[JRAJE]

Originally Posted by polopm

The route is the best ( see my comments quite early in the thread )

A2b at ulundurpet is a great option for fuel (man and machine) and so for the bio break as well (when u travel with family )

Originally Posted by RGK

@JARJE

My b-i-l did a trip last month and returned back from the old panruti road after doing 5 kms and took this route. This seems to be the best till now. The main advantage is no towns in between except Virudhachalam.

Highway Inn, Hotel Aryas (near tindivanam byepass) & A2B are good, (but you need to make a U turn & drive a KM) are good.

Better start early to avoid scorching sun.

Thanks polopm, RGK. Trip is getting delayed by 2 weeks. Likely to travel by end may. Will post route info post travel.

[scopriobharath]

I am planning to go to Tirukkarugavur Temple from Chennai in a couple of weeks from today.

Chennai - Kumbakonam- Papanasamwill be my route.

I would leave Chennai by 4:30 am on a Sunday(26th August 2012). I would like to reach the temple by 11:00 am and do some Pujas and stay in Kumbakonam for the night. I would be driving my Santro (self Drive).

• What is the best route to reach Kumbakonam from Chennai.I Prefer lesser traffic and good speeds compared to distance. Reaching in the shortest possible time is my aim. Will stop for breakfast en-route.
• The last time i traveled, the anaikarai bridge was closed and Cars were tugged using tractors on the river bed sand. IS this problem over now. The police told me its a scam run by the local goons.

Suggestions and pointers welcome.

[ampere]

Originally Posted by scopriobharath

Suggestions and pointers welcome.

Chennai-Ulundurpet-Vridhachalam-Jayamkondam-Kumbakonam

This I think is the best. Check Post #91 by RGK.

[venki.bala]

Originally Posted by scopriobharath

I am planning to go to Tirukkarugavur Temple from Chennai in a couple of weeks from today.

Chennai - Kumbakonam- Papanasamwill be my route.

I would leave Chennai by 4:30 am on a Sunday(26th August 2012). I would like to reach the temple by 11:00 am and do some Pujas and stay in Kumbakonam for the night. I would be driving my Santro (self Drive).

• What is the best route to reach Kumbakonam from Chennai.I Prefer lesser traffic and good speeds compared to distance. Reaching in the shortest possible time is my aim. Will stop for breakfast en-route.
• The last time i traveled, the anaikarai bridge was closed and Cars were tugged using tractors on the river bed sand. IS this problem over now. The police told me its a scam run by the local goons.

Suggestions and pointers welcome.

You can get some information from the following post:

http://www.team-bhp.com/forum/route-...-district.html

The fastest i would say will be chennai - trichy - Tanjore - thirukarugavur. From Tanjore you can take 2 routes. 1: Tanjore - Melatur - Thirukarugavur 2: Take Tanjore thiruvarur highway till a place called saliamangalam and take left to Thirukarugavur.

IIRC the temple closes by 12 - 12.30, hence make sure you start by 3.30 - max 4 to reach the temple before it closes, if not you will have to wait till 4 pm. In case if you going by Jayamkondam route, Anaiakarai bridge is no issue. Budget 6 - 6.5 hours minimum of teavel time without breaks to Thirukarugavur.

Hope this helps. let me know if you have any other questions, I will try to get information from my parents who went last week to Mannargudi.

[scopriobharath]

Originally Posted by ampere

Chennai-Ulundurpet-Vridhachalam-Jayamkondam-Kumbakonam

This I think is the best. Check Post #91 by RGK.

Thank you Ampere - I checked the post but it says taking a "right" at ulundurpet, where as Vridhachalam / kumbakonam lies to the "left" of ulundurpet

Were you able to figure the route out? By logic i feel we must go left.

[ampere]

Originally Posted by scopriobharath

Were you able to figure the route out ?. By logic i feel we must go left.

What you say is true. But I think he is taking right to get into Ulundurpet town from where he takes on to the Vridhachalam road.

This is the link

I dont know if you can take the bypass and directly take that left on to the Vridhachalam SH.

[venki.bala]

Originally Posted by ampere

What you say is true. But I think he is taking right to get into Ulundurpet town from where he takes on to the Vridhachalam road.

This is the link

I dont know if you can take the bypass and directly take that left on to the Vridhachalam SH.

Ampere sir,

There is a way to bypass ulundurpet completely and this road is good as per a friend who travelled 3 months back. The route seen in G maps as follows:

https://maps.google.co.in/maps?saddr...via=1&t=m&z=14

[ampere]

Originally Posted by venki.bala

Ampere sir,

There is a way to bypass ulundurpet completely and this road is good as per a friend who travelled 3 months back. The route seen in G maps as follows:

Thanks Venki. This is very useful. I thought one should only take the SH.
Are there any signboards to remember this exit? Or its very obvious?

[venki.bala]

Originally Posted by ampere

Thanks Venki. This is very useful. I thought one should only take the SH.
Are there any signboards to remember this exit? Or its very obvious?

Ampere,

When coming from the Kumbakonam side, take the left after Mangalampettai towards Pullur. Its small road joining directly NH45. I guess from NH45 side one should look for Pullur.

[scopriobharath]

Ampere & Venkat -

Thank you so much for your inputs.

One Query - If i take this route Chennai-Ulundurpet-Vridhachalam-Jayamkondam-Kumbakonam and leave chennai at 4:00 / 4:30 am on a Sunday, how long should it take me to reach Kumbakonam. I might stop for some breakfast in a restaurant for 30 mins enroute.

[ampere]

Originally Posted by scopriobharath

One Query - If i take this route Chennai-Ulundurpet-Vridhachalam-Jayamkondam-Kumbakonam and leave chennai at 4:00 / 4:30 am on a Sunday, how long should it take me to reach Kumbakonam. I might stop for some breakfast in a restaurant for 30 mins enroute.

I think its about 300km max. Till Ulundurpet its about 200km which you should cover in 2.5 hours. You halt for a BF break there at A2B, Then its another 100km.
So if you start by 4 you should be Ulunturpet by 6:30/7. If you start latest by 7:30 again, then by 9:30/10 you should be at Kumbakonam at the most.

[venki.bala]

Originally Posted by ampere

I think its about 300km max. Till Ulundurpet its about 200km which you should cover in 2.5 hours. You halt for a BF break there at A2B, Then its another 100km.
So if you start by 4 you should be Ulunturpet by 6:30/7. If you start latest by 7:30 again, then by 9:30/10 you should be at Kumbakonam at the most.

I would second that. I would say if you start by 4 am you will be in kumbakonam by 10 to 10.30 depending on your luck with traffic till Chengelpet and your break timings.

Scorpiobharath: IIRC your destination is Thirukarugavur coorect, if so you need not go in to the Kumbakonam town, instead take the bypass as shown in the google maps: https://maps.google.co.in/maps?saddr...ra=ls&t=m&z=15

Please donot miss to go to Darasuram temple which is very close by. One of the Heritage sites declared by UNESCO.

[hdnivara]

Which of the following is the best route for Chennai-Thirukadaiyur-Karaikal-Thirunallaru?
1. ECR
2. NH45 (Chennai-Tambaram-Chengelpet-Tindivanam-Vikaravandi-Panruti-Neyveli-Chidambaram-Thirukadaiyur-Karaikal-Thirunallaru)

I'm most likely to take option 2 unless the road from Vikaravandi till Chidambaram is bad. I think it's a 2-lane SH, isn't?

Panruti seems to be the best bet for bf/lunch. Any other good hotels on the way?

Thanks!

[ampere]

Originally Posted by hdnivara

Which of the following is the best route for Chennai-Thirukadaiyur-Karaikal-Thirunallaru?
1. ECR
2. NH45 (Chennai-Tambaram-Chengelpet-Tindivanam-Vikaravandi-Panruti-Neyveli-Chidambaram-Thirukadaiyur-Karaikal-Thirunallaru)

Maybe others can disagree, but I am somehow against ECR, both from safety and traffic point of view.

Also do go via Vikaravandi-Panruti-Neyveli.
Take the route via Ulundurper-Vridhachalam-Sethiarthope-Chidambaram-Sirkazhi-Thirukadaiaur

Route Link

[hdnivara]

Originally Posted by ampere

Maybe others can disagree, but I am somehow against ECR, both from safety and traffic point of view.

Also do go via Vikaravandi-Panruti-Neyveli.
Take the route via Ulundurper-Vridhachalam-Sethiarthope-Chidambaram-Sirkazhi-Thirukadaiaur

Route Link

That's exactly why I wanted to take NH45 over ECR.
BTW, isn't Ulunderpet-Virudhachalam a bit longer than the usual Vikaravandi-Neyveli? Any reasons for suggesting the former?

I'd like to know how the road is between Vikaravandi-Neyveli-Chidambaram.