Mysore-Madurai

Traxter · 17th October 2007, 17:40

Just a quick update, shall post a few pics soon..

Thanks once again to all those that posted tips on the route query forum. The trip was great..

The route taken (up) was Mysore-Nanjandud-Chamrajnagar-Dimbam-Bannari - Sathy-Gobi-Erode-Karur-Dindigul-Madurai. This however, is the longish route. Reason was I wanted to go to Erode.

GQ four laning is going on between Karur and Dindigul even to Madurai. So roads are single lane only, but you can still drive safe and fast because the road is good.

Roads are excellent once you cross KA border and step into TN. Almost all speed breakers have warnings boards plus markings. Even minor dips in the gradient have markings before and after..Lanes are marked, white line has breaks to indicate side streets, etc. I am not referring to GQ section, talking about other roads. I think these are not done by NHAI/GOI but by TN Govt. with sponsorship by nearby mills/businesses, because nothing of this sort exists in KA side. The pothole count in 100 metres of roads around Chamrajnagar far exceeds the count for the streets of TN that I drove through..enough said.

Driving through the Dimbam ghat section is great - 27 hairpin bends in a 6km or so distance...falls 1800ft from Dimbam to Bannari. BTW there is a great website (Falling Rain Genomics: World Index, and other pages) which lists altitude, GPS coordinates of almost all small towns and even some villages in India. Had to plot this manually into the NoniGPS software inside my PPC, and that helped a lot. It was amazingly accurate too. Wonder how they collected all this info..never seen so much info in any GOI website or Yahoo/Google etc.

Do not rely on IMS maps - word of mouth enquiry is best. IMHO we are another 10 years away from having reliable maps of even prominent highways, let alone smaller ones. They can be at best rough indicators of where towns are.

The return was through the shorter route - this is Madurai-Dindigul-Oddanchatram-Dharapuram-Tiruppur-Avinashi-Puliampatti-Sathy (no need to touch Kangeyam etc). I was told this is the best route by several locals. The only hassle in this is the drive through Tiruppur town but the entire stretch has great roads, nice countryside and Reliance outlets for fuel. But you need to ask around at every turn and sometimes ignore posted signs.

Locals are of great help when it comes to advising on routes, hotels etc. Driving habits are horrible but trucks surprisingly are well behaved. It is the two wheeleers and cars plus private buses that are driven badly with poor courtesy/manners. Most drivers keep the horn button permanently pressed like a fire engine, hoping that clears the road. If you are sensitive to noise, you will be driven crazy. Traffic within Tiruppur, Dindigul and Erode town is horrible with small 30-40ft roads carrying lots of buses, trucks, motorcycles and what not, each blasting the rest off the roads with their horns. Madurai roads are broader.

Did not drive overnight, stayed in hotels. Not much of updates on sights to see because this was a short business trip. There is a nice temple in a small town called Kodumudi which is after Erode, before Karur. Worth a visit, as it is right next to the Cauvery.

akroy · 17th October 2007, 18:03

Quote:

Originally Posted by Traxter

GQ four laning is going on between Karur and Dindigul even to Madurai.

Nice update, Hope to see some pics...

One small clarification, the section is not under GQ but part of the North-South Corridor been built by NHAI...

Abhi

csentil · 17th October 2007, 18:10

The temple in Kodumudi is supposedly a Brahma temple. One of the very few temples dedicated to Brahma.

Good choice of route. Yes the Chamrajnagar section is a little bit bad. But you won't regret the scenary. And hey thanks for that link. Looks interesting.

Traxter · 17th October 2007, 19:58

Thanks for the GQ clarification.

Yes, the temple has a Brahma idol under a tree supposedly 2000 years old. It is also one of the (two?) in India to have Brahma idol, according to the unofficial guide that took us around. Please see pic. But it is a very ancient Siva temple.

Have posted some pics. Could not stop much enroute for snaps because of time constraints.

Some other info - there is a nice hotel called Advin in Kodumudi which is as good as the so-called star hotels of big cities in terms of cleanliness and comfort all at Rs.500 per day.

There is also one at Dindigul called Parsn View which is more ex - still cheap at Rs.1400 per day but looks great. Did not stay there.

mobike008 · 18th October 2007, 13:15

Nice Pictures Traxter !

17th October 2007, 17:40	#1
Traxter BHPian Join Date: Jul 2007 Location: Interior Karnataka Posts: 94 Thanked: 2 Times	Mysore-Madurai Just a quick update, shall post a few pics soon.. Thanks once again to all those that posted tips on the route query forum. The trip was great.. The route taken (up) was Mysore-Nanjandud-Chamrajnagar-Dimbam-Bannari - Sathy-Gobi-Erode-Karur-Dindigul-Madurai. This however, is the longish route. Reason was I wanted to go to Erode. GQ four laning is going on between Karur and Dindigul even to Madurai. So roads are single lane only, but you can still drive safe and fast because the road is good. Roads are excellent once you cross KA border and step into TN. Almost all speed breakers have warnings boards plus markings. Even minor dips in the gradient have markings before and after..Lanes are marked, white line has breaks to indicate side streets, etc. I am not referring to GQ section, talking about other roads. I think these are not done by NHAI/GOI but by TN Govt. with sponsorship by nearby mills/businesses, because nothing of this sort exists in KA side. The pothole count in 100 metres of roads around Chamrajnagar far exceeds the count for the streets of TN that I drove through..enough said. Driving through the Dimbam ghat section is great - 27 hairpin bends in a 6km or so distance...falls 1800ft from Dimbam to Bannari. BTW there is a great website (Falling Rain Genomics: World Index, and other pages) which lists altitude, GPS coordinates of almost all small towns and even some villages in India. Had to plot this manually into the NoniGPS software inside my PPC, and that helped a lot. It was amazingly accurate too. Wonder how they collected all this info..never seen so much info in any GOI website or Yahoo/Google etc. Do not rely on IMS maps - word of mouth enquiry is best. IMHO we are another 10 years away from having reliable maps of even prominent highways, let alone smaller ones. They can be at best rough indicators of where towns are. The return was through the shorter route - this is Madurai-Dindigul-Oddanchatram-Dharapuram-Tiruppur-Avinashi-Puliampatti-Sathy (no need to touch Kangeyam etc). I was told this is the best route by several locals. The only hassle in this is the drive through Tiruppur town but the entire stretch has great roads, nice countryside and Reliance outlets for fuel. But you need to ask around at every turn and sometimes ignore posted signs. Locals are of great help when it comes to advising on routes, hotels etc. Driving habits are horrible but trucks surprisingly are well behaved. It is the two wheeleers and cars plus private buses that are driven badly with poor courtesy/manners. Most drivers keep the horn button permanently pressed like a fire engine, hoping that clears the road. If you are sensitive to noise, you will be driven crazy. Traffic within Tiruppur, Dindigul and Erode town is horrible with small 30-40ft roads carrying lots of buses, trucks, motorcycles and what not, each blasting the rest off the roads with their horns. Madurai roads are broader. Did not drive overnight, stayed in hotels. Not much of updates on sights to see because this was a short business trip. There is a nice temple in a small town called Kodumudi which is after Erode, before Karur. Worth a visit, as it is right next to the Cauvery.
	() Thanks

17th October 2007, 18:10	#3
csentil Senior - BHPian Join Date: Feb 2007 Location: Bangalore Posts: 1,349 Thanked: 38 Times View My Garage	The temple in Kodumudi is supposedly a Brahma temple. One of the very few temples dedicated to Brahma. Good choice of route. Yes the Chamrajnagar section is a little bit bad. But you won't regret the scenary. And hey thanks for that link. Looks interesting.
	() Thanks

17th October 2007, 19:58	#4
Traxter BHPian Join Date: Jul 2007 Location: Interior Karnataka Posts: 94 Thanked: 2 Times	Thanks for the GQ clarification. Yes, the temple has a Brahma idol under a tree supposedly 2000 years old. It is also one of the (two?) in India to have Brahma idol, according to the unofficial guide that took us around. Please see pic. But it is a very ancient Siva temple. Have posted some pics. Could not stop much enroute for snaps because of time constraints. Some other info - there is a nice hotel called Advin in Kodumudi which is as good as the so-called star hotels of big cities in terms of cleanliness and comfort all at Rs.500 per day. There is also one at Dindigul called Parsn View which is more ex - still cheap at Rs.1400 per day but looks great. Did not stay there.
	() Thanks

18th October 2007, 13:15	#5
mobike008 Distinguished - BHPian Join Date: Sep 2006 Location: Seattle, WA Posts: 11,703 Thanked: 14,829 Times View My Garage	Nice Pictures Traxter !
	() Thanks