[sunil_k_u]

I did Thuraiyur road-Thatthayangarpettai-Kannanur-Pagalavadi-Manachanallur towards Trichy during weekend. Perfect route to Trichy given the current road works on the Musiri route.

[nfsfreak]

Yes, Kannanur-Pagalvadi is much better choice than usual Musiri route, but ensure you have maps on all the way, especially if you are heading towards Trichy, even if you are a regular in this route.
The road between Senthamangalam - Namakkal is being widened and the turn to Alanganatham Junction (the usual route) has now become relatively small and difficult to notice with no signboards and you may miss this, which would take you to Namakkal. Last time I missed the road (I usually drive without maps being a regular in this route) and have to circle back.

During my last drive, I took Namakkal-Karur-Trichy, which takes same time or slightly faster than Thuraiyur option, but it is 30+ kms long and Rs 115 more tolls.
Take this, if you prefer to drive in wider roads all the way with minimal twists/turns as Thuraiyur route has few bad/rough stretches and more twisty roads, though it has minimal traffic.

[nssrini]

Originally Posted by ravib

Stick to Kannanur Pagalavadi route eyes closed. No good reason to take Thottiyam to Musiri route now as the work is still in progress.

-Ravi

Thanks all for your inputs. Will be travelling next week and would report back if anything new.

[BIL2_HGi10]

Dear Tribe,
I plan a temple trip next weekend. (Sat going and Sunday return)
Ecity-Tricy-Ecity

I wish to cover the following temples:
Shri Ranganathaswamy Temple
Sri Jambukeswarar Temple
Brahmapureeswarar temple
Vekkali Amman Temple
Gunaseelam Prasanna Venkatachalapathy

Kindly guide me as to what could/should be the ideal itinerary for my trip. Which route to take?
What all temples can be covered and what not (in all practical sense).

We are staying in Srirangam. Kindly suggest good places to eat - looking out for vegetarian and economic options without compromising hygiene and quality.

Kindly guide!

Thank you and Best Regards

[KPR]

Originally Posted by BIL2_HGi10

Dear Tribe,
I plan a temple trip next weekend. (Sat going and Sunday return)
Ecity-Tricy-Ecity

I wish to cover the following temples:
Shri Ranganathaswamy Temple
Sri Jambukeswarar Temple
Brahmapureeswarar temple
Vekkali Amman Temple
Gunaseelam Prasanna Venkatachalapathy

Kindly guide me as to what could/should be the ideal itinerary for my trip. Which route to take?
What all temples can be covered and what not (in all practical sense).

We are staying in Srirangam. Kindly suggest good places to eat - looking out for vegetarian and economic options without compromising hygiene and quality.

Kindly guide!

Thank you and Best Regards

I'm assuming that you reach Srirangam by 2:00 PM or so on saturday.

I see in your plan 2 big temples of Chola architecture that need atleast 3 hrs each.

My suggestion will be
Saturday evening 5:00 to 7:00 PM - visit Thiruvanaikoil Jambukeswarar temple, then head to Vekkali amman temple have darshan and retire by night 10 PM at Srirangam hotel. (If the saturday evening you visit is a Pradhosham day then your plan may go for a toss)

Sunday - Early morning (5:30 AM sharp enter through at Vellai gopuram of Srirangam, then head to Arya Bhattal vaasal for Ranganatha Darshan then head from there to Thayar Sannidhi). 5:30 to 7:00 AM is when first darshan opens and closes. If you're punctual you can finish both before say 7:30 AM on sunday. Stroll around in temple later. Have sumptuous breakfast at Manis Cafe just outside temple Renga Gopuram. Go to your hotel, take your car and then head to Brahmapureeswarar temple from there head straight to Bengaluru.

If you start as early as 4 am from B'lore on saturday morning, finish Gunaseelam before you head to Trichy and head to Srirangam hotel stay.

Important:
1. Many eateries are around Srirangam like Rengas Bhavan in Amma mandapam road, RS hotel, Manis Cafe, Hotel Madapalli, Archana's Annalakshmi near Gopuram which are Pure Veg and are good.
2. If you can visit Hotel Parthasarathy Vilas before or after Darshan on Saturday evening at Thiruvanaikoil, try to have Special butter dosa. That one is simply the best .
3. Hire an auto/cab for Saturday evening from Srirangam. Not worth taking your car there. If possible take a cab to Vekkali amman Koil and back to hotel Srirangam.
4. On sunday morning too take an auto to go to vellai gopuram.
5. Be prepared to walk, walk, walk on two days as you're planning a lot.
6. RedTaxi app works better than Ola here in Trichy.

[ampere]

Start Sat early morning say 330/4AM Visit Gunaseelam on the way.

Settle at the hotel. Post lunch like KPR mentioned, visit Thiruvanaikovil and Vekkali Amman.


Sunday early morning visit Sri Rangam, check out from the hotel pack your bags, load up the car and head to Tirupatur and drive back via: Pagavalvadi, Kannanur, Senthamagalam, Budhansanthai- Salem Highway.

Route Link

Thirupattur closes by 12 as I see on the net. So you should be OK.

[BIL2_HGi10]

Originally Posted by KPR

I'm assuming that you reach Srirangam by 2:00 PM or so on saturday.

I see in your plan 2 big temples of Chola architecture that need atleast 3 hrs each.

My suggestion will be
Saturday evening 5:00 to 7:00 PM - visit Thiruvanaikoil Jambukeswarar temple, then head to Vekkali amman temple have darshan and retire by night 10 PM at Srirangam hotel. (If the saturday evening you visit is a Pradhosham day then your plan may go for a toss)

Sunday - Early morning (5:30 AM sharp enter through at Vellai gopuram of Srirangam, then head to Arya Bhattal vaasal for Ranganatha Darshan then head from there to Thayar Sannidhi). 5:30 to 7:00 AM is when first darshan opens and closes. If you're punctual you can finish both before say 7:30 AM on sunday. Stroll around in temple later. Have sumptuous breakfast at Manis Cafe just outside temple Renga Gopuram. Go to your hotel, take your car and then head to Brahmapureeswarar temple from there head straight to Bengaluru.

If you start as early as 4 am from B'lore on saturday morning, finish Gunaseelam before you head to Trichy and head to Srirangam hotel stay.

Important:
1. Many eateries are around Srirangam like Rengas Bhavan in Amma mandapam road, RS hotel, Manis Cafe, Hotel Madapalli, Archana's Annalakshmi near Gopuram which are Pure Veg and are good.
2. If you can visit Hotel Parthasarathy Vilas before or after Darshan on Saturday evening at Thiruvanaikoil, try to have Special butter dosa. That one is simply the best .
3. Hire an auto/cab for Saturday evening from Srirangam. Not worth taking your car there. If possible take a cab to Vekkali amman Koil and back to hotel Srirangam.
4. On sunday morning too take an auto to go to vellai gopuram.
5. Be prepared to walk, walk, walk on two days as you're planning a lot.
6. RedTaxi app works better than Ola here in Trichy.

Originally Posted by ampere

Start Sat early morning say 330/4AM Visit Gunaseelam on the way.

Settle at the hotel. Post lunch like KPR mentioned, visit Thiruvanaikovil and Vekkali Amman.


Sunday early morning visit Sri Rangam, check out from the hotel pack your bags, load up the car and head to Tirupatur and drive back via: Pagavalvadi, Kannanur, Senthamagalam, Budhansanthai- Salem Highway.

Route Link

Thirupattur closes by 12 as I see on the net. So you should be OK.

THANK YOU VERY MUCH KPR and ampere

I have summarized the following from your suggestions.
However, I wonder why you are suggesting to start as early as 4 AM since, the Gunaseelam temple is open till 12 noon and with a 6 hour drive if I start by 5 AM - i should ideally reach there by 11 AM.

My Itinerary is as follows:

Day-1:

05:00 AM - Start from Ecity
11:00 AM - Gunaseelam Prasanna Venkatachalapathy Darsanam
12:00 PM - Resume for Trichy
12:30 PM - Check in to Hotel in Srirangam
01:00 PM - Lunch at Archana's Annalakshmi Restaurant
02:00 PM - Rest for some time.
04:00 PM - Take Bath and Start by Auto/Take RedTaxi/Ola Cab to Vekkali Amman Kovil
04:30 PM - Vekkali Amman Kovil Darsanam
05:30 PM - Return to Thiruvanaikoil Jambukeswarar
06:00 PM - Thiruvanaikoil Jambukeswarar Darsanam
07:30 PM - Dinner at Hotel Parthasarathy Vilas
08:30 PM - Return to Hotel and Retire to bed.


Day-2:

05:00 AM - Wake up
05:30 AM - Go to Sri Ranganatha Swamy Temple (5:30 AM sharp enter through at Vellai gopuram of Srirangam, then head to Arya Bhattal vaasal for Ranganatha Darshan then head from there to Thayar Sannidhi)
07:30 AM - Breakfast at Mani's Café.
09:00 AM - Back to Hotel.
09:30 AM - Check out and Proceed to Brahmapureeswarar Kovil
10:15 AM - Brahmapureeswarar Kovil Darsanam
11:00 AM - post darshan proceed to Bangalore via Budan Santhai
01:30 PM - Lunch at A2B Rasipuram
02:00 PM - post lunch proceed to Bangalore
04:30 PM - Tea Brake at Aahaa Palkova, Karagur, Dharmapuri
05:00 PM - proceed to Home
07:00 PM - reach Home


few more questions, apart from the one already mentioned in Italics above -
1. Suggest a good place to have a quick Breakfast at around 7 AM if we start from Ecity at 5 AM or so.

2. Hope Ola/Red Taxi have the option of 4 hours cab booking. (plan to do it on Saturday)

3. Any other suggestion for lunch in Budan Santhai or may be even before?

THANK YOU !

[ampere]

Originally Posted by BIL2_HGi10

However, I wonder why you are suggesting to start as early as 4 AM since, the Gunaseelam temple is open till 12 noon and with a 6 hour drive if I start by 5 AM - i should ideally reach there by 11 AM.

Thats because you can then take your own pace which includes reaching Salem in time. A 4 AM start means reaching Salem by 7 for piping hot break fast followed by the drive to temple. That way you get a breather at Trichy.

BLR-Salem is better off done early before the traffic shows up.

[sethu.murali]

Friends,
Need help with route updates. I have a trip coming up to travel from Bangalore - Srirangam - Karaikudi - Bangalore. The travel is last week of Dec by road. Looking for updates about the following.
1. Musiri road widening - any new update on completion
2. Return from Karaikudi the google map throws an option via Dindigul with almost same amount of time via Trichy. Is that advisable to take?
Thanks for your responses.
Regards, Murali

[ravib]

Originally Posted by sethu.murali

Friends,
Need help with route updates. I have a trip coming up to travel from Bangalore - Srirangam - Karaikudi - Bangalore. The travel is last week of Dec by road. Looking for updates about the following.
1. Musiri road widening - any new update on completion
2. Return from Karaikudi the google map throws an option via Dindigul with almost same amount of time via Trichy. Is that advisable to take?
Thanks for your responses.
Regards, Murali

Don't take Musiri route. Stick to Thuraiyur route for onward journey to SriRangam.
For return, no need to take long detour via Dindigul. Not worth the extra kms to drive, burn fuel and really not saving good time. Stick to Karaikudi to Trichy via Pudukkottai.

-Ravi

[narayans80]

Originally Posted by sethu.murali

1. Musiri road widening - any new update on completion

Road widening is happening only beyond Musiri. Number 1 Tollgate to Musiri there was no work happening. So you can take Musiri-Kaveri bridge-Kulithalai and take NH7 at Karur bypass.

Another option is to go through Thuraiyur from Nochiyam.

[JacksonStorm]

Originally Posted by sethu.murali

Return from Karaikudi the google map throws an option via Dindigul with almost same amount of time via Trichy. Is that advisable to take?

From Karaikudi, if you want to avoid Trichy city traffic, you can take the below route. (From Pudukkottai to Kulithalai, double-lane state highway (SH) is almost the same distance with this route.)

Karaikudi--Pudukkottai bypass - Illuppur - Viralimalai - Manapparai - Toghamalai - Kulithalai - Thottiyam - Namakkal - Salem - Bangalore




Until Musiri, Namakkal Road widening work is completed;

You can continue the Karikudi-Pudukkottai- Trichy - Thuriyur route - Namakkal- Salem - Bangalore

[sethu.murali]

Originally Posted by JacksonStorm

Karaikudi--Pudukkottai bypass - Illuppur - Viralimalai - Manapparai - Toghamalai - Kulithalai - Thottiyam - Namakkal - Salem - Bangalore

Thanks for sharing this option and will keep this as a new option. Hope the roads are going to be good in this route.

Until Musiri, Namakkal Road widening work is completed;

This is great to know...i understand that the Namakkal to Musiri section road widening is completed?

Regards, Murali

[iamnarayang]

Dear friends,

I will be driving to Srirangam on 28th with family. I want to know if Salem Musiri Srirangam route is preferred to Salem Thalaivasal Perambaloor SriRangam route.

Can you also pleasae suggest good vegetarian restaurants in SriRangam?

Regards,
Narayan.

[ampere]

Originally Posted by iamnarayang

I will be driving to Srirangam on 28th with family. I want to know if Salem Musiri Srirangam route is preferred to Salem Thalaivasal Perambaloor SriRangam route.

More important question is where do you plan to stay? Would you be going to the temple straight?