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Old 12th September 2012, 17:23   #16
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re: Chennai to Ahobilam (near Cuddapah, AP) : Route Queries

Thanks Venki.bala. Can you please pass on the contact info of the guide you hired? Your travelogue is interesting and useful.
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Old 13th September 2012, 09:49   #17
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re: Chennai to Ahobilam (near Cuddapah, AP) : Route Queries

Quote:
Originally Posted by narayans80 View Post
Till Kadapa, the best route is Madras-Tada-Nayudupeta-Kalahasti-Rajampeta-Kadapa. Road conditions are pretty decent, not runway-like. .
Any specific reason for going via Nayudupeta, you can go directly to Kalahasti from Tada, the roads were in great shape when I made the trip to Tirupati in June.

Also you missed out mentioning Renigunta or am I missing something. Is there a direct route to Rajampet from Kalahasti.
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Old 13th September 2012, 10:13   #18
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re: Chennai to Ahobilam (near Cuddapah, AP) : Route Queries

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Originally Posted by venki.bala View Post
Oh. Thanks for correcting me. I assumed that the entire highway is getting widened.
Nope, there is no sort of widening going on the section towards Tirupati from Kadapa via Rajampeta

Quote:
Originally Posted by pypkmsrikanth View Post
Any specific reason for going via Nayudupeta, you can go directly to Kalahasti from Tada, the roads were in great shape when I made the trip to Tirupati in June.
Nayudupeta road bypasses Srikalahasti and its a much wider road where you can maintain 100 at daytime save for the number of speed breakers all the way.

I agree Tada-Kalahasti itself is in good shape, but the time it took to cross Kalahasti wasn't worth it. It'll take a good 25-30 min to get to the other side of town.

Quote:
Originally Posted by pypkmsrikanth View Post
Also you missed out mentioning Renigunta or am I missing something. Is there a direct route to Rajampet from Kalahasti.
Somehow I did'nt go through Renigunta at all The SH61 from Nayudupeta/Kalahasti meets the Rajampeta/Kadapa road and the road from Tiruttani at one junction. I guess this is the road 5km towards Tirupati that bypasses Renigunta (this is mentioned in the Hyderabad-Tirupati thread multiple times. Forget the name of the place though).
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Old 13th September 2012, 10:25   #19
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re: Chennai to Ahobilam (near Cuddapah, AP) : Route Queries

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Originally Posted by maddyoni10 View Post
Thanks Venki.bala. Can you please pass on the contact info of the guide you hired? Your travelogue is interesting and useful.
Srinivas alias seenu : 0-9490727452

Please book APTDC Haritha for your staying. it is the best place to stay, neat clean and affordable rates.
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Old 24th February 2022, 14:38   #20
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re: Chennai to Ahobilam (near Cuddapah, AP) : Route Queries

Bumping in to old thread - Wanted to check the road conditions to Abobilam from Chennai? Is the road condition Ok to drive or is it better to go via Train to Ahobilam. Suggestions welcome.
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Old 24th February 2022, 22:28   #21
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Re: Chennai to Ahobilam (near Cuddapah, AP) : Route Queries

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Originally Posted by concorde24 View Post
Abobilam from Chennai
My update is based on a September drive from Kurnool. Had taken Nandyal-Mydukur-Badvel-Sangam-Nellore-Madras. Mydukur-Nellore is a fantastic road with minimal traffic. An 1 km stretch close to Badvel is very bad, but remaining 160 odd km would be one of the best 2-laners you'll get. I think is a forest corridor, so it might be open only 0600-2100.

Madras-Tada is perennially in state of construction. Its manageable, if you leave in off timings, you'll be fine. Bridge near Audi Shankara college in Gudur is likely still in progress. So you can expect a 2-3 km long diversion there.

Mydukur-Nandyal (in your case you'll turn at Allagada itself) is decent 4-laner.
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Old 14th March 2022, 15:27   #22
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Re: Chennai to Ahobilam (near Cuddapah, AP) : Route Queries

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Originally Posted by concorde24 View Post
Bumping in to old thread - Wanted to check the road conditions to Abobilam from Chennai? Is the road condition Ok to drive or is it better to go via Train to Ahobilam. Suggestions welcome.
I just came back from 2 day trip to Ahobilam from chennai.

Quote:
Originally Posted by narayans80 View Post

Madras-Tada is perennially in state of construction.
I took the Chennai-Thiruvallur-Renigunta-Kadapa-Allagadda-Ahobilam route on both ways. Here is the road condition
1) Chennai-Renigunta is decent road with median - marked speedbreakers at every village slows you down. Lack of bypass for thiruvallur is really felt.
2) Renigunta-Kadapa is a decent 2 lane road without median. There were some unmarked speed-breakers and traffic held up at forest check-posts
3) Kadapa-Allagadda is the best one in the stretch and 4 lane toll road
4) Allagadda-ahobilam is good up to 60% of the distance and last 8 km is poor. But still manageable on a car.


There are not much food options on the way especially once you cross to Andhra side. Had refreshments in Hotel Kasi(Aryas) once entering back.

I was held up in Poonthamalle high road while entering city. In the hindsight, I should have taken Periyapalayam, Madhavaram route to enter the city to avoid the traffic jam in Poonthamallee high road.
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Old 14th March 2022, 17:48   #23
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Re: Chennai to Ahobilam (near Cuddapah, AP) : Route Queries

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Originally Posted by concorde24 View Post
I just came back from 2 day trip to Ahobilam from chennai.

I took the Chennai-Thiruvallur-Renigunta-Kadapa-Allagadda-Ahobilam route on both ways. ....
Thanks for this update. Yes, poor food and bio break options is one of the minuses of this route. One would really expect Chennai-Cuddapah route to have more options than current status.

Tallapakka - birthplace of Sri Annamacharya (great devotee of Lord Venkateswara) is on this route (very near to Rajampeta).
Also, Vontimitta (which is between Rajampeta and Cuddapah) has the famous Kodanda Ramaswamy Temple. Not much of a detour from the highway.

Maybe you can visit these places if you take this route next time.
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Old 14th March 2022, 17:51   #24
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Re: Chennai to Ahobilam (near Cuddapah, AP) : Route Queries

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Originally Posted by srvm View Post

Tallapakka - birthplace of Sri Annamacharya (great devotee of Lord Venkateswara) is on this route (very near to Rajampeta).
Also, Vontimitta (which is between Rajampeta and Cuddapah) has the famous Kodanda Ramaswamy Temple.

Maybe you can visit these places if you take this route next time.
Thank you for the additional info. Yes - We did stop by Vontimitta and had darshan of Kodanda Ramasamy temple during onward journey and it is right on the highway.

I was not aware of Tallapaka and would plan to include in route next time !!
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Old 14th March 2022, 17:56   #25
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Re: Chennai to Ahobilam (near Cuddapah, AP) : Route Queries

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Originally Posted by concorde24 View Post
Thank you for the additional info. Yes - We did stop by Vontimitta and had darshan of Kodanda Ramasamy temple during onward journey and it is right on the highway.

I was not aware of Tallapaka and would plan to include in route next time !!
I have to warn you though. Tallapakka does not have much to see except -

1. A large statue of Annamacharya just off the highway on the outskirts of Rajampeta
2. A dhyana mandhiram about 2 or 3 kms off the highway in the Tallapakka village.

The above info is courtesy a friend who studied at Annamacharya Institute Of Technology & Sciences at Rajampeta. I have never visited Tallapakka or Vontimitta (they are in my bucket list).
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Old 14th March 2022, 18:02   #26
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Re: Chennai to Ahobilam (near Cuddapah, AP) : Route Queries

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Originally Posted by concorde24 View Post
There are not much food options on the way especially once you cross to Andhra side.
Yes very few. Just 2 APTDCs I remember. One at Vontimitta, another at Kadapa. The same situation, all the way to Kurnool.

Quote:
In the hindsight, I should have taken Periyapalayam, Madhavaram route to enter the city to avoid the traffic jam in Poonthamallee high road.
If you were returning on a weekend evening. Periyapalayam also sees traffic. There's one more village you'll get stuck enroute Karanodai
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Old 15th March 2022, 17:34   #27
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Re: Chennai to Ahobilam (near Cuddapah, AP) : Route Queries

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Originally Posted by narayans80 View Post
Yes very few. Just 2 APTDCs I remember. One at Vontimitta, another at Kadapa. The same situation, all the way to Kurnool.

If you were returning on a weekend evening. Periyapalayam also sees traffic. There's one more village you'll get stuck enroute Karanodai
I believe there is one Haritha near Rajampet as well. Periyapalayam route sees heavy truck traffic and the speed breakers is really annoying.
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Old 15th December 2022, 14:47   #28
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Re: Chennai to Ahobilam (near Cuddapah, AP) : Route Queries

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Originally Posted by concorde24 View Post
I just came back from 2 day trip to Ahobilam from chennai.
2 day trip including days of travel ? One night stay there ?

Can we cover all the 9 temples in this time frame ?

Planning to go next week, hence the query. Also share any other pointers, advice. Will be driving, of course.
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Old 16th December 2022, 17:10   #29
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Re: Chennai to Ahobilam (near Cuddapah, AP) : Route Queries

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Originally Posted by Capri89 View Post
2 day trip including days of travel ? One night stay there ?

Can we cover all the 9 temples in this time frame ?

Planning to go next week, hence the query. Also share any other pointers, advice. Will be driving, of course.

Hi Capri89

If you start from chennai at around 5am, you can reach Ahobilam around noon. After lunch we started and visited 4 temples (2 in our car) and 2 in Jeep (our vehicles cannot travel in those roads). Also visited the Lakshmi Narasimhar temple (This is apart form the nine temples)& Ahobilam jeer mutt in the evening. Next day we started around 7am and finished the remaining 5 temples by noon. We started after lunch and reached Chennai late in the evening.


I would recommend having a Guide there who can arrange vehicles for 2 temples and lead you through walk as well. Not all temples have Pundits at all times and Guides know the details.

If possible pack your breakfast or have it in hotel just before we cross the border to Andhra. We could not find good places to stop after this.

Dm me if you need more information.
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Old 26th December 2022, 15:52   #30
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Re: Chennai to Ahobilam (near Cuddapah, AP) : Route Queries

Visit to Ahobilam & Vontimitta

Thanks to @srvm and @concorde24 for valuable inputs and guidance.

Topped up fuel full tank just after Thiruttani, before Andhra border. Petrol dearer in Andhra by 10%. This lasted till the return journey upto Chennai.

The Route

Chennai ORR - Pattabiram circle – Thiruvallur – Thiruttani – Renigunta - Kadapa – Allagadda – Narsapuram – Ahobilam. This would be the normal route.

However, road widening going on between Narsapuram and Ahobilam. Hence google directed me to exit much before Allagadda and took me through small villages like Krishnapuram, Bache Palle etc.

These are single lane cutting through farm lands and is very tricky when going into the villages and if one encounters oncoming vehicles. This stretch alone took 45 minutes to cover 20 kms.

Started on the 19th. from home @ 5.45 am and reached Ahobilam @ 1.45 pm. Although packed food from home, had breakfast at K R Bhavan @ Renigunta at about 9 am. Not a bad place to park and eat.

The Stay

Booked online at Haritha. APTDC for two nights. Wouldn’t recommend this for now as lot of construction activity is going on for additional rooms. Also the existing ones are not maintained properly and lacks even basic amenities. The staff was courteous, though. For the quantum of food I ate they charged me less than the list price. There are other options to stay. Malolan guest house run by the Jeer Mutt is strategically located very near to the lower Ahobilam main temple, on the same road.

The Place - Ahobilam

The place reminds one of Shirdi of the early 80s. Those days for 4.30 am Kaakkad aarti, there used to be around 20 people only for darshan, even on a Thursday. Same was the case here. Not a sleepy town. Tea stalls open at 5 am. Early morning Suprabhatham will wake you up at 3.45 am.

Being “dhanur maasam” the air was spiritually charged. Instills a sense of calm and peace.

As the reserved guide was not in town, the alternative guide came in little later. We had darshan of Chakravata Nrusimhar (Ketu) and Yogananda Nrusimhar (Saturn) in the evening. Post that went to the lower Ahobilam main temple for the evening aarti. Due to Swati/Ekadashi there was a fair crowd, but not too much. No “jarugandi”. The prasadam was unbelievably tasty and sumptuous. It seemed to be a special prasadam for the auspicious star/day combination, probably.

Chennai to Ahobilam (near Cuddapah, AP) : Route Queries-gopuram-lower-ahobilam.jpg
Chennai to Ahobilam (near Cuddapah, AP) : Route Queries-gopuram.jpg
Chennai to Ahobilam (near Cuddapah, AP) : Route Queries-deepastambham-lower-ahobilam.jpg

Day 2 (Dec.20), after the early morning darshan at the lower Ahobilam main temple, had hot breakfast at Sri Guru Raghavendra hotel and set off for Upper Ahobilam. Covered the following in that order.

Ahobila Nrusimhar(Jupiter/Guru)
Jwala Nrusimhar (Mars/Chevvai/Mangal)
Malola Nrusimhar (Venus/Shukran)
Varaha Nrusimhar (Rahu) and
Karanja Nrusimhar (Moon).

Chennai to Ahobilam (near Cuddapah, AP) : Route Queries-pathway-upper-ahobilam.jpg
Chennai to Ahobilam (near Cuddapah, AP) : Route Queries-steps-jwala-nrusimhar.jpg
Chennai to Ahobilam (near Cuddapah, AP) : Route Queries-steps-jwala.jpg
Chennai to Ahobilam (near Cuddapah, AP) : Route Queries-varaha.jpg
Chennai to Ahobilam (near Cuddapah, AP) : Route Queries-karanja-nrusimhar.jpg

Took the circumambulation trek as suggested by the guide.
Chennai to Ahobilam (near Cuddapah, AP) : Route Queries-circumambulation-route.jpg

Chose to have a paid lunch at Sri Guru Raghavendra hotel as preferred by the guide, instead of at the Annadana Satram. The lunch was homely, but very spicy for my taste. (Must remember to carry along a bottle of ghee next time around when I visit Andhra/TS ).

Post lunch covered Pavana Nrusimhar (Mercury/Budhan) and Bhargava Nrusimhar (Sun) by jeep. Shared the ride with two other couples and hence the cost reduced by 2/3 rd. The journey is off road through forest and doesn’t count for a pleasant ride. The drivers are also rash and try to cover both the above before dusk. Bhargava Nrusimhar shrine opens only from 9 to 11 am and do not open in the evening. The priest would be absent, but one can have darshan through the grilled gate.

Chennai to Ahobilam (near Cuddapah, AP) : Route Queries-pavana-nrusimhar.jpg
Chennai to Ahobilam (near Cuddapah, AP) : Route Queries-steps-bhargava-nrusimhar.jpg
Chennai to Ahobilam (near Cuddapah, AP) : Route Queries-forest-tree.jpg
Chennai to Ahobilam (near Cuddapah, AP) : Route Queries-forest-view.jpg

Did not ascend Ugra Stambham as the guide vigorously discouraged such an attempt. When we neared that path I indicated to him that even ladies wearing sarees were doing that trek. Probably the guide wasn’t confident enough to undertake that trek.

Chennai to Ahobilam (near Cuddapah, AP) : Route Queries-direction-board.jpg
Chennai to Ahobilam (near Cuddapah, AP) : Route Queries-ugra-stambam.jpg

Finished off the day with a darshan at the lower Ahobilam temple.

Day 3 (Dec 21), after early morning darshan, at the lower Ahobilam, had breakfast, again, at Sri Guru Raghavendra and started for Chennai by 7.25 am.

When I reflect upon the trip, I feel minimum 2 ½ days is required to cover all the places satisfactorily. One full morning to cover the Upper Ahobilam including Ugra Stambham, finish by 12/1 pm and rest for the day. Another morning to cover by trek Pavana Nrusimhar and Bhargava Nrusimhar. And less than an hour to cover Chakravata Nrusimhar and Yoga Nrusimhar which can be covered on the first day afternoon. There is absolutely no need to rush and cram the itinerary. This way one can spend enough time at each shrine peacefully and “take-in” the ambience.

The Guide

It is important to have an experienced guide. Not just to show the path, but also to be informative with the place and shrine. Most of the guides there, I believe, are from the local Chenchu tribe. My guide, came into the town only in year 2000, when he was about 4 years old. Till then he was living in the forest, where his parents and many other family members are still living. Their main occupation is honey harvesting and bamboo cutting. They also act as point men for Forest Officers, Polling Officials etc. He narrated lot of stories, of encounters with wild animals, like bear, leopard etc. These talks made the trek through the forest interesting and less demanding.

Chennai to Ahobilam (near Cuddapah, AP) : Route Queries-guide-ramaiah.jpg

Vontimitta

Visited the Kothanda Rama Swamy Temple. Believed to be built in the 14th century. The architecture and carvings are fantastic. Note the unique finish at the bottom of the corner pillars in the photos. Also the location, overlooking the huge lake makes for a pleasant visit.

Chennai to Ahobilam (near Cuddapah, AP) : Route Queries-20221221_094556.jpg
Chennai to Ahobilam (near Cuddapah, AP) : Route Queries-20221221_095100.jpg
Chennai to Ahobilam (near Cuddapah, AP) : Route Queries-20221221_095111.jpg
Chennai to Ahobilam (near Cuddapah, AP) : Route Queries-20221221_095202.jpg
Chennai to Ahobilam (near Cuddapah, AP) : Route Queries-20221221_095308.jpg
Chennai to Ahobilam (near Cuddapah, AP) : Route Queries-20221221_095323.jpg
Chennai to Ahobilam (near Cuddapah, AP) : Route Queries-20221221_095335.jpg
Chennai to Ahobilam (near Cuddapah, AP) : Route Queries-20221221_100100.jpg
Chennai to Ahobilam (near Cuddapah, AP) : Route Queries-20221221_100429.jpg
Chennai to Ahobilam (near Cuddapah, AP) : Route Queries-20221221_100441.jpg
Chennai to Ahobilam (near Cuddapah, AP) : Route Queries-20221221_101932.jpg

Inspite of being under the TTD, not sufficient maintenance and upkeep is happening there, both for the temple as well as other facilities. This is really sad given the vast resources at the disposal of TTD.

Left from here after 45 minutes. Wanted to visit Talapakka, but chose to skip it.

Halted at Renigunta (K R Bhavan) for lunch. Not a great place for lunch, but ok. Reached Chennai by 4.45 pm. Could have reached earlier but for the traffic at Thiruvallur-Poonamallee. In hindsight feel should have taken the Pattabiram route.

Would it be a good idea to prefer Chennai – Chittoor – Royachoty – Kadapa over the usual Chennai – Thiruttani - Kadapa ? Adds 35+ kms extra distance. If the roads are better time taken might be the same and if highway facilities are better it might be worth it. Just thinking aloud here.
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