[csentil]

Ok here's the update:

Bangalore - TN border either way sucks. Too many diversions, bad roads, constructions, deviations. Hopefully should get completed soon.

Krishnagiri - Mathur: Has been patched up pretty well, except for small holes here and there. If you are coming from Mathur towards Krishnagiri there is a particular S bend where the road is divided by a stone divider. Be very careful. There's this 3 foot deep crater there that even buses avoid by going on the wrong lane. Fortunately I had some space on the side of the crater to get across !!

Mathur - Samalpatti - Uthangarai is pretty ok. You encounter potholed roads near villages only !!

Uthangarai - Singarapettai is full of rough roads. Not big potholes but the top layer seems to have gone at a lot of places. But this road is being laid from the Singarapettai side and works seems to be going on at a good pace. This is the slowest part of the lot.

Singarapettai - Chengam - Tiruvannamalai: This is easy.

Distance between Bangalore - Krishnagiri: 90 kms (approx)
Krishnagiri - Thiruvannamalai: 110 kms. Took me 1 hr 45 minutes of sedate driving in my Civic.

Watch out for some really wild curves at places.

[alli.gator]

Thread probably needs an update. Went to Tiruvannamalai from Bangalore over the weekend. Took the Blr-Krishnagiri-Chengam-Tiruvannamalai route (over NH7 and NH66). Probably it's the impact of elections, but they had put patches on all the potholes. It was a smooth drive all the way through. Took me 4 hours to cover the stretch, with a small break in between.

[manish123]

I too visitied Vellore and Tiruvannamalai from Bangalore. The road from Tiruvannamalai to Krishnagiri isn't that bad though. There were a few potholes so you couldn't drive beyond 80kmph, but overall the road was quite ok. For someone who wishes to stay at Tiruvannamalai, try out the Sparsa resort. It a pretty good place to stay with Village theme (but be warned, no alcohols and non-veg allowed inside)

[mjothi]

Originally Posted by manish123

I too visitied Vellore and Tiruvannamalai from Bangalore. The road from Tiruvannamalai to Krishnagiri isn't that bad though. There were a few potholes so you couldn't drive beyond 80kmph, but overall the road was quite ok. For someone who wishes to stay at Tiruvannamalai, try out the Sparsa resort. It a pretty good place to stay with Village theme (but be warned, no alcohols and non-veg allowed inside)

Any pointers? Phone, location etc pls

[manish123]

Please visit sparsaresorts.com. Their phone number is 04175-236911. add is Athiyanthal Village, thiruvannamalai.
I was told that the rate is 3.5k/night. However, currently they have some corporate voucher offer going on right now in which you need to buy 5 vouchers (equivalent to 5 nights stay) in Rs 10,000. All you need to pay after this is the tax. But this is beneficial only if you utilize 5 vouchers completely. They have a resort in Kanyakumari (4k/night) as well. Again beautiful place (rather the best place in Kanyakumari). Let me know if you need any more information

[mjothi]

@manish: Thanks for your response. Offer is tempting Lemme check it out. Esp the Kanyakumari. Do I see an "Alto" peeping this thread? Hehehe

[Tempelhof]

Any recent updates on the Bangalore - Thiruvannamalai route ?

Thanks in advance.

[gonewithwind]

Try to visit Ramanashramam, Skandashramam, Virupaksha cave. If you have time do a giripradakshina, for that you need to be get up at 4.30 am. These all in Thiruvannamalai.

[Tempelhof]

Originally Posted by gonewithwind

Try to visit Ramanashramam, Skandashramam, Virupaksha cave. If you have time do a giripradakshina, for that you need to be get up at 4.30 am. These all in Thiruvannamalai.

Thanks.

Apart from Sparsa, which are the best (most decent) places to stay in Thiruvannamalai?

[nagu]

any idea on how the uthangarai-thiruvannamalai road is..I am going on weekedn trip upto pondicherry...

If the roads are bad was planning to take the chennai road and go up kanchipuram and drive southwards towards thindivanam to pondicherry...

[lancersfx]

Hello Team..

I am planning a Tiruvannamalai drive this evening and maybe Vellore visit by tomorrow evening returning on saturday night or sunday. Will post update on road conditions later.

[Tempelhof]

Here are some snaps from my recent trip from Bangalore to Thiruvannamalai.

Started from Whitefield at 0615 on 28th Sept. morning.

Image 1: Customary pitstop at AAB for breakfast (0815)

Image 2: Road from Krishnagiri to Thiruvannamalai - this road is full of patch-work - look out for occasional potholes - Safe Speed: 60 kmph

Image 3: Wayside Hillock

Image 4: Place where we stayed - Arunai Anantha - not a great place - very spartan in its facilities - no VFM

Image 5: Road from Thiruvannamalai to Thirukoilur via Manalurpet - decent road - later we came to know that there's a better road from Thiruvannamamalai to Thirukoilur

Image 6 and Image 7: We were misguided about the quality of the road from Thirukoilur to Gingee - this road was horrible to say the least - though it was very scenic - not fit for a Civic though the car took the insult with aplomb - never complained! If you like to trek with your vehicle this is the road (Thirukoilur - Arakandanallur - Ananthapuram - Gingee)Average speed on this road: 20 kmph. Instead of this road, I should have come back to Thiruvannamalai and gone to Gingee from there.

Images 8, 9 and 10: The Arunachaleswara Temple - PM me if you need the high resolution version of these images

Image 11 & 12: Road from Thiruvannamalai - Sathanur Dam - again there are two routes - this time I took the one that first goes towards Chengam (from Thiruvannamalai) and then took a left turn - pretty decent road - Safe Speed 70 kmph

Image 13: Sathanur Dam - no water, but was peaceful.

Image 14: The Holy Arunachala Hill

[ampere]

Apart from Anantha and Sparsha, are there any other budget hotels? I plan to go there next week. I checked with Sparsha. The rates seem to have gone up with 4K + Tax for a day ! I want to stay for a day.

[trammway]

I wish all of you a very happy Deepavali.

I don't know if any other person(native) from Tiruvannamalai, but I am from Tiruvannamalai where I born and brought up.

I guess there are many guys here know about the place and route etc. The route is simple and no worries to drive by car as it falls under NH66 (Pondicherry - Krishnagiri).

About accommodation, this place is a paradise for all kind of people from poorest (more than 500 free madams are found) to richest (as mentioned in the above posts). In my opinion there are many hotels provides budget accommodation with in Rs.700 - 1500 range. They are neatly maintained and available all the time except Deepam festival, Mukurtham days and Full moon days.

Regarding places to visit (purely pilgrimage related)

1. Arulmigu Arunachalewarar temple (Built in 24 acres and all the four side entrances completed with tall tower structures called gopuram. There are 9 gopurams found in this temple, there are lots to talk about this temple. May be if some one interested knowing about this place and temple completely I can start another thread to just create pointers)(Must visit)
2. Pavazhakundru Arthanatheeswarar temple - Found near the northen entrace of Arunachaleswarar temple and here is where Lord siva shared his half with sakthi.
3. Parvatha hills - Famous during full moon day, and great adventure awaits as you need to climb using roads fixed into 90 degree steap rocks. Scary place to climb. This place falls around 50kms from this town
4. Thiruvarangam - Around 28 kms away from TVM, and it has a beautiful padmanaban samy temple. It is believed that this temple is older than Sri Rangam and very important temple for vaishnavas. The beauty of the temple is that it is built on the shores of Thenpennai river and middle of green village. This place is on the Manalur pet road(Must visit)
5. Thirukovilur - Small town around 35kms from Tiruvannamalai, this place got a huge perumal temple which hosts Ulakalantha perumal statue. Around 15mins drive from Thiruvarangam.
6. Adhi Arunachaleswarar temple - Falls under the hill rounding path of thiruvannamalai. The main Arunchaleswarar temple is build with the same model of Adhi Arunachaleswarar temple. This suppose to be more than 2500 old temple.
7. Hill rounding path - People walk this 14kms stretch bare footed during full moon day. Recent scientific researches revealed that around Tiruvannamalai there are lots of iron wores and the full moon day creates a possitive electro magnetic engery which helps curing anemic related health problems. Also it works like a great exercise and stress reliever for the people walking as group by pronouncing OM all the way.
8. Ashrams - Sri Kugai namasivayar Ashram (oldest cave ashram, dated back to krishnadevarayar or before)Sri Seshadri swamigal ashwram(good one for meditation), Ramanashram, Yogi Ramsurat kumar ashram, Kandhashram (beautiful and peaceful place on middle of the mountain, requires bit of physical energy to climb up) and many other old and new ashrams found every other corner of this town.
9. There is a CSI church and Mary Madha church.
10. Lots of really working social welfare organisations are found around this town in very poor state. I think it is wise to plan you trip along with a visit to these places. I know lots of homes which is hosting abondoned children, orphans, HIV positive kids and old age people.
11. Most famous people assoicated to this place in the current days - MR. DWARAKNATH REDDY, Chair man of Nutrine group of companies. Mastro Illayaraja(stays in this small town and only visits chennai for composition and recordings once in a while), Actor Rajinikanth(follower), Nattukottai Chettiyar community (most of the ornaments for the temple is sponcered by this family), Steve Jobs of Apple computers(Believed to be visiting more often right from his adulacent years)
12. The entire town depends upon agriculture related activity for living, so you can see farm lands all around this small town.

[nairrk]

@trammway
Nice and brief write up about your place.
and the important places where one can visit.
Very helpful for people visiting there !
Thanks