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Old 17th July 2012, 18:09   #46
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re: Chennai to Velankanni : Route Queries

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Originally Posted by polopm View Post
Hi
I am planning to visit Rameswaram and Thiruchendur next month from Chennai and would like to take the ECR from Pondy/Cuddalore. How is the state of ECR these days.
Some questions
1. I plan to start early and drive straight to Rameswaram by evening or so - is it feasible ?
2 Spend next day there visiting all the holy spots.
3. Start early next day to Thiruchendur, visit temple, have lunch and head to Madurai and check into a hotel.Visit Meenakshi temple ( next day early morning)
4. Start back next day to Chennai

Please suggest the optimal ECR route too !

Thanks !
Before mentioning about ECR:

I would say the fastest is the 4-lane.

Chennai-Trichy-Melur-Sivagangai-llayangudi-Paramagudi-Ramnad-Rameshwaram
(Route Link)

Now if you specifically want to go via ECR, you have keep two points in mind:
Till Nagapatnam it is very slow. So your progress would be hampered.
Secondly as per what I hear, on ECR, dont expect any major hotels or break areas.
(Though roads are good south of Nagapattnam)

So if you want enjoy ECR as well as take the fast road, I would suggest go till Trichy, take the Tanjore 4-lane go till Vallam and then take
the road to Adirampattinam. You catch the ECR and then you go all way till Ramnad via Devipattnam and there on to Rameshwaram.
(Route Link)


For a single day drive to reach Rameshwaram, I would recommend the Trichy/Melur route.

Last edited by ampere : 17th July 2012 at 18:12.
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Old 17th July 2012, 19:31   #47
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Quote:
Originally Posted by polopm
Hi
I am planning to visit Rameswaram and Thiruchendur next month from Chennai and would like to take the ECR from Pondy/Cuddalore. How is the state of ECR these days.
Some questions
1. I plan to start early and drive straight to Rameswaram by evening or so - is it feasible ?
2 Spend next day there visiting all the holy spots.
3. Start early next day to Thiruchendur, visit temple, have lunch and head to Madurai and check into a hotel.Visit Meenakshi temple ( next day early morning)
4. Start back next day to Chennai

Please suggest the optimal ECR route too !

Thanks !
Day 1: Very much possible. Chennai - Pondy is approximately 2 hrs depending on where you start from. Pondy - Cuddalore - Chidambaram - Sirkali - Karaikal - Ramnad - Rameswaram takes 6 hrs non-stop. So you can start early and reach Pondy by 9 am, have breakfast there and then reach Chidambaram by 11am, visit Temple and also have lunch, start by 1.30 pm max and reach Rameswaram by 7 or 8 pm.

Day 2: Can finish entire Rameswaram

Day 3: Rameswaram - Thiruchendur is 3-4 hrs drive. Thiruchendur - Madurai is 4-5 hrs drive. So can be easily done.

Day 4: Again an easy drive.
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Old 18th July 2012, 01:40   #48
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re: Chennai to Velankanni : Route Queries

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Originally Posted by polopm View Post
Please suggest the optimal ECR route too !!
My personal preference is to join ECR at/south of Nagapattinam where it is great drive all the way to Ramnad. The only gripe is there are no/minimal facilities in that section. So either stock up/eat at Karaikal/Nagapattinam or drive all the way to Ramnad.

Harshavarthan is a better person to talk about routes to Rameswaram as he is a regular commuter.

Tirunallar is just 10 km off ECR from Karaikal. Vedaranyam is attemptable too.

Quote:
Originally Posted by Harshavarthan View Post
Day 3: Rameswaram - Thiruchendur is 3-4 hrs drive. Thiruchendur - Madurai is 4-5 hrs drive. So can be easily done.
You would be looking more like 3-4 hrs for Tiruchendur-Madurai. Am not sure of Tiruchendur-Tuticorin, but Tuticorin-Madurai is 90 min for 136 km drive, you can expect similar drive time for Tirunelveli bypass-Madrai.

Tiruchendur-Tirunelveli would take 40-50 min if you do in daytime. It would be tricky if pilgrims walk towards Tiruchendur, mid-day afternoon drive would be ideal that case. Additionally you can have lunch at HSB in Punnai Nagar if you take this route. Its a 5km detour that points to Vanatirupathi.

If you are taking Melur route from Madurai, stay at the north end of Madurai (for example: Hotel Metropole which is near Madurai court) and take an auto to the temple. This will give you easy exit out of Madurai and you don't have to raise your BP levels driving in Madurai traffic
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Old 18th July 2012, 10:42   #49
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re: Chennai to Velankanni : Route Queries

Quote:
Originally Posted by ampere View Post
Before mentioning about ECR:

I would say the fastest is the 4-lane.

Chennai-Trichy-Melur-Sivagangai-llayangudi-Paramagudi-Ramnad-Rameshwaram
(Route Link)


For a single day drive to reach Rameshwaram, I would recommend the Trichy/Melur route.
Quote:
Originally Posted by Harshavarthan View Post
Day 1: Very much possible. Chennai - Pondy is approximately 2 hrs depending on where you start from. Pondy - Cuddalore - Chidambaram - Sirkali - Karaikal - Ramnad - Rameswaram takes 6 hrs non-stop. So you can start early and reach Pondy by 9 am, have breakfast there and then reach Chidambaram by 11am, visit Temple and also have lunch, start by 1.30 pm max and reach Rameswaram by 7 or 8 pm.
Quote:
Originally Posted by narayans80 View Post
My personal preference is to join ECR at/south of Nagapattinam where it is great drive all the way to Ramnad. The only gripe is there are no/minimal facilities in that section. So either stock up/eat at Karaikal/Nagapattinam or drive all the way to Ramnad.

Harshavarthan is a better person to talk about routes to Rameswaram as he is a regular commuter.

Tirunallar is just 10 km off ECR from Karaikal. Vedaranyam is attemptable too.
Thanks Amp, Harsha and Narayan !
Spl thanks to Narayan for reminding me of HSB at Punnai Nagar ( I have seen their ads in their hotel about the temple which the owner had built)
Now I will need to apply for leave and hope the boss approves it
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Old 18th July 2012, 14:19   #50
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re: Chennai to Velankanni : Route Queries

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Originally Posted by narayans80 View Post



You would be looking more like 3-4 hrs for Tiruchendur-Madurai. Am not sure of Tiruchendur-Tuticorin, but Tuticorin-Madurai is 90 min for 136 km drive, you can expect similar drive time for Tirunelveli bypass-Madrai.
Tiruchendur-Tuticorin is around 45 - 50 kms and would take approx 45 mins drive.
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Old 24th July 2014, 15:48   #51
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re: Chennai to Velankanni : Route Queries

Team,

I want to revive my dream after a 2 year hiatus -trying to do this trip in the coming days. How are the roads.
My plan
26th - Drive to Rameswaram from Chennai and visit temple.
27th - in and around + Dhanushkodi ( are there specific contacts for this)
28th - Drive to Thiruchendur temple in morning from Rameswaram and from there onto Madurai - manage the temple there.
29th - Back to Chennai.
My plan is to stay at Daiwik at Rameswaram and can you suggest one at Madurai please .

Thanks !
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Old 24th July 2014, 16:10   #52
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re: Chennai to Velankanni : Route Queries

Quote:
Originally Posted by polopm View Post
26th - Drive to Rameswaram from Chennai and visit temple.
27th - in and around + Dhanushkodi ( are there specific contacts for this)
Thirupullani Near Ramnad.
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Adi_Jag...Perumal_Temple

And then the hanuman temple at the coast (Sethu Karai).

Quote:
My plan is to stay at Daiwik at Rameswaram and can you suggest one at Madurai please .
Hotels in Madurai: Metropole, Park Plaza.

Last edited by ampere : 24th July 2014 at 16:11.
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Old 24th July 2014, 18:35   #53
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re: Chennai to Velankanni : Route Queries

Quote:
Originally Posted by polopm View Post
26th - Drive to Rameswaram from Chennai and visit temple.
27th - in and around + Dhanushkodi ( are there specific contacts for this)
28th - Drive to Thiruchendur temple in morning from Rameswaram and from there onto Madurai - manage the temple there.
29th - Back to Chennai.
Madras-Rameswaram has multiple routes depending how much you have in hand Either all ECR or Madras-Kottampatti-SH35-Karaikudi-Devipatnam-Ramnad-Rameswaram or Madras-Melur-Sivagangai-Paramakudi-Rameswaram or Madras-Madurai-Rameswaram.

Apart from Thirupullani, there's also Devipattinam and Utharakosamangai temples as well. Depends on whether you have time.

28th is too tight, you should consider starting from Rameswaram on 27th itself. I think Tuticorin-Tiruchendur isn't that great, you can't avoid onward from Rameswaram. Returning to Madurai you can take Tiruchendur-Tirunelveli-Madurai instead.

Since you are staying in Madurai returning from Tiruchendur I'd suggest to stay somewhere close to the western end of town like Tiruparankundram, Tirunagar,Arasaradi, Arapalayam that'll give easy access from NH7. That way you can return to Madras via Dindigul.
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Old 24th July 2014, 19:32   #54
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re: Chennai to Velankanni : Route Queries

Quote:
Originally Posted by polopm View Post
Team,

I want to revive my dream after a 2 year hiatus -trying to do this trip in the coming days. How are the roads.
My plan
26th - Drive to Rameswaram from Chennai and visit temple.
27th - in and around + Dhanushkodi ( are there specific contacts for this)
28th - Drive to Thiruchendur temple in morning from Rameswaram and from there onto Madurai - manage the temple there.
29th - Back to Chennai.
My plan is to stay at Daiwik at Rameswaram and can you suggest one at Madurai please .

Thanks !
A word of caution for venturing anywhere near the Rameshwaram and surrounding coastal areas during the 26th July weekend. Around 5 lakh people are expected to take holy dip in Rameshwaram on the occasion of Aadi Amavaasya. And people who come will eventually visit the surrounding places since it is a 4 day weekend (taking Monday off). I too had plans to visit Rameshwaram this weekend, but because of this, I changed my plans.

Last edited by Voyager-1 : 24th July 2014 at 19:37.
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Old 25th July 2014, 15:19   #55
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re: Chennai to Velankanni : Route Queries

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Originally Posted by Voyager-1 View Post
A word of caution for venturing anywhere near the Rameshwaram and surrounding coastal areas during the 26th July weekend. Around 5 lakh people are expected to take holy dip in Rameshwaram on the occasion of Aadi Amavaasya. And people who come will eventually visit the surrounding places since it is a 4 day weekend (taking Monday off). I too had plans to visit Rameshwaram this weekend, but because of this, I changed my plans.
I have dropped the plan again considering the Aadi Ammavasai celebration.
Sticking only to Madurai and possibly Thiruchendur on monday.

Thank you folks for the kind support
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Old 25th July 2014, 22:14   #56
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re: Chennai to Velankanni : Route Queries

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Originally Posted by polopm View Post
I have dropped the plan again considering the Aadi Ammavasai celebration.
Sticking only to Madurai and possibly Thiruchendur on monday.

Thank you folks for the kind support
The holy dip will happen in all coastal temples including Tiruchendur, Kanyakumari etc.. So, please double check before planning the trip to Tiruchendur.
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Old 31st July 2014, 20:57   #57
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re: Chennai to Velankanni : Route Queries

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The holy dip will happen in all coastal temples including Tiruchendur, Kanyakumari etc.. So, please double check before planning the trip to Tiruchendur.
Thanks guys for all the support. I did Thiruchendur on monday and it was OK.
The Tuticorin - Thirunelveli stretch is not that great. Madurai to Tuty is amazing and I consistently did 120+.
Had food at Saravana Bhavan, this hotel is about 10 kms off the main road but the food and service was damn good.
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Old 31st July 2014, 21:05   #58
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re: Chennai to Velankanni : Route Queries

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Had food at Saravana Bhavan, this hotel is about 10 kms off the main road but the food and service was damn good.
Great to know this. Where is the exact location of the hotel on the 4-lane? Close around Aruppukottai?
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Old 1st August 2014, 01:27   #59
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re: Chennai to Velankanni : Route Queries

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Originally Posted by polopm View Post
The Tuticorin - Thirunelveli stretch is not that great.
You meant Tuticorin-Tiruchendur I guess. If so its been bad for quite a while, thats the reason I was suggesting Madras-Tirunelveli-Tiruchendur

Quote:
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Great to know this. Where is the exact location of the hotel on the 4-lane? Close around Aruppukottai?
No its in Punnai Nagar some 5 km off Tirunelveli-Tiruchendur SH40. There is a signboard (possibly in Tamil) from the highway to Punnai Nagar somewhere near Kurumbur. From Tiruchendur the turnoff is about 20 km towards Tirunelveli. Its the HSB owner's hometown that's why its located in such a remote location, but it still draws a good crowd.
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Old 1st August 2014, 07:36   #60
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re: Chennai to Velankanni : Route Queries

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No its in Punnai Nagar some 5 km off Tirunelveli-Tiruchendur SH40. There is a signboard (possibly in Tamil) from the highway to Punnai Nagar somewhere near Kurumbur. From Tiruchendur the turnoff is about 20 km towards Tirunelveli. Its the HSB owner's hometown that's why its located in such a remote location, but it still draws a good crowd.
Ha! You mean its the original HSB. Did not expect that! Also can you mark it in Google? I still cant find it.
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