[Vid6639]

Originally Posted by Lukeskywalker

Anybody been to Tirupati in the recent past? Want an update on the road conditions and approx travel time reqd.
Thanks in advance,
Hari.

Just went about a month back. Roads were not very good. Took us a good 6hours. We went nice and slow.

The chitoor bypass is not really a bypass, it has horrible potholes. The road was single carriage way with a shoulder. Now the shoulder has been taken away for road widening making the road very narrow and no room to maneuver when oncoming vehicles try and force you off.

[Jay]

Had been to Tirupati on 21st July, took us 4 hours to reach Tirupati and a little more than 20 mins to climb the hill ( Tirumala ). Went in an Innova, Left Bangalore at 5pm and reached Tirupati at 9pm. Took us 1Hr to reach Hoskote... The roads are good. Too much traffic though, atleast till kolar and since road widening is happening you tend to get stuck behind slow moving traffic.

@ Vid : Dude the Chittoor bypass has always been like that. It has been more damaged now because of the rains.

[sriturl]

Any recent updates on road conditions would be helpful. I am traveling to Tirupati from Bangalore next Sunday.

How are current road conditions via Kolar? (After monsoons)

Alternatively, if Kolar side is bad, would it be a good option to take Hosur-Vellore-Chittor-Tirupati route?

I normally avoid Chittoor by-pass. I do not even rate it as a road. From previous replies, looks the situation remains same. Any updates on that?


thanks in advance.

[sathya_nars]

I'm driving to Tirupati tomorrow, any updates on these routes?

[sriturl]

Originally Posted by sathya_nars

I'm driving to Tirupati tomorrow, any updates on these routes?

Sathya,
Road is pretty good. Karnataka part of highway is in process of 4 laning, but that is not slowing down the pace anyway.
Kolar by-pass is not as free as it used to be. I see a bit more traffic these days. Depending on time you travel, factor some extra time for traffic.
I travelled on Sunday morning, and I could make it to Tirupati(Security check post at Alipiri) in 4 hours flat. (Start point is HAL) No breaks.
this is after I lost my way to reach Hoskote via NH 207 from Whitefield.

Depending on where you stay, I would suggest NH 207 from Hoskote while entering Bangalore.
If you are towards Sarjapur/Marathahalli/South Bangalore, I strongly recommend that route if you are entering or exiting city during day time.

[hrag]

sathya_nars, you have many options to reach Tirupati

1. Bangalore - NH4 - Hosakote - Kolara - Mulbagilu - Palamneru - Chittoor
On the Chittoor bypass, after IOC Nandini on the LHS, you will see a turn off to the left for Tirupati (75 km). This will get you onto NH18, where you will have to tolerate bad roads for about 10 km. At the junction where you have to pay toll, keep straight. If in doubt, ask for Tirupati road or Chandragiri road.

Note: Chittoor bypass was fine yesterday morning. Roads are lovely after the toll booth.

2. Bangalore - NH4 - Hosakote - SH82 - Kambiganahalli - Talagvara - Rayalpadu - Madanapalle - NH205 - Vayalpad - Pileru - Tirupati

Hosakote to Madanapalle was bad when I last took it - but things may have improved. Madanapalle town is a little tricky - When you reach the town, turn right at the T junction (Post Office in front), keep going until you reach another T-junction (Town Bank circle) and take left here to join NH219. Continue on this road unti you come to a fork - this is NH205. Left takes you to Kadiri and right takes you to Pileru. NH205 is superb compared to what you would have encountered in the KA stretch.

3. Bangalore - NH4 - Hosakote - Kolara - Muduvadi - Srinivasapur - Rayalpadu - same as above

Please also see this for NH4 road conditions
http://www.team-bhp.com/forum/route-...tml#post964289

If I remember correctly, you have an SX4 which should handle the roads easily. Drive slow when in doubt and you should not have any issues at all.

Any doubts, please send me a PM with your number. Will call you and give you directions.

[sathya_nars]

Thanks guys. Yes I'm going in my SX4. I'll take Bangalore - NH4 - Hosakote - Kolar - Mulbagilu - Palamneru - Chittoor route. Planning to leave tom 5am, hoping to reach by 12, good if i can cover Kanipakkam on the way (any ideas where I should turn).

My darshan is at 4pm, hope I can reach Tirumala and take pre-booked rooms and relax sometime before joining queue.

Btw hrag, "On the Chittoor bypass, after IOC Nandini on the LHS, you will see a turn off to the left for Tirupati (75 km). This will get you onto NH18, where you will have to tolerate bad roads for about 10 km." - in some other thread, I remember of reading that I should take right. Anyway I'll look for IOC and take left.

[hrag]

Sorry, just before you hit the Chittoor bypass, you'll find IOC Nandini and the turn off (Left).
After you get onto this road, keep straight until you cross BANS hotel / resort on your right. Shortly after BANS, you'll hit an intersection (toll both IIRC). Keep straight. After you cross Sreenivasa institute, you will reach a T junction. Turn left here (NH18) and then turn RIGHT after a few km (you will see GQ style boards). The last RIGHT is what others are referring to.

Edit: Nandini (the restaurant) no longer exists - look out for a board that says Neil Management.

For nostalgia's sake:

[sriturl]

Originally Posted by sathya_nars

Thanks guys. Yes I'm going in my SX4. I'll take Bangalore - NH4 - Hosakote - Kolar - Mulbagilu - Palamneru - Chittoor route. Planning to leave tom 5am, hoping to reach by 12, good if i can cover Kanipakkam on the way (any ideas where I should turn).

If you are starting by 5, you should be able to reach Kanipakam by max 9 considering average of 60kmph. which you should be able to do.
For Kanipakam, you need to take Chittor by pass.
Before Chittoor town, you will find a barod directing to Tirupati to make a left turn, that is bypass, and take it. You will pass a newly built hotel, an engg college(if I remember right) on right, then you will hit a junction.
Take left at that junction, which will take you to Kanipakam.

From Kanipakam, you need not come back to Chittor, there is an alternate route which joins the Chittor-Tirupati road ahead via Pakala(again, I am slightly doubtful about name of the village, but reasonably sure)


But check the status of crowd at Kanipakam, because annual Bramhotsavam is in progress(starting yesterday - Ganesh Chaturthi)

Breakfast options on the way are usual Kamat at the entrance of Kolar by-pass, or Woody's at the other end of by-pass.
Else Nandini before Chittoor. I personally didnt like the taste there. Never tried breakfast there though.

Safe driving.

[hrag]

sathya_nars, how was your trip?

[sathya_nars]

Trip was great, now I'm able to login TBHP after 2 days of hectic work.

I could leave only by 6am, filled tank in HP in Marathahalli (air fill boy wasn't there and couldn't fill air in *any* petrol bunk on the way upto Tirumala and back as well - very bad :-(... None of the bunks in highway could fill air - "Boy isn't there Sir" "It's not working Sir" blah blah).

Reached Kamat restaurant by 7am (20 kms before Kolar), my family liked the food. Ok for me.

Left there by 7:30 and after I passed KGF in bye pass (after railway track, KGF was on right and you need to go straight), in few kms, saw Woodys.

Mostly I was driving at 60-80. Saw many restaurants on the way, Nandini, Park highway (did I say it right), etc.

On the way, I saw road was splitting into 2, where 1 of them had an arch - I thought that might the one goes inside Mulbagal, just confirmed with an auto fellow and took other one to continue in bye pass.

Later I entered AP border and entered Palamner (had to go in city, unlike other cities until now). Then after driving for sometime, saw board which directed me left to go to Kanipakkam. Took that left.

Now, the road is bit bumpy even though it was tar road. I saw Hotel Bans on right and further it was mixture of tar road and mud. It seemed to have rained previous day and the mud road was bit bad, I drove in 1st gear and slowly moved in the mud stretch. Finally reached temple and had good darshan. Spent around 45 mins there (not much crowd). Then left the temple towards Tirupathi (w/o going to Chittoor) through Pathalapattu or some place - can't recall exactly.

Until I joined the NH, the road was not good mostly. It wasn't fully mud, yet not great. After I joined NH, in few kms, I took right and joined the great highway. I did 100 mostly.

Before Tirupati, I saw board and took left to directly go to Alipiri (starting point to take hill). Security check was done in no time and started taking hill at 12:35pm. Road was great and could drive in 3rd or 4th gear, did 5th sometimes. Reached Tirumala at 1pm. Luckily, found the internet counter (to get rooms allocated for e-Accommodation bookings) right there itself - got rooms allocated and headed straight to the room, refreshed ourselves and joined the queue by 2:15pm - didn't take lunch. We came out at 4:15pm and had some food at hotel Anjanadhri (end of street where Kalyanakatta is there) - crapy one. NEVER GO THERE!!!

Had great sleep in the night, tired due to journey. My family enjoyed the journey and darshan.

In the room (Sapthagiri guest house), hot water is thro solar heater and hence it's available only from 6am - that too, slightly warm. My dad was saying, had it been 'Rambhagicha guest house' it would have heater in room itself. Managed to take bath in warm water (pipe water was damn cold) and by then when I wake up, my dad was done with his head shaved off :-). I didn't do.

We went to Srivatsan restaurant next to 'Rambhagicha guest house', food was good - lot better compared to last night. While my family was busy with some shopping, I returned to room, waiting for call from my brother - who supposed to reach that day only. He called me by 11am (he drives faster than me and he didn't visit Kanipakkam) after reaching Tirumala. Went and picked him back to room.

We, then, left around 2pm to have lunch at Srivatsan. Meal was not good not bad. We joined the queue by 3pm and crowd was more than yesterday - obviously becaz it's Saturday. We were kept to wait in the grilled rooms for sometime, unlike yesterday. We then came out after darshan at 6:30pm. Went to room, refreshed and went to Indian coffee house for dinner (it's opposite to guest house). Varieties were few: Idly, dosa and uppma. I didn't have anything becaz of stomach upset with food I had yesterday and today. My family folks said, tiffen was good in Indian coffee house. Back to room and rest.

Next day, we vacated room and left Tirumala at 6:30am. I was preparing myself for down hill trip - first time for me. My brother already gave me tips (2nd gear, etc). To my surprise, it was great trip down hill than I was scared. We stopped at Lakshmi Narayana hotel for breakfast - opp bus stand. Food is good as usual. My parents didn't want to have until they have darshan in Alamelumangapuram. We then headed straight to the temple. Not much crowd since it was morning and came out within an hour totally. Way back, I filled petrol in Club HP bunk, where auto stop didn't work correctly and he topped up a bit before I could stop him. Mileage was 15.x. I faught with him, since he stopped filling after first 5 lrs to move to another guy :-(. It was great mess.

We came back to let my parents have break fast. We then left ~11am to Blore. Until Chittoor BP, road was good and I could do 80-100. BP was bit bad about 10 kms and then it was fine. We stopped for lunch ~1:30pm at green park and food was ok there. Then non-stop journey until Bangalore. This time, I was mostly at 80-100. Sometimes stayed at 100-120.

Reached home by 5pm and lot tired. Waiting for another long trip next week again - this time should be going to Tamil nadu I think.

[akroy]

Nice update Sathya !!

It is not NH, it is SH61 that runs from Putalapattu - Tirupati - Nayudupeta and it is an awesome highway. That is the only 2 laner where I was amazed to see a design speed limit of 100kmph.

Abhi

[anujmishra]

Sathya, Nice update of Tirupati. I also did Bangalore - Tirupati - Kalahasti - Bangalore 4 months back. The SH is really nice and smooth to drive and speed limit mentioned 100 KMPH for that.

Two problems I faced while my trip to Tirupati ,

1. Puncture in Chittor BP at night because of BP road condition. It was complete dark outside and there were hadly any vehicle coming on that road. It was scary. There were no lights seen till long distances. Changed tyre there and repaired pucture in puncture shop just after BP ends. Funniest part is that at the end of BP they are collecting toll also. Instead they should thank vechicles for plying on the BP road and pay some toll to vehicles (as of damage compensation )


2. I missed right turn after Chittoor towards Tirupati to the SH in night 9 PM and went straight 10 - 12 kms on NH18 and came back after confirming people. There were only few trucks on NH 18 in night and soon we realised that these were no traffic for Tirupati.

While returning it was smooth and there was not any problem.

[sriturl]

Originally Posted by anujmishra

2. I missed right turn after Chittoor towards Tirupati to the SH in night 9 PM and went straight 10 - 12 kms on NH18 and came back after confirming

It happened with me during my first drive to Tirupati around 4 years ago. You see the sign boards on right side, and its a hard right turn.
In night your headlights donot reach the sign bard, and you easily miss it.

[sathya_nars]

Originally Posted by anujmishra

Sathya, Nice update of Tirupati. I also did Bangalore - Tirupati - Kalahasti - Bangalore 4 months back. The SH is really nice and smooth to drive and speed limit mentioned 100 KMPH for that.

Two problems I faced while my trip to Tirupati ,

1. Puncture in Chittor BP at night because of BP road condition. It was complete dark outside and there were hadly any vehicle coming on that road. It was scary. There were no lights seen till long distances. Changed tyre there and repaired pucture in puncture shop just after BP ends. Funniest part is that at the end of BP they are collecting toll also. Instead they should thank vechicles for plying on the BP road and pay some toll to vehicles (as of damage compensation )


2. I missed right turn after Chittoor towards Tirupati to the SH in night 9 PM and went straight 10 - 12 kms on NH18 and came back after confirming people. There were only few trucks on NH 18 in night and soon we realised that these were no traffic for Tirupati.

While returning it was smooth and there was not any problem.

Oops! It was bad to get tyre punctured in night. This reminds me to take emergency light/torch while taking long trip. Btw is yours tube-one or tube-less tyre?