[ampere]

Originally Posted by balenoed_

I do not see any real advantage of taking NH648 when compared to going via city roads (Hebbal - ORR - Silk Board).

You are right about the timings. The only problem is the one through the city depends on the time of the day and current traffic condition. While the 648 is mostly hassle free (subject to road conditions) and not to mention queues in Attibele.

[r_devakumar]

Boating to Vivekandar rock is resumed, my sister visited this week on Monday. From Kanyakumari to Rameswaram better to go via Tirunelveli unless you want to visit Tiruchendur temple. Road and traffic between Tiruchendur and Tuticorin is not good like other high ways.

[vnabhi]

Originally Posted by balenoed_

I do not see any real advantage of taking NH648 when compared to going via city roads (Hebbal - ORR - Silk Board).

Left: via City; Right: via NH648

Attachment 2330969

That is what I also saw on Google maps. Not sure which one i should take. Any inputs will be of great help.

[balenoed_]

Originally Posted by vnabhi

That is what I also saw on Google maps. Not sure which one i should take. Any inputs will be of great help.

For someone coming all the way from Hyderabad, I suggest you stick to city roads (mentioned above) instead of wandering around outskirts and uncertain road conditions. As you see there is no much difference between both and even if in case of high traffic, all it takes is another 30 mins extra.

[vnabhi]

Originally Posted by balenoed_

For someone coming all the way from Hyderabad, I suggest you stick to city roads (mentioned above) instead of wandering around outskirts and uncertain road conditions. As you see there is no much difference between both and even if in case of high traffic, all it takes is another 30 mins extra.

Thanks. Thats exactly the same advice I got from a pal who lives in central Bangalore. He also said it is better to go via the shortest city route through familiar places like Brigade Road, Forum Mall and Silk Board flyover. As I will be reaching Hebbal around 1 pm, that may be the quickest route, despite several traffic signals. And I can tank up diesel at one of the reputed bunks on that route--it is way cheaper than Hyderabad.

Can you suggest any good fuel bunks on that route---like IOC, HP and BP? Thanks in advance.

[vnabhi]

Originally Posted by balenoed_

For someone coming all the way from Hyderabad, I suggest you stick to city roads (mentioned above) instead of wandering around outskirts and uncertain road conditions. As you see there is no much difference between both and even if in case of high traffic, all it takes is another 30 mins extra.

I went through the city route on July 11th. Reached Devanahalli toll around 1 pm and Attibele toll around 3 pm. Tanked up at a HP bunk after Mekri Circle.

It was smooth sailing all though Brigade Road, Silk Board and Electronic city flyover. It was drizzling a bit, so the 2-wheeler traffic was low. And I was pretty impressed by the new Metro stations that have come up beside the Electronic City flyover---those were not there around 5 years ago.

Thanks all for your inputs. I reached Hotel Shanti Inn, Rasipuram at 6 pm, after leaving Hyderabad at 6 am. Quite a decent hotel with plenty of parking. The following day i drove to Kanyakumari after a brief darshan of Lord Anjaneyar Swamy at Namakkal. The roads were fabulous throughout, and very scenic after Tirunelvelli. The only downside was a multitude of speed-humps between Kurnool and Devanahalli. Most of them were not there 4 years ago, when I drove last to Bangalore.

[salluks]

Going through the city center in Bangalore is much better at any time of the day. it's one long road from devanahalli to almost Hosur theres barely any traffic and u also get on the really long flyover which cuts all traffic singals.

[ShreyG]

Hi All,

Planning a Bangalore - Rameshwaram during the Durga Puja weekend (1st to 5th Oct) for mundan of my (then) 5 months old daughter.
I plan to take a night halt in Madurai and proceed to Rameshwaram the next day with a 2 night halt there.
On the way back, I plan to halt again in Madurai and proceed to Bangalore the next day.
A few questions I have -
1. Is there sufficient parking infra around Meenakshi Temple in Madurai or does is it make more sense to park the car in the hotel and take a 3 wheeler?
2. Is there any entry fee for Rameshwaram or Dhanushkodi? I understand the road to Land's end is now fully completed and functional.
3. Any specific place in Rameshwaram temple to go to for the mundan ceremony?
4. Are the temples crowded during Durga Puja as in the case for e.g. Mysore? Trip is still tentative and I would like to avoid extreme crowds.

Would also appreciate any advices on stay and food along the journey

[narayans80]

Originally Posted by ShreyG

1. Is there sufficient parking infra around Meenakshi Temple in Madurai or does is it make more sense to park the car in the hotel and take a 3 wheeler?

Park at hotel and take an auto. Don't think of driving inside town.

2. Is there any entry fee for Rameshwaram or Dhanushkodi? I understand the road to Land's end is now fully completed and functional.

I remember one entering Rameswaram, not sure it's legal.

3. Any specific place in Rameshwaram temple to go to for the mundan ceremony?

Never done. No idea.

4. Are the temples crowded during Durga Puja as in the case for e.g. Mysore? Trip is still tentative and I would like to avoid extreme crowds.

It will be. It is likely to be a bridged 5 day long 'weekend', so expect crowds on all tourist spots. Not the weekend to be on the road. If I were you, I'd be doing eat-and-sleep competition with my infant daughter than scare her with crowds. Also 5 month old is a bit early for mundan, 10th or 11th month is when we've normally done for my kids.

I plan to take a night halt in Madurai and proceed to Rameshwaram the next day with a 2 night halt there.
On the way back, I plan to halt again in Madurai and proceed to Bangalore the next day.

Rameswaram is an easy drive, even with an infant. There is no reason to stay both ways, unless you have explicit reasons to stay.

For stay, you can look at:
Metropole in Madurai - Its at the northern end and easy access to Rameswaram road. For Bangalore you need to take full Ring Road bypass (26 km) to Kappalur on NH7. You can also look for hotels near (Best Western) Germanus (which is at Kalaivasal) on the southern end. This gives easy entry-exit for NH7, but Rameswaram road is on the other side. Please don't attempt to go through the city unless you are doing at wee hours.

Hotel Ashoka in Rameswaram is good. I see Daiwik also gets highly recommended. Have stayed in their Shirdi hotel, not at Rameswaram.

[Acelerar]

Hi All,

Planning a Bangalore - Rameshwaram road trip during September last week.

1) I plan to take a night halt in Madurai (visit temple in the evening) and proceed to Rameshwaram the next day.

2) I plan to cover Rameshwaram temple and Dhanushkodi. Would 2 night stay in Rameshwaram be sufficient to cover these places? I am planning to stay in Daiwik.

3) On the way back from Rameshwaram, I plan to go via Thanjavur and stay overnight in Grand Ashok Hotel. I plan to cover Brihadeeswara temple and also Gangaikonda Cholapuram temple. Would 2 night stay be enough for this? I was also thinking of covering Kumbakonam but would it be too much to cover in 2 nights? For this itinerary, would staying in Thanjavur at Grand Ashoka the best option?

Thanks!

[ravib]

Originally Posted by Acelerar

Hi All,

Planning a Bangalore - Rameshwaram road trip during September last week.

1) I plan to take a night halt in Madurai (visit temple in the evening) and proceed to Rameshwaram the next day.

2) I plan to cover Rameshwaram temple and Dhanushkodi. Would 2 night stay in Rameshwaram be sufficient to cover these places? I am planning to stay in Daiwik.

3) On the way back from Rameshwaram, I plan to go via Thanjavur and stay overnight in Grand Ashok Hotel. I plan to cover Brihadeeswara temple and also Gangaikonda Cholapuram temple. Would 2 night stay be enough for this? I was also thinking of covering Kumbakonam but would it be too much to cover in 2 nights? For this itinerary, would staying in Thanjavur at Grand Ashoka the best option?

Thanks!

I just replied to you in Thanjavur thread. 2 night stay in Rameshwaram is good enough. If you have just 2 days/nights overall, even Tanjore itself is going to be hectic. Keep rest of it for another trip

-Ravi

[narayans80]

Originally Posted by Acelerar

Bangalore - Rameshwaram road trip during September last week.

Its not really clear how many days you have in hand. If you are expecting Bangalore-Madurai-Thanjavur-GKC-Bangalore in a Saturday-Sunday then it is not possible.

Rameswaram takes a full day drive (12 hours).
The 22-well ritual at Rameswaram will take you half a day. Dhanushkodi about 3 hours.
Visiting Meenakshi Amman Temple needs planning of its own. If you are new, I would suggest not to drive in. Stay in a hotel and take an auto. This is another half day exercise.
GKC should be last or first, since it is closer to Bangalore.
Thanjavur Big Temple is the easiest to park and visit. Only consideration might be planning on timings between GKC and Thanjavur. As temples are either open till noon, or after 4pm.

[Acelerar]

Originally Posted by narayans80

Its not really clear how many days you have in hand. If you are expecting Bangalore-Madurai-Thanjavur-GKC-Bangalore in a Saturday-Sunday

Originally Posted by ravib

I just replied to you in Thanjavur thread. 2 night stay in Rameshwaram is good enough. If you have just 2 days/nights overall, even Tanjore itself is going to be hectic. Keep rest of it for another trip

-Ravi

Thanks for the information. I want it to be relaxed trip so I will stay 2 nights each in Madurai, Rameshwaram and Thanjavur making it total of 6 nights.

@ narayans80, since you mention GKC to be the first or last (in my case last), is there any preferred place/hotel to stay near GKC? Right now, I am planning 2 nights @ Sangam, Thanjavur which means that I need to drive back from GKC to Thanjavur and stay overnight.

[ravib]

Originally Posted by Acelerar

Thanks for the information. I want it to be relaxed trip so I will stay 2 nights each in Madurai, Rameshwaram and Thanjavur making it total of 6 nights.

@ narayans80, since you mention GKC to be the first or last (in my case last), is there any preferred place/hotel to stay near GKC? Right now, I am planning 2 nights @ Sangam, Thanjavur which means that I need to drive back from GKC to Thanjavur and stay overnight.

6 nights is plenty of time. We thought you have just 2 nights to do everything.

Kumbakonam is the nearest town to GKC where there are decent hotels and good food available. So if you start from Rameshwaram in morning, on the way you can cover Aavudayar koil ( its an architectural marvel, Pudukkottai and reach Thanjavur by evening, see Big temple and drive further down to Kumbakonam for night stay), thus you can skip staying in Thanjavur. No need to drive back to Thanjavur. Next day morning after breakfast, you can see GKC and drive back to Bangalore.

-Ravi

[ampere]

My suggestion would be to avoid Tanjore itself. Save it for another day. Visit Trichy and temples in Trichy. If you still want to visit Tanjore, you can drive to Tanjore and be back to Trichy by noon. And then visit other places in the evening. It makes more sense to keep Trichy as base when coming from Rameshwaram.

If you plan to go to Tanjore and then visit GKC, its a long detour. GKC is best visited when you are on your way to visit Kumbakonam or coming back.