting to try further - takes you in no time into a hell hole of narrow and crowded village lanes, broken roads and no roads. Just about the entire stretch is getting redone and the thought of where did the road go was a very familair and recurring thought throughout the stretch. Its a stretch that is pretty much undrivable for most parts and still left open for one to risk death to either yourself or your car.I wonder how do they leave it open during the night - I'll like to meet those who do manage to live another day.Poor markings, risky dead ends, deep gorges created by the construction, moon surfaces, pathways(not roads) narrower than most cars - you name it, this route has everything that you could script into a blockbuster horror flick - ISRO should perhaps abandon its expensive moon landing plan and simply get one of its spacemen to set foot here.
Having started back to Bangalore at around 1030, I was home by around 515. In terms of time taken between to and fro, not much of a difference, but in terms of brawn taken, a 'hell' of a difference.
My XUV 500 is now an XUV 100 - lost 400 on the way back. No apparent damage but you do feel for your cars regardless of what their make and take is.

So my advise is this, if you have a 5 year old child, let it turn 10 before you try this stretch again.
Presently, there is nothing called NH66 - its on paper being discussed somewhere in an NHAI office.

I think the problem is that, the GPS router prioritises NH (so called !) over SH. Since NH66 is "called" a NH, GPS would take every effort to route you through it. And there in lies the problem.

Hence if you exactly know which route to take, then you should use GPS only as a confirmation device and not as a leading device. Because in most cases it would re-route your chart. As regards to making GPS aiding you to take you on the way which you want to take, its possible with route planning capabilities on Garmin. I have not used the Mobile apps (Sygic/MMI, Google) to that purpose. I use them more for instantaneous or local solutions.

Need help reg Pdy-Blr trip. Can anyone update on current road conditions in TVMalai- Harur-Dharmapuri/Karimangalam stretch? Or will it be better to stick to Tindivanam-Vandavasi-Arcot-Krishnagiri

Just reached Pondy today via the regular route through Vellore - Arcot - Cheyyar - Vandavasi - Tindivanam. There has been no let down in the road surface since I last visited in May 2014. If at all, the quality has improved as the tarmac was relaid on a couple of stretches.

Did the trip in 7.5 hrs; 45 mins break at Sarvana Bhavana after / at Shoolagiri for breakfast, 10 mins tea break between Cheyyar and Vandavasi and finally a 55 mins break at Aaryas for lunch just before Pondicherry. Have in-laws along with me so decided to take it a bit more easy.

No problems at all with the route I traveled!

Better stick to the trusted and proven Vellore-Arcot-Cheyyar-Vandavasi Route

Heard from a friend that Thiruvannamalai-Teerthamalai stretch is little rough, slower speeds mostly third gear territory.
As @suresh says, stick to Vandavasi-Cheyyar-Arcot route.

Planning a trip in August and will take Vellore route.

Other than Mother's place, Auroville.. any other places around Pondy to visit, see?
Any restaurant not to miss in Pondy?


Thanks and cheers