Team-BHP - Bangalore - Pondicherry : Route Queries

Hi,

I am planning is visit Pondicherry first time, either for New year (may not be, as no hotel bookings are available and also may be too much of crowd) on Jan 26th long weekend, with family(Mother, Spouse and Son). I will drive only during day, just to ensure that my son's sleep is not disturbed, though I am more comfortably driving on highways during night, which I have done many times on old Blr-madras and blr-mysore road.

I would appreciate any ones inputs on the following queries.

1. Which is the best route (info like distance, quality of the road, traffic pattern, by passes options, travel time, etc., appreciated), no plan of staying or visiting any place other than Pondy.
a. Bangalore-Krishnagiri-Chennai-Pondicherry
b. Bangalore-Krishnagiri-Kanchipuram-Mahaballipuram-Pondicherry (Avoiding Chennai)
c. Bangalore-Krishnagiri-Thiruvannamalai-Pondicherry

2. Preferred Petrol stations, I prefer Shell, IOC, HP in sequence.

3. Preferred places for taking break (first one can be at Krishnagiri, unless we opt for bypass, if there is one)

4. Any other info, as I am taking my new Swift after its 1,000Kms of first service, obviously driving after 3 days, at least to ensure that service guys have not done any thing unwanted(Thanks to my experience with previous car, Indica by concorde guys :Frustrati).

PS: I have gone through the thread A Guide on Essentials of a Long Drive :Cheering:

regards,
-manju

I had been to Pondicherry in february this year and I would not recommend the Thiruvannamalai route as at that time it was under going repairs and was in a very bad condition. I am not sure how it is now. I would recommend the route 'A' that you have chosen. It is slightly long but a great road all the way through. You could take the route 'B' also but the stretch from Kanchipuram to Mahabalipuram is a state highway. Dont know how good or bad a condition it will be in.

You might not find too many Shell bunks but IOC and others are a dime a dozen.

Breaks depends on personal choice and also on time of break. Also the Krishnagiri bypass has loads of restaurants where you can take a break.

Vikram I drove back from Pondy to Bangalore about 2 weeks back via Thiruvannamalai and the road is pretty gud except for a few bad patches.

@Manjubp if you decide on option C you could fill in at Thiruvannamalai after the temple near the railway crossing ,they sell good fuel(IOC) and I have filled fuel many a times on my drives at this place.
Once again option C saves you a couple of kilometers also and it all comes down to which way you are comfortable driving.
agree: Via chennai yes the drive is unbeatable.

If you drive via Thiruvannamalai and have time you can stop Gingee to take a view of the fort also.Am posting a pic of the same if you wished to stop by.

Happy Driving mate !!

From what I understand going thorugh other threads, through chennai BLR-Pondy will be 360+150 = 510Kms, where as through Thrivannamallai it is around 320KMs...so almost 60% more.

@rjstyles69 Thanks for the information. Sure if I pass through Gingee I will take a break and take view of the fort.
Appreciate comments/feedback.

regards,
-manju

The road via Krishnagiri and Tiruvannamalai is teh shortest and best. The road between Krishnagiri and Tiruvannamalai has some bad patches, but nothing srious.

You do not have to enter Krishnagiri town. Continue on NH7 at the beginning of Krishnagiri Bypass, go on for 2 kms and turn left into the Chennai road (GQ). 1 km down this road, turn right into the Tiruvannamalai road. It is one straight drive all the way toPondicherry via T'Malai, Gingee, Tindivanam (where you bisect NH45 - the Chennai-Trichy road). Pleas ebe warned that facilities after Krishnagiri are inadequate and night driving may not be advisable. T'Malai is a good break - being a temple town, has lots of hotels, etc. There are no Shell or Reliance petrol pumps on this route. remember to tank up in Pondy since petrol is very very cheap here.

i think b is the best option. never mind the extra km, you will still save time & enjoy the drive in your new car. be very wary about petrol pumps. only fill in towns. from blore, you should comfortably reach chennai or kanchipuram for a refill & the next one should be at pondicherry.

regarding the break, i think krishnagiri is a little too early, maybe ambur.

Route C should be good. I went to Thiruvannamalai for the xmas weekend, started at 3PM from B'lore, took 5.5hrs, heavy traffic near electronic city, reached Krishnagiri at 6PM and T'malai at 8.30PM. Road was ok to drive in nights. This can be a good breakpoint as well, as we dont have bypass for the city anyway. Pondy would be 100KMs from there, not sure of road conditions beyond that. While coming, I drove in the afternoon, could reach my home within 4hrs.

Searched the threads but no update on latest conditions.

Planned route:
BLR -> Hosur -> Krishnagiri -> Thiruvanamalai -> Chengi ( Gingi ) -> Tindivanam ->

On the way back, we may take Pondi-Mahabs-Kancheepuram-B'lore.

I hope weather would be fine during 1st wk of oct.
Thanks
Nadigar

TBHP Support: Please continue this query in one of the existing thread

check out recent travelogue of akroy, and subsequent discussion, there is a lot of information there.

also check this discussion about getting onto GQ(Attibele/Hosur) because of road work at Attibele at this place.
http://www.team-bhp.com/forum/route-...-chittoor.html
Prefer taking NH207 to join Attibele, depending on which side of city you stay.

Quote:

Originally Posted by nadigar (Post 986624)

Route 1 is I guess the shortest route to Pondi. But from Krishnagiri till THiruannamalai, road is not good at some stretches. Pot holes are big, but can adjust.

Mahabalipuram kanchipuram route via chengalpettu is small roads, but doable. No issues - On september 1st while driving through there was some diversions before reaching Kanchipuram town and the NH. Just ask someone there, its easy to find out.

Good plan.