[nma83]

Hello People,

I need some information as to the best route to take while driving from Bangalore to Mantralaya. How much is the distance and the condition of the roads? And whats the approximate time taken?

Thanks a lot,
NMA

[akroy]

Immediately PM mclaren1885, He has done that route himself...

Abhi

[gd1418]

Mantralaya is the seat of power in Mumbai, right? Or am I missing something? If not, then where is Mantralaya?

Originally Posted by nma83

Hello People,

I need some information as to the best route to take while driving from Bangalore to Mantralaya. How much is the distance and the condition of the roads? And whats the approximate time taken?

Thanks a lot,
NMA

[dhinu_s]

Its around 380kms to Bangalore.The route is Bangalore -(320 kms)Bellary-(60kms)Mantralaya.NH7 if am not wrong.

[nma83]

akroy: Thanks for the pointer.

[nma83]

Mantralaya is a pilgrimage place in Andhra. Heard that its a great drive from Bangalore.

NMA

[kavensri]

Tomorrow I am planning to drive to Mantralaya. Anyone drove to this place in the recent days? What I want to know is, which route to take, Pattikonda->Adoni->Yemmiganur or Pattikonda->Yemmiganur (direct route)?
Also, planning to start back the return journey on sunday at around 11. Any good hotels before gooty?
Any other inputs are welcome.

[gkveda]

Originally Posted by kavensri

Tomorrow I am planning to drive to Mantralaya. Anyone drove to this place in the recent days? What I want to know is, which route to take, Pattikonda->Adoni->Yemmiganur or Pattikonda->Yemmiganur (direct route)?
Also, planning to start back the return journey on sunday at around 11. Any good hotels before gooty?
Any other inputs are welcome.

Both routes were equally good when we had been there last June.

Regarding hotels, there are very little or no decent hotels till ananthpur.

You can have food in SRS mutt and leave by 12 noon instead of searching hotels on the way.

(Off topic)Manthralayam SRS Mutt food is ultimate

[kavensri]

Originally Posted by gkveda

Both routes were equally good when we had been there last June.

Regarding hotels, there are very little or no decent hotels till ananthpur.

You can have food in SRS mutt and leave by 12 noon instead of searching hotels on the way.

(Off topic)Manthralayam SRS Mutt food is ultimate

Thanks for your response.
Regarding the food at SRS Mutt, I will definitely try this option. Thanks again.

[Kosfactor]

Originally Posted by kavensri

Tomorrow I am planning to drive to Mantralaya. Anyone drove to this place in the recent days? What I want to know is, which route to take, Pattikonda->Adoni->Yemmiganur or Pattikonda->Yemmiganur (direct route)?
Also, planning to start back the return journey on sunday at around 11. Any good hotels before gooty?
Any other inputs are welcome.

Was there last weekend.

There are only a few hotels that are decent enough like Abode, please book it early enough to avoid the hassle. Parking on the hotel premises needs to be checked before booking, the hotels in the main street do not have proper parking. There are other hotels, but not too many. Once you park in the hotel, the temple is a short walk, so no need to take the car out again.

Temple is not crowded during afternoon - when it opens, it gets filled quickly late in the evening and packed tight in the early morning.

Food is best limited to Meals \ Idli vada etc, there are a few restaurants on the main street next to the temple entrance.

Getting there - Take the direct route , The roads are good till you reach Gooty through the Hyderabad highway, from here its not good for about 50 Kms afterwards its okay, you reach Yemmiganur and then to Mantralayam.

You can stop between Anantpur - Gooty stretch to refresh, not too many options anyways and pretty much nothing afterwards till you reach Mantralayam.

Fuel , fill it in\ before Gooty, afterwards the bunks are not that good.

[kavensri]

Thanks for the detailed information. I have some questions.

Originally Posted by Kosfactor

please book it early enough to avoid the hassle.

I am going to stay in our community lodge which I have done the advance booking. This is just opposite to the temple entrance. So, I am good with the stay and also the parking things.

Originally Posted by Kosfactor

Temple is not crowded during afternoon - when it opens, it gets filled quickly late in the evening and packed tight in the early morning.

This is what I am planning to do. Suggest me if this is feasible.
I should be reaching the place by around 4pm. Get freshen up and then immediately drive to Panchamukhi temple. After coming back from this temple, if there is not much of a crowd, then go for darshan. Otherwise, just relax in the lodge.
Next day early morning, go for darshan and then drive to Bicahle. After returning back from Bichale, vacate the lodge and drive back to Bangalore.
My mother is aged, so at what time you suggest me to take her for darshan?

Originally Posted by Kosfactor

Food is best limited to Meals \ Idli vada etc, there are a few restaurants on the main street next to the temple entrance.

We get lunch and dinner in our lodge. And I am planning to have the breakfats at 'Mantralaya Tiffin Room' which is next to our lodge.

Originally Posted by Kosfactor

Getting there - Take the direct route , The roads are good till you reach Gooty through the Hyderabad highway, from here its not good for about 50 Kms afterwards its okay, you reach Yemmiganur and then to Mantralayam.

Sure, i will take the direct route from Pattikonda to Yammiganur, as suggested by you.

Originally Posted by Kosfactor

You can stop between Anantpur - Gooty stretch to refresh, not too many options anyways and pretty much nothing afterwards till you reach Mantralayam.

Any good hotel that you can suggest in this stretch? I can mark it and then stop there for refresh.

Originally Posted by Kosfactor

Fuel , fill it in\ before Gooty, afterwards the bunks are not that good.

Noted down.

[Kosfactor]

Originally Posted by kavensri

This is what I am planning to do. Suggest me if this is feasible.
I should be reaching the place by around 4pm. Get freshen up and then immediately drive to Panchamukhi temple. After coming back from this temple, if there is not much of a crowd, then go for darshan. Otherwise, just relax in the lodge.
Next day early morning, go for darshan and then drive to Bicahle. After returning back from Bichale, vacate the lodge and drive back to Bangalore.
My mother is aged, so at what time you suggest me to take her for darshan?

Try to enter the main temple as soon as it opens at 4:00 PM, no rush at that time, the elderly can spend more time inside the temple at that time. Bichale is open till ~ 9:00 PM, its best to visit around sunset time, since its next to the Thungabadra river, beautiful place to be in at that time and the drive through the country side and the bridge that takes you into raichur dist is also very nice.

I did not visit Panchamukhi as there was no time. Also best to leave from Mantralayam after breakfast because you don't want to deal with the rush hour traffic trying to reach Bangalore on a Sunday evening.

We stopped at Bluemoon resorts restaurant in Gooty, place was almost empty and food was nice, I skipped crowded places but this place is not veg-only, it was not a problem though and the restrooms were good as well.

[kavensri]

Originally Posted by Kosfactor

Try to enter the main temple as soon as it opens at 4:00 PM, no rush at that time, the elderly can spend more time inside the temple at that time. Bichale is open till ~ 9:00 PM, its best to visit around sunset time, since its next to the Thungabadra river, beautiful place to be in at that time and the drive through the country side and the bridge that takes you into raichur dist is also very nice.

Sure, I will try to take my mother for darshan as soon as the temple reopens at 4pm.

Originally Posted by Kosfactor

I did not visit Panchamukhi as there was no time. Also best to leave from Mantralayam after breakfast because you don't want to deal with the rush hour traffic trying to reach Bangalore on a Sunday evening.

Even I had skipped this Panchamukhi temple when i visited last time (it was more than 5 years back i guess). So, this time I want to make sure that I visit this temple first and if time permits, I will visit Bichale.

Originally Posted by Kosfactor

We stopped at Bluemoon resorts restaurant in Gooty, place was almost empty and food was nice, I skipped crowded places but this place is not veg-only, it was not a problem though and the restrooms were good as well.

I have marked this restaurant in my maps. It is showing 3 hours drive from Mantralaya. So, it should be a perfect time to stop for lunch if we can leave Mantralaya by 10am.
Thanks again for all the information that you have provided.

[gkveda]

Originally Posted by kavensri

Get freshen up and then immediately drive to Panchamukhi temple. After coming back from this temple, if there is not much of a crowd, then go for darshan. Otherwise, just relax in the lodge.
Next day early morning, go for darshan and then drive to Bicahle. After returning back from Bichale, vacate the lodge and drive back to Bangalore

In fact, you can cover panchamukhi temple and bichale together at once. Both of them are near by at a distance of say 10-15 kms.(if you imagine T, bichale and panchamukhi temple are on opposite sides of the horizontal line. Manthralayam is at the bottom point of vertical line.)

My suggestion would be
Once you reach Manthralayam at 4pm, you can refresh and get 1st darshan at SRS Mutt. Evening, you can relax.
Next day morning, you can visit Srs mutt second time in early morning 7am and leave for panchamukhi and bichale by 8 30am(you can choose any order to visit panchamukhi temple or bichale first).

Once you are back by say, 11:30, you can have lunch at 12 noon at mutt and leave to Bangalore.

[kavensri]

Originally Posted by gkveda

In fact, you can cover panchamukhi temple and bichale together at once. Both of them are near by at a distance of say 10-15 kms.(if you imagine T, bichale and panchamukhi temple are on opposite sides of the horizontal line. Manthralayam is at the bottom point of vertical line.)

This is also good idea. But instead of doing this on Sunday morning, i will see if I can do it on Saturday evening. Given an option, I would still like to start back my return journey at 10am.

Originally Posted by gkveda

Next day morning, you can visit Srs mutt second time in early morning 7am and leave for panchamukhi and bichale by 8 30am(you can choose any order to visit panchamukhi temple or bichale first).

Once you are back by say, 11:30, you can have lunch at 12 noon at mutt and leave to Bangalore.

My only worry is, if the lunch starts at 12, then it may become 1pm by the time we have our lunch and finish everything before i can start back from there.