[sandsun7]

Originally Posted by jaaz

Singarapettai to Chengam is about 55 kms. Can you just give an idea or approx. locations where rough patches are there. One of our member had a Oil sump damage on this stretch last week. As per his details, it was 10-15 kms before Chengam. I guess, it's the same dip, which you've mentioned as scary.

Singarapettai to Chengam bypass start is not 55, but around 17 kms. Sorry, I don't remember the exact location but it was somewhere on the midpoint. Just make sure you don't go full throttle on that stretch.

[dhuli]

Originally Posted by sandsun7

Took the route suggested by Suresh-: Krishnagiri-Bargur-Tirupathur-Singarapettai-chengam bypass-Tvmalai.

Updates below:
Bangalore-Krishnagiri-Bargur: Excellent 6 lane highway, well known.

Bargur-Tirupattur: Very good roads. Looks like this stretch was recently re-asphalted. Many speed breakers which were earlier there seem to be removed now.

Tirupattur-Singarapettai: Barring the first 2 kms where some digging work was going on, surface is very good all the way. Traffic was light. Negotiating Tirupattur town was also not so difficult. There are clear markings.

Singarapettai-Chengam: This is the only stretch which has a few bad sections. On either side of those 50-100 metres stretches, the road is very broad and good. But the bad stretches can catch you by surprise. I had a nervy moment at one such stretch when I accelerated on very good stretch of the road only to find an abrupt end and a big broken section ahead. This can be very dangerous as you don't see the broken stretch until you approach very close to it. Pic attached below:
Attachment 1599555

Chengam bypass: The bypass is in very good condition except 2 stretches where small bridges are in construction (Work seem to be stalled, did not see any machinery around). See pic below:

Chengam-TVmalai: Excellent wide roads. No lane markings etc but very wide road.

Thanks Sandsun for your detailed inputs. I drove to Thiruvanamalai on Saturday via the typical route viz. Bangalore > Krishnagiri > Karimangalam > Harur > Theerthamalai > Thanipadi > Thiruvanamalai; but returned via Sandsun's route suggestion via. Thiruvanamalai > Chengam > Singarapettai > Thirupattur > Bargur > Krishnagiri > Bangalore.

To add to what is already in his post, which is bang on with the inputs, my points are:

1. Harur route longer by 30 odd km, but easier to drive by, Bargur route is shorter, but better for daytime drives given unmarked work in progress
2. On the Harur route while approaching Karimangalam and around Thanipadi, potholes to watch for.
3. On Bargur route, the main issue is while following the Thiruvanamalai to Singarapettai via Chengam stretch with incomplete road work in patches. Mostly at the Chengam bypass (didnt take) start, after exiting Chengam, and several in between en route to Singarapettai.
4. Post Singarapettai, till Thirupattur, very good stretch and lots of newly laid with fresh white markers. In Thirupattur town, one needs to take a right at the Gandhi Salai statue towards Bargur. Little confusing if one doesnt know to read Tamil, while navigating through this town. If there was a bypass around Thirupattur, I never saw that!
5. Overall, for a peaceful, follow the instructions or Map drive, Harur is easier. For a shorter/quicker drive Bargur route is good. Both are scenic, although the Harur - Theertamalai appears may win on points!

Lastly, I am appalled by the pace of redoing the Krishnagiri - Tinidvanam route 66, besides the quality of work where roads are laid (see the photo below of one such incomplete stretch).

Don't have the smooth quality of NH roads. At the very least, they could have completed the white line marking of finished stretches!

Originally Posted by suresh_gs

Also remember while going to T V Malai on the Morappur-Harur route, after reaching Harur do not ask the locals how to go to T V Malai. They will direct you via Uthangarai, Singarapettai to go to T V Malai.
Instead ask the locals the direction to Teerthamalai. Reason being when the regular route was in tatters, people preferred the Harur route to T V Malai. After reaching Harur, people asked the locals the direction to T V Malai for which they were directed to go via Uthangarai. That implied again joining the old route that resulted in a horrible journey.
So the catch was to ask the locals how to go to Teerthamalai and not T V Malai.

- Very Useful!

[haria]

Road condition from Bangalore to Thiruvannamalai update:

Went to thiruvannamalai yesterday. I traveled in SETC Bus from Bangalore, instead of taking my car.

The roads are much improved when compared with the state it was a year back. Still there are few bad patches (each probably a few KMs ), but by and large roads are quite decent

The route was
Mysore Road satellite bus stand -> Hosur -> Krishnagiri -> Mathur ->Uthangarai ->Singarapettai ->Chengam -> Tiruvannamalai

Total Travel time : 7 hours

Mysore Road satellite bus stand to Electronic city took almost 2 hours

So realistically speaking, travel time from Blr outer to Thiruvannamalai is about 5 hours

[EPMV]

This thread helped me immensely to choose the route, thank you for all the contributors, let me add my 2 cents here. I took the usual Uthangarai route while going. And desperately I had to choose some other route other than this while coming back due to the road condition in this route. I chose the harur route while coming back and missed the turn after harur and had to go through some more villages to come back to dharmapuri. However, this route was pleasant and lot more comfortable compared to the uthangarai route.

Route taken while going to tiruvannamalai (5 hours)
Bangalore -> Hosur -> Krishnagiri -> Mathur -> Uthangarai -> Chengam - Tiruvannamalai

While coming back from tiruvannamalai (6 hours)
Tiruvannamalai -> Thanipadi -> Theerthamalai -> Harur -> Gobinathampatti -> Jammanahalli -> Ramiyanahalli -> Mookanur -> Dharmapuri -> Krishnagiri -> Hosur -> Bangalore

-Mathur - uthangarai - changam route is pretty bad in my opinion. I don't think for any reason you can use this route. If you think this is short, the kind of road condition it has will consume more time which will give no meaning to choose short route. You can't drive in a smooth tarmac more than 30 mins in this route. The available tarmac roads also not smooth and uneven which keeps shaking your car. For sure you will be tired and feel dust all over you in this route. After kappalvaadi there is no continues tarmac till chengam, after chengam this route has good roads. If you going in a bus (drivers are least worried about the road condition, and going in full throttle) or in a SUV (which you can drive without worrying about uneven roads) then this route may suite you, not at all suitable for hatchback standard. Importantly there is no green colour in this route, all you can see is mud, dust and missing roads. My mother couldn't even sit only in the car and kept complaining all the way, but I made her happy while coming back.

-Harur route is super cool. Clean and fresh laid tarmac roads with proper road markings. As I have missed the harur turn while coming back, connected back to dharmapuri through some more villages. Only there I struggled with some road issues, that too hardly for 10 mins. Except that I highly recommend this route for everyone. Either you want to go fast or enjoy the greenery and trees, select this route. Slow or fast, this route will give you less fatigue and tiredness.

[naga.sid]

Hi

I plan to drive Blr to Tvm this weekend in a Innova.

Would Bangalore > Krishnagiri > Karimangalam > Harur > Theerthamalai > Thanipadi > Thiruvanamalai; be the safest?

Best regards
Siddharth

[suresh_gs]

Originally Posted by naga.sid

Hi

I plan to drive Blr to Tvm this weekend in a Innova.

Would Bangalore > Krishnagiri > Karimangalam > Harur > Theerthamalai > Thanipadi > Thiruvanamalai; be the safest?

Best regards
Siddharth

You can try this route also

Via Krishnagiri - Bargur - Tirupattur - Singarapettai - Chengam to Tiruvannamalai.

The route you mentioned is also a good option.

[naga.sid]

Hi

Krishnagiri - Bargur - Tirupattur - Singarapettai - Chengam to Thiruvanamalai has smaller roads and bad patches at regular intervals. At two spots, there are bridges being constructed where I feel any low based chassis would get hit. Meaning, the road goes 30ft under, to the base of the rivulet/canal/whatever and climbs back up. Terrible! It can't qualify to be a national highway.

Bangalore > Krishnagiri > Karimangalam > Harur > Theerthamalai > Thanipadi > Thiruvanamalai route is longer, has a few places where potholes have been covered in patches. Just at one place, there is road relay and minor bridge laying work happening. Take care to protect the chassis. Couple of speed breakers have been removed too. Route is longer by 30km, but I opt for peace of mind! Used this on my return journey. From Karimangalam (?) hits the lovely Bangalore Salem highway and its a breeze.

Best regards
Siddharth

[gopikb]

Originally Posted by sandsun7

Did Bangalore-Tiruvannamalai-Bangalore yesterday. Started from home near Hebbal at 4.30 AM and was at my destination (Arunai Engineering college, TVmalai) at 8.30. Took the route suggested by Suresh-: Krishnagiri-Bargur-Tirupathur-Singarapettai-chengam bypass-Tvmalai.

Did the Bangalore - Tiruvannamalai and back this weekend and here is the update on the route details. Sandsun had pretty much summarized it very clearly in his post # 371.
Onward Journey : Took the known treacherous route Bangalore - Krishnagiri - Mathur - Uthangarai - Singarapettai - Chengam - Tiruvannamalai. Heard from father in law who traveled in a cab a couple of weeks ago that the route is not as bad as two years ago and doable. But after driving through it, I dont think it is still worth it. Too many bad stretches which cuts our speed drastically and that too when we are driving, it is making our drive very tiring. No work is in progress and god knows how much more longer it is destined to0 remain that way. The distance through this route was 216kms.

Return Journey : Took the route recommended by sandsun today after going through Teambhp posts. Tiruvannamalai - Chengam - Singarapettai - Tirupathur - Bargur - Krishnagiri - Bangalore. This route was a gem compared to the earlier route. sandsun had clearly explained before it remains the same. The drive was way less tiring. This route is 30kms longer, but definitely worth taking.

People driving to Tiruvannamalai, please avoid the direct route and you have a very good alternate option through Bargur - Tirupathur

[deehunk]

It was an unplanned trip to Tiruvannamalai temple yesterday while going from Bangalore I took the Hosur > Krishnagiri > Uthangarai > Tiruvannamalai route. Since I was driving first time on this route I followed the map and probably drove through some of the worst patches in my life. I reached the temple premises around 11 am, it was a 6-hour journey from Bangalore. For the return journey, I took the Tiruvannamalai > Tirupattur > Natrampalli > Krishnagiri > Hosur route. The SH roads were in good condition and total travel time was 5 hours.

[landcruiser123]

Hello BHPians,
What is the best route to Thiruvannamalai? We're planning to drive down tomorrow. Are there any improvements in Krishnagiri -> Uthangarai -> Thiruvannamalai stretch?

TIA

[NPV]

Originally Posted by landcruiser123

Hello BHPians,
What is the best route to Thiruvannamalai? We're planning to drive down tomorrow. Are there any improvements in Krishnagiri -> Uthangarai -> Thiruvannamalai stretch?

Go with Bargur-Tirupattur route and avoid Uthangarai route, please see previous posts for details.

[suresh_gs]

Originally Posted by landcruiser123

Hello BHPians,
What is the best route to Thiruvannamalai? We're planning to drive down tomorrow. Are there any improvements in Krishnagiri -> Uthangarai -> Thiruvannamalai stretch?

TIA

The better option would be Via Hosur, Krishnagiri, Bargur, Tirupattur, Singarapettai and Chengam. I did travel via Mathur, Uthangarai, Singarapettai and Chengam in the 1st week of May. Near Mathur, not so good roads but one can drive. Here is the link

http://www.team-bhp.com/forum/travel...ples-fort.html

[gopikb]

Dear All, wanted to give you an update on the latest on the Krishnagiri - Tindivanam stretch through Tiruvallamalai. Last week I rode through the below route
Onward : Bangalore -Krishnagiri-Arcot - Cheyyar - Vandavasi -Melmaruvathur - Gingee - Tiruvannamalai
Return : Tiruvannamalai - Chengam - Singarapettai - Mathur - Krishnagiri - Bangalore

On the Tindivanam - Tiruvannamalai section, I see that whatever road stretches that was taken up for expansion is complete now. But there are some stretches which was not taken up for work before. These stretches were left as it as and hence the width of the road narrows down suddenly. This could be dangerous if we are not careful and have oncoming heavy traffic. I would say 70% of the road is wide and completed nicely. 30% of the roads are still the old two lane highway with <5% potholed roads. Hence it is manageable

Coming to Tiruvannamalai - Krishnagiri stretch, the Tiruvannamalai - Chengam road is fully done and a delight to drive. After Chengam, all the way to Krishnagiri which is about 80km stretch, I would estimate 50% roads are completed while the balance 50% is still work in progress. Among, the 50% incomplete roads I would estimate that 10km of roads are good two lane and motorable. There is 30Km stretch of pot hole ridden roads which are not continuous, but in patches. But most of these potholes are clearly visible in daylight and hence can be navigated carefully. Night driving could be tricky. But good thing is that I did not see any of those monster potholes which come up suddenly in this stretch before.

I covered the 110km distance between Tiruvannamalai and Krishnagiri in about 2 hours in my Punto. Bigger cars should have better advantage. 55kms average speed on this road was not bad. So people who are driving in daylight, can probably take this road if your final destination is Tiruvannamalai.

But people driving to Pondy should probably still take the Arcot -Cheyyar - Tindivanam route particularly because of the 6-lane advantage until Arcot and you are minimizing the drive in two laned roads.

[mjkaushal]

As mentioned in the earlier post, I followed the Krishnagiri - TVmalai route via Chengam and the total distance of about 103 kilometers was covered in less than 2 hours.

The roads are completely done ( Though 2 way and about 3 bad patches ) and even being on a Sunday, it was literally empty.

I suggest people going from Bangalore to TVmalai take this route instead of searching for options.

[vista_qjd]

Took the Bargur - Singarapettai route and it was pretty good except for some small patches. On way back wanted to try the Mathur route. But 10 mins into it and came across a deep crater and scraped bottom. Did not want to get more adventurous and took a reverse and came back on the Bargur route. The Mathur route works if you have a SUV or some large vehicle.