[ramzsys]

Originally Posted by ampere

Or drive till Kulithalai from Karur and switch banks ! Take the Musiri road to the hit GST and continue to Tanjore.
One instant advantage I can see here is, you don't need go into the city. It would almost get you to the Tanjore exit circle on GST.

The other option once you hit GST (NH45) is you can also take SH22 to Kallanai.

Yes that is my plan now. If i do so, i can visit Gunaseelam temple, which is on SH22 after Kulithalai.

Will update the thread about the conditions.

[rameshnanda]

Originally Posted by ramzsys

I hope this post is that update?
Amp, as i said in the thread in the above link, the road is a 'wide 2 lane'.

Brilliant. I didn't realize that it was you who updated in that thread.
Now that it is more than 6 months, I think the situation should be even better.

[lazybrain]

Guys need help on route info. and stay options

I (with family) will driving down next week from Bangalore to Kumbakonam. I would require info. on the following:

1. Best route from Bangalore who had drove down recently. route via Trichy is better or via Perambalur is better? Please suggest.

2. Planning to start from Bangalore around 9 AM and make Tanjavur as base since not sure whether there are decent stay options in Kumbakonam. Please provide me details on stay options. I will be happy to stay in Tanjavur and drive to Kumbakonam for visiting temples. Please suggest any good stay options in Tanjavur you might know. Also if kumbakonam has better stay options with VFM hotels i am OK with that option as well...

Thanks in advance for your replies

[ampere]

Originally Posted by lazybrain

Guys need help on route info. and stay options

I (with family) will driving down next week from Bangalore to Kumbakonam. I would require info. on the following:

1. Best route from Bangalore who had drove down recently. route via Trichy is better or via Perambalur is better? Please suggest.

I would vote for Trichy route. Salem-Namakkal-Thuraiyur-Trichy north GST- Tanjore. Hotel Gnanam is a good place (I remember J Ravi mentioning about it. Please check with him too).

http://www.hotelgnanam.com/

[ramzsys]

Originally Posted by lazybrain

Guys need help on route info. and stay options

If you plan to stay in Kumbakonam(i.e avoiding Tanjore) you can try this route as well: http://goo.gl/maps/W7hRO

About 10 km broken road stretch is there before Vridachalam. But then in the Trichy-Tanjore option, the road from Tanjore to Kumbakonam is rough/traffic prone as well.

[ravib]

Originally Posted by lazybrain

Guys need help on route info. and stay options

I (with family) will driving down next week from Bangalore to Kumbakonam. I would require info. on the following:

1. Best route from Bangalore who had drove down recently. route via Trichy is better or via Perambalur is better? Please suggest.

2. Planning to start from Bangalore around 9 AM and make Tanjavur as base since not sure whether there are decent stay options in Kumbakonam. Please provide me details on stay options. I will be happy to stay in Tanjavur and drive to Kumbakonam for visiting temples. Please suggest any good stay options in Tanjavur you might know. Also if kumbakonam has better stay options with VFM hotels i am OK with that option as well...

Thanks in advance for your replies

If you don't plan to visit any temple in Trichy/Tanjore, then instead of Namakkal-Trichy-Tanjore route, you can go directly to Kumbakonam in below route.

Bangalore-Salem-Attur-Jayankondam-Kumbakonam.

https://maps.google.co.in/maps?saddr...mra=ls&t=m&z=8

The roads are good throughout and distance is 50 kms less and time wise shorter with less traffic.
The second best option is to go via Namakkal-Thuraiyur-Trichy-Tanjore-Kumbakonam, but Tanjore-Kumbakonam has heavy traffic with more narrow roads passing through small towns/villages so quite tiring.

If your main purpose of visit is to visit Navagraha temples (my assumption) or temples in Kumbakonam-Mayavaram (or) Kumbakonam-Thiruvarur route, then better option to stay is in Kumbakonam rather than Tanjore. The main reason is to avoid tiring drive between Tanjore & KMU in heavy traffic.

Kumbakonam has good & decent hotels now

Hotel Rayas (near Mahamaham tank/Post office)
PLA Residency (Opposite to railway station, bit expensive though)
Hotel Aadhitya (In Tanjore Road, but okay type average hotel)

-Ravi

[lazybrain]

Originally Posted by ravib

If you don't plan to visit any temple in Trichy/Tanjore, then instead of Namakkal-Trichy-Tanjore route, you can go directly to Kumbakonam in below route.

If your main purpose of visit is to visit Navagraha temples (my assumption) or temples in Kumbakonam-Mayavaram (or) Kumbakonam-Thiruvarur route, then better option to stay is in Kumbakonam rather than Tanjore

Appreciate the info. I will definitely check out. Main purpose of us going to kumbakonam is to visit garbarakshambike temple. Other temples are optional and we will visit only if time permits. Since we will be going to tanjore for the first time I guess I would prefer not to miss the world famous tanjore temple. So for now staying at tanjore looks like a better option. Also what I heard garbarakshambike temple is not in proper kumbakonam. It's en-route to kumbakonam from tanjore.

[ampere]

Originally Posted by lazybrain

Appreciate the info. I will definitely check out. Main purpose of us going to kumbakonam is to visit garbarakshambike temple. Other temples are optional and we will visit only if time permits. Since we will be going to tanjore for the first time I guess I would prefer not to miss the world famous tanjore temple. So for now staying at tanjore looks like a better option. Also what I heard garbarakshambike temple is not in proper kumbakonam. It's en-route to kumbakonam from tanjore.

+1
If you want to go to garbarakshambike temple, then surely Tanjore is a much better option. In that case you should take the Thuraiyur road. Because it gets you to north of Trichy at NH45 exit for Tanjore; just before the bridge on Cauvery. Almost like a perfect bypass to Trichy, unless you want to visit temples in Trichy.

[ravib]

Originally Posted by lazybrain

Appreciate the info. I will definitely check out. Main purpose of us going to kumbakonam is to visit garbarakshambike temple. Other temples are optional and we will visit only if time permits. Since we will be going to tanjore for the first time I guess I would prefer not to miss the world famous tanjore temple. So for now staying at tanjore looks like a better option. Also what I heard garbarakshambike temple is not in proper kumbakonam. It's en-route to kumbakonam from tanjore.

Ok cool. So if Thirukarugavur temple visit is the main agenda, better option is to stay in Tanjore. The temple is about ~20 kms from Tanjore and yes as you said, it is inbetween KMU-Tanjore route, with slight detour from Papanasam.

When you drive from Tanjore, once you reach papanasam, you will hit a T-junction. Left goes towards kumbakonam and right towards Thirukarugavur. There is a small direction board is present in RHS in that junction. Take that right and drive for about 6 kms, once your cross Cauvery river bridge, you can take left to reach the temple.

-Ravi

[polopm]

Originally Posted by lazybrain

Appreciate the info. I will definitely check out. Main purpose of us going to kumbakonam is to visit garbarakshambike temple. Other temples are optional and we will visit only if time permits. Since we will be going to tanjore for the first time I guess I would prefer not to miss the world famous tanjore temple. So for now staying at tanjore looks like a better option. Also what I heard garbarakshambike temple is not in proper kumbakonam. It's en-route to kumbakonam from tanjore.

An option would be to check the Tanjavur - Saliamangalam - Kalanjeri - Thirukarugavoor route. This is one of the routes for Tanjore to Kumbakonam (though 95% of the buses take the main route). Check out locally on this route. if the feedback is good, You'd need to take the road south to Saliamangalam. Once you reach, turn left into the Papanasam road. You will enjoy a quiet drive with good scenery around.

The village is on the banks of the Vattaaru (tributary of Cauvery river).

[polopm]

Originally Posted by ravib

Ok cool. So if Thirukarugavur temple visit is the main agenda, better option is to stay in Tanjore. The temple is about ~20 kms from Tanjore and yes as you said, it is inbetween KMU-Tanjore route, with slight detour from Papanasam.

When you drive from Tanjore, once you reach papanasam, you will hit a T-junction. Left goes towards kumbakonam and right towards Thirukarugavur. There is a small direction board is present in RHS in that junction. Take that right and drive for about 6 kms, once your cross Cauvery river bridge, you can take left to reach the temple.

-Ravi

In case you chose this route (other than the one which I wrote in the post above) - The route to Thirukarugavoor passes thru Papanasam railway station. In case you are wondering where you would find the T, just look for the railway station. You would pass the the railway station and proceed towards TKVoor.

Here's a nugget for you: If you get time, check the Siva temple at Mattiyandhal. This is a privately owned temple and my father loves this place and has visited a lot from his childhood. Courtesy of him, I drop in to see some exquisite sculptures done. There is a "Yaali" with a rotating stone inside its mouth which you cannot remove. God knows how they did all that ! The current maintenance is not that great, but still is a great place.

Search for : AMK Sivan Koil, Mattayanthadal, near Papanasam in Google Maps, it is on the Papanasam - TKVoor road.

[ramki067]

Hi,

Having 3 days off next weekend, we family of 4 want to travel to Kumbakonam, Srirangam, Tanjavur and near by places.
Need information regarding the best route to be taken, places to stay and food options(we are pure vegetarians) on the way.
From Google maps i'm seeing the route if Kumbakonam is the preferred destination as below: Bangalore->Hosur->Krishnagiri->Dharmapuri->Salem->Attur->Kumbakonam

Please help.

thanks,
Ramki

[ampere]

Originally Posted by ramki067

From Google maps i'm seeing the route if Kumbakonam is the preferred destination as below: Bangalore->Hosur->Krishnagiri->Dharmapuri->Salem->Attur->Kumbakonam

Or :

Salem-Namakkal-Thuraiyur-Trichy North-Tanjore-Kumbakonam

[ramki067]

Originally Posted by ampere

Or :

Salem-Namakkal-Thuraiyur-Trichy North-Tanjore-Kumbakonam

Thanks ampere. Does this road is good for a WagonR ?

[pisthpeeps]

The only bad stretch is between Tanjore-Kumbakonam. Two lane, mostly divider less, twisty roads. Lot of potholes as well. This is the status couple of months back.

Trichy-Tanjore is an amazing stretch to drive.