Long Drive From Bangalore to Mysore in Our #AllNewCreta

Renu on August 10, 2020

Long Drive From Bangalore to Mysore, view of kaveri river

Yesterday, we went on a long drive from Bangalore to Mysore in our #AllNewCreta, in our new Car bought in June 2020.

Long Drive From Bangalore to Mysore

We wanted to take our new Creta on a long drive since 2 months.

Since its a new car and that too an SUV, we were more than cautious all these days. All we did was to take our ‘Milo’ – that is the name our car :), on a very short one day road trips in highways. Not more than 80 kms in one day trip.

We did go once in Hassan road, and couple of times in Mysore road and several times to Kanakapura road to our regular cafe coffee day.

Well, its time we took the beast for a long drive from Bangalore to Mysore.

Why We Chose Mysore for Our First Long Drive

The main reason being, we are very much familiar with just 2 roads / highways starting from Bangalore.

One is Hosur road, leading to Chennai and Salem, where we have been on multiple bike trips and road trips to Tiruvannamalai, Vellore, Kanchipuram, Yercaud, Kumbakonam, Trichy, Tirunelveli, Madurai, etc.,

And Second, Mysore highways, leading to Mysore, further to places like Coorg, Wayanad, Bandhipur, Ooty, Chikmagalur, Mangalore etc.,

Due to pandemic – interstate highways lock-down, we were left with just one familiar road, that is Mysore highways.

Very soon we will be exploring many other roads such as Kunigal Highways and Hyderabad highways. We have covered Nandhi hills and Lepakshi in one day bike trip in Hyderabad highways, yet to explore further once this pandemic is over.

Our recent Hassan road trip in our #AllNewCreta

Many Other Good Reasons for Choosing Mysore Highways:

  • Well Paved Roads – A very popular highways (NH 275), now under construction for 6 ways road is a treat for anyone looking for long drive from Bangalore to Mysore, or Coorg or Wayanad.
  • Numerous Restaurant Choices – Throughout the highways, you have numerous choices of restaurants and coffee shops. Our new favorite is Drive thru McDonalds in Channapatna, where you get hot meals at all times. And the best part? It is a drive through. No time waste in dine – in.
  • Toll Fare of Just 65/- rupees – We all need a weekend getaway that doesn’t burn our pockets, isn’t it?. Trust me, Mysore highways doesn’t cost you much like Salem and Kunigal highways where you would be easily spending minimum of 250 rupees for a one way drive. Whereas, here, for a long drive from Bangalore to Mysore, you would be spending just 65 rupees. And if you choose Kanakapura road (NH 948) for the return journey, you would be spending only half of that money. Very gooood.

Best Drive in Restaurant in Kunigal highways

From our recent short raod trip from Bangalore, the best drive -in restaurant in Kunkgal Highways is Swathi Delicacy. Here is google map link – https://goo.gl/maps/TLXDeUxjxEFF3M678.

Taste their coffee alteast, its the best :).

Travel Time from Bangalore to Mysore by Road

Bangalore to Mysore distance is 150 kms from each other. The travel time from Bangalore to Mysore by road, was just 3 hrs. Fair good time with just pit stop of 10 mins (that too at McD’s drive thru) in a moderate traffic.

Ideally it would take about 4 hrs of drive for a skillful driver in an ususal weekend traffic. Whereas, it would take just 3 hrs of drive for a skillful driver in a weekday traffic. The toughest one is from Nice road until Ramanagara, after that it is usually a smooth drive.

We started by 8 am on a Sunday morning, after having a cup of black coffee at home.

(This is how to make best coffee at home, my all time favorite drink).

McDonald’s Drive thru, Channapatna, Long drive from Bangalore

By the time we reached “the frosting” cafe, it was 11am. Strectched legs, quenched thirst, ate pizza, clicked pics and chilled out for some time. After all the chillax, roamed the city until 2.30pm.

Entrance view at the frosting cafe, Mysore

Meantime had coffee at Ashirvaad grand pure veg situated across Grand Mercure hotel.

If you are wondering, we came to know this restaurant when we stayed in ‘Grand Mercure‘, just a week before outburst of Covid-19. While we stayed there, we came to this veg restaurant for the evening meal. We liked this veg restaurant in Mysore since then. And their best mysuru coffee too.

Instead of “frosting cafe”, last time we went to “The Old House” cafe. Love both their ambiance and food.

In fact we wanted to go to our all time favorite Green hotel with Malgudi cafe. It is one of the best cafe in Mysore. Unfortunately it was temporarily closed for the pandemic. Otherwise we would never miss their coffee and dessert for anything in the world.

best cafe in mysuru
The green hotel, Malgudi cafe in Mysuru

Around 2.30, we had lunch at yet another famous restaurant in Mysore for Biryani, called Hanumanthu Mess. It is rated one of the best non veg restaurant in Mysuru. And it is true. A small mess serving delicious non veg biryani could be your favorite too.

We then leisurely started our Milo, to return back to Bangalore.

Returning Back – Long Drive Via Malavalli / Kanakapura Road

It is our thing, we always choose Malavalli – Kanakapura road (NH 948) for the return journey.

Ideally it is a parallel highways to Mysore highways, with less fancy road and far less traffic.

Not only that, we love that road for the greenery and agri land.

We were on this route couple of times when went on bike trip to Shivanasamudra falls, T Narasipura, Talakadu Tala Kaveri river and Somanathapura (Hoysala architecture) and Srirangapatna.

With our favorite music playing at the back, the return journey took us 4 hrs of time. Because, we stopped at many places to click pics, the most notable one was the thriving Kaveri river after monsoon (top most pic in this story).

We never had any interest to go sightseeing in Mysore. If you are travelling with kids, and planning to go sightseeing Mysore palace, zoo and botanical garden – then you need to be arriving Mysore at 10am. So that you would have sufficient time to look around places in Mysore in one day.

But, we always love to hangout in cafe’s instead of sightseeing in Mysore.

This time too, in our long drive from Bangalore to Mysore in our #AllNewCreta, we did nothing but chill out in cafes.

Glad we took our Milo for a long drive.

Famous Temples in Kumbakonam – A Very Big List with Google Map link

Renu on August 5, 2020

Famous Temples in Kumbakonam - A Very Big List with Google Map link

This is the only article which has long list of famous temples in Kumbakonam with google map links from our frequent visits. Probably its the only article in the internet with loads of temple list with google maps. Enjoy your cultural trip to Kumbakonam.

This article is useful for those who are looking to explore the famous and must visit temples in Kumbakonam, navagraha tour in Kumbakonam.

Kumbakonam became one of the favorite long bike trip destinations when we went on a 3 days trip for Masi Maham Festival in the year 2017. Soon in the same year, we planned a 11 days long bike trip from Bangalore to Kumbakonam. Because we loved the temple city’s breathtaking temples and its serene beauty.

So I can proudly say I know well about Kumbakonam like how well I know Bangalore. 

Famous temples in Kumbakonam and other important temples in and around Kumbakonam are covered in this article.

Famous Temples in Kumbakonam and Much More

Hundreds of thousands of pilgrims flock this holy town on all auspicious days. 

As I mentioned earlier, we first went to Kumbakonam for the Masi Maham festival in the year 2017. Little did we know that time is that we are going to come back year after year to this beautiful temple town. 

The famous temples in Kumbakonam and many other things people don’t know about.

  • Kumbakonam is famous for “Navagraha temples” – a unique spiritual experience of visiting 9 planet gods in their individual houses.
  • The temple city is famous for “108 Divya Desam” temples – of 108 Historic Vishnu temples, 40 temples are in chola region (trichy -tanjore- kumbakonam belt).
  • Kumbakonam is famous for “275 Devara Padal Petra Stalam” temples – Of 275 historic Lord Shiva Temples, 18 temples are in and around Kumbakonam town.
  • The city is also famous for one of the largest manufacturers of Temple brass and bronze items.
  • The Airavatesvara Temple built by Rajaraja Chola II (1146–73) during 12th century is a UNESCO World Heritage Site, along with the Brihadeeswara Temple at Thanjavur, the Gangaikonda Cholapuram in Kumbakonam that are referred to as the Great Living Chola Temples.
  • Less known famous thing about Kumbakonam is that they are known for their unique handloom weaving of silk sarees. “Thirubhuvanam” is the place to look for power looms and sarees that are available for buying in all shops in the centre town.
  • The Flora and fauna of this town is very rich, thanks to the 3 rivers adorning the city, namely – Cauvery, Araslaru and Kollidam.
  • Needless to say, Kumbakonam is wide known for its coffee. Every sip is a bliss.

(Because I am a coffee lover, I wouldn’t miss a chance to try good coffee).

Other than the above mentioned list of  historic temples, there are hundreds of important temples in and around Kumbakonam. 

You will fall in love with the majesty and beauty of the temple architecture. They are so big that it would even take some time to figure out the entrance to the temples. 

Here is the list of Kumbakonam famous temples and must visit temples in Kumbakonam once in life from our multiple road trip experiences. 

List Of Famous Temples in Kumbakonam – An Intro

I am giving a list of both Lord Shiva and Lord Vishnu temples in the following order.

(a) famous temples in the center town Kumbakonam. They are within 10km radius and are the most beautiful temples you must visit once in your life. You could skip going to Navagraha temples altogether unless you specifically wanted to go for some horoscope reasons.

(b) famous temples around Kumbakonam. These are nearby famous temples in Kumbakonam from the main town. And some are far from town like Tanjavur and Chidambram).

The following list of temples are my most favorite and must see temples in Kumbakonam. I cannot give you the exact plan of where to start and where to end the temple trip. It is not practically possible actually. I can share my side of the story, hoping it would help you in planning your trip. 

These are the most famous temples in Kumbakonam, let’s see them category wise.

A. List of Must Visit Famous Temples In Kumbakonam town

(i). List of Lord Shiva Temples

 Let’s start with Lord Shiva temple for 2 reasons – they are open for darshan very early compared to Lord Vishnu Temples. 

Click on the individual temples to get the google map link.

  1. Kudamookku – Adi Kumabeswarar Temple – Padal Petra Stalam
  2. Sri Nageswarar temple -Padal Petra Stalam
  3. Sri Someswar temple – Padal Petra Stalam
  4. Kottaiyur Shivan Temple – Padal Petra Stalam 
  5. Kasi Vishwanathar Temple
  6. Abhi Mukheswarar Temple – Facing the Mahamaham tank
  7. Shri Airavatesvara Temple – UNESCO Heritage

(ii). List of Lord Vishnu temples

These are the famous Lord Vishnu temples in the centre town Kumbakonam, all the following temples are connected with Mahamaham Festival.

  1. Chakrapani Temple – Vila Archanai which is usually performed to Lord Shiva is performed here for Lord Vishnu.
  2. Sarangapani temple – Lord Ranganathar residing on a big chariot mandap is the attraction here. And the temple is also breathtakingly huge.
  3. Ramaswamy temple – A Marvellous temple with intrinsic work of paintings depicting the Ramayanam.
  4. Varahaperumal Temple.
  5. Rajagopalaswamy temple.

B. List of Temples around Kumbakonam

(i). List of  Lord Shiva Temples

  1. Thirusakthimuttam Temple,Padal Petra Temple –  Padal Petra Stalam
  2. Gnanambiga Sametha Sri Thenupureeswarar Thirukovil – padal petra stalam
  3.  Pazhayarai Vadathali Temple,Padal Petra Temple -padal petra stalam
  4. Sri Garbarakshambigai Temple Thirukarukavur (for child birth) – padal petra stalam – Very beautiful Goddess Parvathi
  5. Thirunariyur Shiva Temple – padal petra stalam (Also visit nearby Shri Saneeswaran Temple – Sani Stalam)
  6. Thiruvanjiyam Arulmigu Vanchinadha Swamy Thirukovil – Lord Yama Statue
  7. Sri Naganatha Swami Temple (Raghu Stalam) – Padal Petra Temple – Majestic Temple famous for Afternoon pooja on sundays to Planet Raghu.
  8. Thirumanancheri Shiva Temple
  9. Sri Kampahareswar Temple – Tirubhuvanam Majestic Very Beautiful temple.
  10. Sri Mahalingaswamy Temple Thiruvidaimaruthur – Padal Petra Temple
  11. Gangai Konda Cholapuram Thiru Brihadeswarar Thirukkovil – UNESCO Heritage
  12. Thirumetrali Shiva Temple – Bramha Nandeeswarar Temple (Broken Lord Shiva temple with big Square Sivalinga)
  13. Pasupatheeswarar Temple –padal petra stalam
  14. Thiru Nallur KalyanaSundareswarar temple – padal petra stalam
  15. Palaivana Nathar Temple,Padal Petra Temple – padal petra stalam
  16. Sri Sivapuranathar Temple -padal petra stalam
  17. Sakkottai Shiva Temple – Sri Amirthakalasanathar Temple (raghu Stalam) -padal petra stalam
  18. Maruthanallur ShivaTemple -padal petra stalam
  19. Sri Swarnapureeswarar Temple -Alagaputhur Shiva Temple – Padal Petra stalam
  20. Tirupandurai Shiva Temple – padal petra stalam
  21. Sri Sornapureeshwarar Temple, Andankoil – padal petra stalam
  22. Thiruvirumpoolai Shiva Temple (Guru Stalam) – Padal Petra stalam
  23. Kovilvenni Shiva Temple – Padal Petra stalam
  24. Arulmigu Sathurangam Vallavan Temple – padal petra stalam
  25. Shri Amirthanayagi Samedha Naganathaswamy Temple (Raghu Kethu Parikara temple) -Padal Petra stalam
  26. Sri Saraparameswarar Temple -padal petra stalam
  27. Thirunaalur Meignanam Sivan Temple -padal petra stalam
  28. Kudavasal Koneswaran Shiva temple – padal petra stalam
  29. Thirukollampudur Shiva Temple -padal petra stalam
  30. Narthanapureeswarar Temple, Thalaiyalangadu (Lord Natarajar)
  31. Manakal Ayyampettai – padal petra stalam
  32. Karaiveera nathar Shiva Temple — padal petra stalam
  33. Shri Suryanar Kovil – Suriyan Stalam
  34. Sri Vijayanathar Temple, Thiruvijayamangai -Padal Petra Temple
  35. Sri Vijayanathar Temple, Thiruvijayamangai,Padal Petra Temple
  36. Innambur Shiva Temple – Padal
  37. Sri Saatchinathar Temple, Thirupurambiyam
  38. Vilvaneshwarar Temple, Thiruvaikavur,Padal Petra Temple
  39. Vada Kurangaduthurai temple  – padal
  40. Thiruvisanallur Shiva Temple -PAdal
  41.  Sri Karkadeswarar Temple -padal
  42. Apath Sahayeswarar Temple (Siva Temple), Aduthurai – padal
  43. Thirukodeeswarar Temple, Tirukodikaval – padal 
  44. Thirukozhambam Shiva Temple,Padal Petra Temple
  45. Sri Shanbakaranyeshwarar Temple,Padal Petra Temple
  46. Thiruneelakkudi Shiva Temple – padal
  47. Shri Natarajar Temple, Konerirajapuram, padal
  48. Thiru Anniyur Shiva Temple, padal
  49. Karuveli Sarguna Natheswarar Temple, (very big temple pond)-  padal
  50. Thiruveezhimizhalai Shiva Temple (big temple) -padal
  51. Thirumarugal Shiva Temple
  52. Uthrapatheeshwaraswamy Temple, Thiruchengattangudi
  53. Nannilam Shiva Temple
  54. Thirukondeswaram Shiva Temple
  55. Thirupanaiyur Shiva Temple
  56. Thirupugalaur Vardhamaneswarar Temple

(ii). List of Lord Vishnu Temples 

These are the list of Divya Desam temples situated nearby from centre town Kumbakonam.

  1. Sri Oppiliappan Temple
  2. Arulmigu Thiruppullamboothangudi Valvill Ramar Temple
  3. Sri Aandu Alakkum Ayyan Perumal Temple
  4. Shri Srinivasa Perumal Temple / Nachiyar kovil
  5. Sri Saranathan Perumal Temple
  6. Sri Sowri Raja Perumal Temple
  7. Gajendra Varadar Temple

Famous Temples around Kumbakonam – Nearby cities

First we saw a list of must visit famous temples in Kumbakonam within 10kms radius(A). Second we saw important temples around Kumbakonam with little travel distances (B) (about 1hr).

Lastly, here is the list of famous temples around Kumbakonam that is – quite far from this city.

I tried my best to give this list up until the Tiruvaiyaru, Mayiladuthurai and Thiruvarur routes.

(C). List of Lord Shiva temples

  1. Gangai Konda Cholapuram Thiru Brihadeswarar Thirukkovil
  2.  Sri Kampahareswar Temple, Tirubhuvanam
  3. Sri Mayuranathar Temple – Mayiladuthurai
  4. Vaithiyanatha swamy temple (Sevvai Stalam) -Vaitheeswarankoil 
  5. Sirkazhi Shiva Temple – Sirkazhi
  6. Sri Abhirami Amirthakadeswarar Temple – Thirukadaiyur 
  7. Sri Dharbaranyeswara Swamy Temple (Saturn Temple) – Tirunallar
  8. Thiruvarur Shiva Temple – Thiruvarur
  9. Sri Aiyarappar Temple – Tiruvaiyaru
  10. Thanjavur Big Temple
  11. Thillai Nataraja Temple, Chidambaram
  12. Ranganthar temple, Trichy
  13. Rockfort temple, Trichy

The above temple lists are the very popular Lord Shiva temples in the major districts around Kumbakonam. We have covered all the temples during our long bike trip in the year 2017 and 2018. 

If you are on a short trip, but want to make the most of your trip, here is the plan.

In that way, you will not only see Kumbakonam, but also cover most of the historically important places just in one trip.

That’s what many travelers do. Because all the above mentioned places are famous only for the temples.

Except for Chidambaram, you could go sightseeing to Pichavaram mangrove forest. 

Since the accommodation and food was satisfactory beyond expectation we stayed in Kumbakonam for many days. Apart from that, we also loved the city very much. From there we traveled to the nearby cities by bike.

Note that there are no waterfalls in Kumbakonam, but it has lots of waterdams, lakes and ponds. One such famous place is Anaikarai Bridge – a very old bridge over the Kollidam river.

Read – Kumbakonam is Famous for Not Just temples.

How We Covered Many Temples in a Day

Even Though we had stayed for more than a week in Kumbakonam, we had crazy plans to cover as many temples we could in a day possible. 

Once we have covered all the temples in Kumbakonam (A), we then traveled to nearby towns like Sirkazhi, Mayavaram, Thanjavur, Thiruvaiyaru, Mannargudi, etc

We covered many temples as we could because of the following 2 reasons –

  • We raised early, we were in the temple for the early pooja. Tirelessly, we visited temples until their closing time at 12 noon. Needless to worry about the food, as you will get plenty of good choices along the way. Almost all Lord shiva temples are open for darshan as early as 6am. Eventhough, Lord Vishnu temples are open early but early morning darshan time varies depending on the temple. Sometimes you would have to wait until 8 am. Therefore it is smart to visit the Shiva temples first, then later visit the Lord Vishnu temples.
  • We went by Motorbike, and it’s just the two of us. Both our energy level matched and we loved every single day of non-stop travelling in bike. We had a tank bag where we kept our SLR, mobiles, chargers, power banks and water bottles to keep the trip plan smooth. We never in a day deviated from our plan, thanks to my 10 days of research and planning.

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Bangalore to T Narasipura: Crazy Bike Ride to the Less Known Destinations in Karnataka

Renu on July 24, 2020

t narasipura from bangalore

We went on one day bike trip from Bangalore to T Narasipura (Tirumakudal Narasipura) in the year 2016. This is one of our crazy bike travel of total 335 kms just in one day, from our home in Bangalore.

How many of you have heard of place called T Narasipura in Karnataka?. 

Except for the people from T Narasipura and the surrounding area. And a few who had been there or crossed that place. Right?.

Since it is not a very famous bike trip destination, so I don’t blame you if you have not heard of that place at all.

This is how we went on a one day bike trip from Bangalore to T Narasipura via Srirangapatna and Somanathapura.

It was an unforgettable day driving among the scenic roads.

Bangalore To T Narasipura – Route Map

We are a travel duo – married couple, and this is one of the stories of our bike trips to the places in Karnataka.

We have decided to travel from Bangalore to T Narasipura during the end of year 2016. After we gained confidence from our couple of crazy bike trips to Lepakshi (2 states in one day) and Hassan (adventurous night ride of 500 kms in 2 days).

We started our bike on 10th December 2016, from our home in Bangalore to T Narasipura via Srirangapatna and Somanathapura.

The distance from Bangalore to T Narasipura is 143 kms (varies depends on the place you start).

We traveled a total of 335 Kms in this T Narasipura bike trip starting from Bangalore. 

Guess which other place we covered 335 kms just in One day Bike Trip?. Click Here to know.

This is the Route Map of Our Bike Trip from Bangalore to T Narasipura. 

First we reached Srirangapatna by taking Bangalore to Mysore highways. Did darshan in Lord Sri Ranganathar temple.

Then rode to Somanathapura to visit a very famous Hoysala architecture.

Finally T Narasipura Village. 11 kms ride from Somanathapura.

Visited Yoga Narasimha swamy temple and an ancient cave temple across the shore.

All the 4 stops are explained in detail below.

Stop 1 : Bangalore to Srirangapatna

We started our bike at home around 8am, headed to Srirangapatna in the Bangalore – Mysore highways. We stopped at Malgudi vattika restaurant in Bidadi for breakfast. Spent time clicking pics and relaxing a bit before we continued our journey in the hot sun.

We reached the Srirangapatna Lord Ranganathar temple around 12.30 pm. We spent an hour for darshan.  

The lord Ranganathar here is called Adi Ranga, located at the start of Kaveri river is of greater significance in Hindu religion. 

The other two significant temples on the kaveri bed are Madya ranga at Shivanasamudra and Anthya Ranga at Trichy.

(Read our Bike trip to Shivanasamudra falls and Madya ranga temple).

The adi ranga – Lord Ranganathar temple is always crowded, especially on saturdays. Usually temple closing time is 1 noon, but on Saturday and auspicious days the temple remains open until 2 pm. 

Stop 2: Srirangapatna to Somanathapura

Next stop is yet another famous, tourist destination in Somanathapura is Chennakesava temple. Chenna – Kesava, translates to Beautiful Lord Vishnu is the main deity of this ancient temple which is under the archaeological department. 

The “Hoysalas” who ruled between 11th and 14th centuries have built this unique – never can be seen anywhere in the world kind of architecture only in Karnataka. 

I was surprised to see the resemblance of Hoysala architecture in Ambarnath temple in Mumbai.

They have built large and small temples in Karnataka, dedicating to either Lord Vishnu or Lord Shiva. Of many of the famous Hoysala architecture in Karnataka, we have been to the ones in Belur, Nuggehalli, Halebid and Somanathapura.

All of them are beautiful temples and must be seen in Karnataka.

The Somanthapura temple or Chennakesava temple is one of my all time favourites, and I never miss a chance to atleast to have a peek at this temple whenever  we go on a road trip from Bangalore to Mysore, or to Srirangapatna. 

Stop 3 : Somanathapura to T Narasipura

Here comes our final destination, T Narasipura. Am sure the readers may not have heard about this less known weekend destination, a less explored place near Mysore.

T Narasipura is a small town adorned with Kaveri river, surrounded by agri fields and gives a serene view for the bike ride. Kumb mela is celebrated grand festival here.

If you are unsure of where to go, I would suggest going on a one day trip from Bangalore to T Narasipura. Or go via T Narasipura, drive in scenic roads to Talakadu or Somanathapura or Mysore.

There isn’t any picnic spot to spend time here, but it’s a meaningful destination if you would like to ride among trees and fields.

It is a good place if you are looking for a one day road trip from Bangalore to Mysore.

From here, you could go to Talakadu – yet another famous tourist destination next to Somanathapura and Srirangapatna. Furthermore, Talakadu is famous for its Kaveri river and the ancient Lord Shiva temples that have been buried under the sand. Read here.

Stop 4: The Destination

On our Bangalore to T Narasipura bike trip, of all the famous temples, I had planned on visiting only 2 temples.

First, we visited the most noteworthy temple. Called Yoga Narasimha swamy temple on the river bank. A must visit place in T narasipura, situated on the Kaveri river bank.

Second, an ancient cave temple.

After spending quality time and a well deserved break in Yoga Narasimha swamy temple, we went across the river to visit the cave temple.

Incontrast to the first temple, this cave temple was nothing but sad atmosphere. But we could not stop ourselves amazing at the plenty of small and big Shiva lingas all around this cave. 

It was a pretty big place once you enter inside. The priest or the guy who maintains the place (also lives in the cave) was not friendly, we waited until the actual priest arrived to see the main sanctum. 

He was not friendly either. Guess they are not used to outsiders visiting this god forsaken place.

My hubby appeared quite irritated that I dragged him to this unfriendly, dark cave where there was nobody except us. Thanks to 2 local ladies who arrived just before we left the temple. 

Finally, we started our bike very late in the evening, as usual we rode our bike in the dark to return home. 

It has become our thing – riding a bike in the dark, and we were pretty confident in riding a bike after these couple of experiences. Read about it here and here.

So far we saw how to reach T Narasipura from Bangalore. Now lets see the list of places to visit near T Narasipura.

Places to Visit Near T Narasipura

In our bike trip, T Narasipura village and the 2 temples were the final destination. 

Here is the list of places to visit near T Narasipura from our multiple bike trip experiences.

  1. Somanathapura temple
  2. Srirangapatna temple 
  3. Melkote temple
  4. Talakadu river and temples
  5. Shivanasamudra falls
  6. Kollegal falls
  7. Nanjangud temple
  8. Male Mahadeshwara hills

All of the above places are famous tourist places near T Narasipura.

Alternate route Via Kanakapura Road

Though many prefer to take the Mysore highways route, you could also reach T Narasipura from Bangalore via Kanakapura – malavalli route. Now Kankapura road is much developed and sophisticated with lot of good choices for pit stop. And the distance is same as the Mysore highways route.

While you are at it, you could visit Talakadu and Shivanasamudra falls before reaching T Narasipura. Later visit Somanathapura and other places near T Narasipura.

Read Related Our Bike Ride Stories here:

From Bangalore to Hassan Road Trip: A tale of New Bikers Riding at Night, 500KM trip

Bangalore to Tiruvannamalai Temple Thrilling Night Bike Ride Of 200 Kms

4 days Road Trip To Coorg From Bangalore (Bangalore to Coorg Bike Trip)

Is it Safe to Drive From Bangalore to Coorg by Bike?

Renu’s Solo Trip To Kumbakonam – How I roamed Kumbakonam for 5 days in a Rented Bike

From Bangalore to Kanchipuram Road trip or Train trip?

Renu on July 12, 2020

kanchipuram image credit indianrailinfo

We are frequent travelers from Bangalore to Kanchipuram since 2017. 

And we have experience of travelling by both car and train to this Famous Temple city in Tamil Nadu,

I am sharing our travel story here and giving you the best route with distances for you to choose.

Also suggestions on places to see in and around Kanchipuram. 

Since it is a temple city, I have also given a list of famous temples in Kanchipuram to visit.

ImageCredit – Indianrailinfo

Distance From Bangalore To Kanchipuram

Distance from Bangalore to Kanchipuram via Vellore is 280 kms (which is the only best route by car).

We traveled regularly to this famous temple city Kanchipuram (also called Kancheepuram). Just how we well know Tiruvannamalai and Kumbakonam, same way we know Kanchipuram city in and out.

The name “Kanchipuram silk sarees”, for the silk sarees weaved in this temple city made it popular worldwide.

Many people travel exclusively for Temple trip and many for just shopping silk sarees in Kanchipuram.

Whichever are the reasons you are planning a trip to Kanchipuram, I have a best route for you.

And travel guide for both car and train.

Best Route – From Bangalore to Kanchipuram By Car

In July 2019, we went on a road trip from Bangalore to Kanchipuram, via Vellore.

Trust me if we had known this route earlier, we would have saved lots of pain going by train.

Bangalore to Chennai Highways is the route we took to reach our destination.

Bangalore to Kanchipuram Best route by Car

Home (Bangalore) – Hosur – Krishnagiri – Ambur – Vellore – Kanchipuram.

And this is the fastest route to reach your destination by road. Also it has many advantages, here is the list.

Advantages of Taking Chennai Highways

From our recent road trip from Bangalore to Kanchipuram, here are the major advantages of taking the Chennai highways.

Fastest and Best Roads – From Bangalore to Kanchipuram NH 48

Well paved route and seamless National Highways (Chennai / Mumbai Highway) connecting non stop from Bangalore to Kanchipuram with 280Kms.

If you compare the other alternate routes’ distance from Bangalore to Kanchipuram via Kolar and Chittoor, this route is the longest. Yet the fastest route with well planned bridges, tunnels and fastest toll booths with Fast tag facilities.

Best Restaurants Choices

Many good restaurants with toilet facilities just like in Bangalore – Salem Highways.

You could reach your destination in 6hrs driving non – stop from Bangalore, provided you have started early to avoid the traffic.

But if you ask me, you could stop at these following places for refreshment.

Here is the list of best restaurant from Bangalore to Kanchiputam

Hotel Krishna Inn – Shoolagiri (Before Krishnagiri)

For the best South Indian breakfast. I have talked more about this place. This place is famous for awesome food and a pit stop for hundreds of bike riders. You could see hundreds of them at the same time between 6.30 am to 9 am.

We never miss stopping here for breakfast at Krishna and coffee from nearby CCD or McD.

Here I am sharing some of our favourite south Indian dishes we try regularly here.

This is the google map location – https://goo.gl/maps/PHZGkqpGUA7g6AVa6.

From bangalore to kanchipuram road trip
Ghee Dosa from Krishna Inn, Bangalore – Salem Highways restaurant
restaurants in Bangalore highways
Pongal and vada from Krishna Inn, Bangalore – Salem Highways restaurant

I would not suggest any restaurants in Hosur, the most crowded place no good for any kinds of restaurants. 

Otherwise there are many other options in Bangalore – Chennai Highways.

From Bangalore to Kanchipuram – the List of other Famous Restaurants

restaurant in Bangalore to Chennai Highways
SaiSangeeth restaurant in Bangalore to Chennai Highways

Many good choices to Stay in Vellore

From our couple of trips to Kanchipuram by train and car, I suggest staying in Vellore for 2 main reasons – Food and Accomodation. In Kanchipuram, We had stayed once in GRT hotels and once in Pine tree hotels, those two were the only good choices in this crowded temple city. And for food, there were only Shree Saravana Bhavan hotels with a couple of branches in the city, a monopoly player with a very poor ambiance and service. Therefore we didn’t prefer that restaurant.

So, stay in Vellore where you will be spoilt for choices for boarding and lodging. And couples of famous sightseeing places that makes your stay even more memorable. Next best place would be Chennai, if you are en-route Chennai.

Read Related – Two Day Trip From Bangalore to Vellore and Kanchipuram (Best 2 Day Trip by Car)

Bangalore to Kanchipuram By Train

Distance from Bangalore to Kanchipuram by train is the same as road trip distance. Certainly there are no direct interstate trains to Kanchipuram Railway Junction.

You need to get off at Arakkonam Junction, which is the nearest Kanchipuram Railway station. Furthermore, you need to take a local train or bus to Kanchipuram town.

Though you have plenty of choices for local trains and local buses, all are unnaturally crowded at those early hours.

If you are planning to travel by train, I suggest travelling by A/c compartment. Otherwise, the whole journey will be an upsetting experience. This is why.

When we went to Kanchipuram from Bangalore by train, we had the worst experience of life.

In the General Sleeper we have booked, the entire compartment was outnumbered by the illegal passengers. 

It was a total nightmare dealing with illegal passengers throughout the journey. Not a teeny tiny guilt of disturbing the sleeping passengers with their loud voice. Adding more spice, they occupy the little space left at the end of the berths giving no room for passengers to stretch their legs.

Above all, some using their small babies as a innocent image to pick pockets from the sleeping passengers.

Also, the big goons of locals adamantly blocking the way to the toilets and exit doors etc.,

Hence, We stayed alert every single minute safeguarding wallets and baggage. And ended grumpy whole next day.

Read Related – Bangalore to Kanchipuram Road trip (On Diwali 2020)

How to Reach from Arakkonam to Kanchipuram

The train reached Arakkonam station around 5am, we exited with a pounding headache and sleepy eyes.

We then hired a local auto to the nearest bus station. From there we took the local town bus to Kanchipuram.

Otherwise one could take local metro train from Arakkonam to reach Kanchipuram.

We traveled for about 1.15 hrs by bus to finally reach our Hotel room.

That was the very last trip from Bangalore to Kanchipuram by Train. 

List of Must See Kanchipuram Temples

These are the list of must see temples in Kanchipuram.

  1. Kanchi Kamakshi Temple: The temple dedicated to Goddess Parvathi, one of the Sakthi Peedam temples in Tamil Nadu. It is important to first darshan Kamakshi Amman before any other temples in this holy city. Google map link – https://goo.gl/maps/vEr2RKARgG9Zj7C3A
  2. Ekambareswarar Temple:  Lord Shiva is said to have manifested himself in the form of Prithvi Lingam. This lingam represents one of the five elements “earth”. Since mother Kamakshi is the common Ambica for all the temples in Kanchipuram, hence Shiva temples in Kanchipuram does not have any goddess shrine. I mean most of the temples in and around Kanchipuram. Google map link – https://goo.gl/maps/Am3yv7WPpvPsmr9u8 .
  3. Varadharaja Perumal Temple: The temple along with Ekambareswarar Temple and Kamakshi Amman Temple in Kanchipuram is popularly known as Mumurtivasam (Credit – Wikipedia). Being one of the 108 Divya Desams, a most popular temples for vaishnavites. This “Vishnu Kanchi” is a must visit in kanchipuram temples.

Read Related – A moment of glory in Kanchipuram – Athi Varadar Perumal Raise Once in 40 yrs – We did Darshan on 21 July 2019

Places to Visit near Kanchipuram

Kanchipuram city is one of the best weekend getaways from Bangalore for temple visit or silk saree shopping.

Yet you cannot spend more than 2 days as Kanchipuram visiting places are limited.

If you have more time in your Bangalore to Kanchipuram road trip, you could rather go nearby places. The nearest, famous tourist places like Pondicherry and Mahabalipuram.

Or you could plan a round trip to Chennai. You could start from Bangalore to Kanchipuram, then Chennai before returning back home. 

Likewise, you could also make a round trip to vellore, stay in Vellore to look around the places.

Related – Two Day Trip From Bangalore to Vellore and Kanchipuram (Best 2 Day Trip by Car)

Hope our experience would help you plan the trip schedule from Bangalore to Kanchipuram. Plan on the places to stay and explore the holy silk city.

24 Temples in 3 Days: Kumbakonam Masi Magam Festival (2017)

Renu on November 9, 2019

Kumbakonam masi maham festival

During Kumbakonam Masi Magam festival we have visited 24 temples in 3 days by bike, thanks to my friend who rented out the bike to us. We reached Kumbakonam from Bangalore by train, stayed in Poppy’s SET Hotel for 3 days, roamed all around Kumbakonam mercilessly in motorbike for 3 days. 

Kumbakonam Masi Magam Festival 2017

Here are the list of temples we did darshan in Kumbakonam Masi Magam festival 2017.

I am straight away giving the list of all the temples names under each day we spent in Kumbakonam. Not going into details of the temples, or too many pics nor its history.

Here goes the list of temples we visited in Kumbakonam Masi Magam in the year 2017 – one of the memorable trip in our travel history.

Day 1 : 11 Mar 2017 A Day Before Kumbakonam Masi Magam Festival

  • Abhi Mukteswarar temple
  • Viyala Someswarar temple
  • Tirupandurai Shivanandeeswarar (lord Murugan spl) temple
  • Thirunalur meginanam Sivan temple
  • Thiruccherai saranathan perumal temple, Divya desam
  • Thiruccherai Saraparameswarar temple
  • Nachiyar Kovil (kalyana kolam perumal/srinivasa perumal)
  • Ramanathaswamy/Saneeswaran Temple

Day2 : 12 Mar 2017

  • Ramar Temple, Kumbakonam
  • Thiruvisainallur Yoganandheeswarar/Sivayoginathar Temple (Risabha Rasi)
  • Sakkottai Amirthakalasanathar Temple
  • Marudhanallur (Karukudi) Sarguna Lingeswarar (Karukudinathar) temple
  • Then Pon Parappi, Swarnapureeswarar temple
  • Nageswaram Temple, Kumbakonam
  • Thirunageswaram Temple (Raghu temple)
  • Oppiliyappar Temple, DivyaDesam
  • Thirupampuram Seshapureeswarar/ Pambureswarar(Raghu Kethu temple)

Day 3 : 13 Mar 2017

  •  Saranathaperumal Temple, Divadesam, Kumbakonam
  • Thiruvalanchuzi ThiruValanchuzhi Nathar Temple (and Swetha Vinayagar Temple –Vellai Pillaiyar)
  • Darasuram- UNESCO
  • Swamimalai Murugan Temple
  • Innambur Ezhuthari Nathar Temple
  • Kottaiyur Kodeeswarar Temple

Read Related – In all our Bike trip From Bangalore – Why Did We Choose to Visit Temples?

About Masi Magam and its Importance

The Masimaham is an annual event that occurs in Kumbakonam in the Tamil month of Masi (February–March) in the star of Magam.

Vast crowds of Hindu devotees gather at Kumbakonam to have a dip in the tank a.k.a Mahamaham tank.

All the rivers of India are believed to meet at the tank on this day and a purificatory bath at this tank on this day is considered equal to the combined dips in all the holy rivers of India.

Festival deities from all the temples in Kumbakonam arrive at the tank and at noon, all the deities bathe along with the devotees – it is called “Theerthavari“.

The purificatory bath is believed to remove sins and after the dip, pilgrims offer charitable gifts in the hope of being rewarded in the current life and subsequent lives.

The temple cars of major temples in Kumbakonam come around the city on the festival night. During the Mahamaham of 1992, the number of devotees were estimated to be one million. (Source – Wikipedia).

Our Story -Travelduo From Bangalore

We were able to darshan 24 temples continuously for 3 days because we planned everything beforehand, and our energy level matched to roam the temples back to back, non stop in bike.

Otherwise would have not been possible travelling by car and with the group or with more family members. It was the most memorable trip where we did crazy riding to temples in Kumbakonam Masi Magam Festival in the year 2017.

Read Related – Renu’s Solo Trip To Kumbakonam – How I roamed Kumbakonam 5 days in a Rented Bike

In the 3 days of roaming, we fell in Love with this beautiful temple town Kumbakonam, so in the same year and the next year we went road trip of 11 days to Kumbakonam. Just for the love of most majestic and historically important temples in Kumbakonam.

Kumbakonam Is Famous for Not Just Temples (Check the cute pic)

How To Reach Thirunelli Temple – A Famous Vishnu Temple on The Hills of Wayanad

Renu on October 15, 2019

Thirunelli Vishnu temple Wayanad

This is guide for people looking to travel from Bangalore to Wayanad by road and guide on how to reach Thirunelli temple.

On September 14th 2019, We went on 3 days road trip from Bangalore to Wayanad to celebrate our 4th Wedding Anniversary. During our stay in Wayanad, We visited Thirunelli Mahavishnu temple on the hills, about 10 mins drive from our resort. Early morning pooja performed at 5.30 in this temple is said to be very special. Though we couldn’t make it so early, we went around 10am and absolutely loved it.

So, this how to reach Thirunelli temple, a famous Maha Vishnu temple on the hills of Wayanad.

How to Reach Thirunelli Temple Wayanad

Thirunelli Vishnu temple in Wayanad, Kerala is situated 32 kms from Mananthavady.  The Temple is situated in a beautiful valley surrounded by mountains and trees with good parking facilities. 

Thirunelli temple lies in the valley of Bhramagiri Hills, the name is connected to Lord Brahma and the ancient history of this temple.

We traveled from Bangalore to Wayanad in mid of September by car to celebrate our 4th Wedding Anniversary. Thirunelly was our stay destination in Wayanad, we checked in at Jungle Retreat on our first day, and Visited Thirunelli Vishnu temple on the next day morning. 

There are 3 routes if you are travelling from Bangalore to Wayanad with almost same distances.

Since there are 4 routes from Bangalore to Wayanad, If you want to know the best route on how to reach Thirunelli temple from Bangalore, read here.

Of all the routes, If you are planning to take Nagarhole reserve forest route, call up their office to confirm the entry for visitors to save any unplanned deviation.

There are hardly few shops selling refreshments, pooja items and some ayurvedic products. 

Driving your own vehicle – Once you reach the temple, park your vehicle from the ample parking area, walk about 200 meters to reach the temple. There is no vehicle parking fee, nor any shoes counter fee.

Taking Bus or Auto or Taxi– You could take it from Kutta, the nearest public transport with bus and taxi facilities connecting Wayanad, including services to Nagarhole National park. 

Thirunelli temple images
Ambalam View, Thirunelli temple Wayanad, Kerala

How We Planned Our Wayanad Road trip

During our 3 stays in Tirunelly Kerala, we came to know that the restaurant choices are very limited. We found a good restaurant in Kutta while we were on the way to Nagarhole Jungle safari,  called Safari Inn , an accommodation serving with veg and non – veg food choices. Both Food and price were satisfactory.

This was our travel itinerary –

Day 1 – Travel from Bangalore to Wayanad

Day 2 – Tirunelli Vishnu Temple and Nagarhole jungle safari

Day 3 – Travel From Wayanad to Bangalore

Another suggestion I have for restaurant while you are travelling via Gonikoppal, is Spice Rack Restaurant, click here for the location and review.

Wayanad to Bangalore distance is 250 to 300 kms depends on the location you start.

Definitely you would need 2 days for up and down travel to Tirunelly, visit temple, do jungle safari and return back to your home. You could plan one day trip if you are travelling from Coorg or Mysore or any other nearby places in Kerala district.

We skipped Thirunelli wildlife sanctuary since we had plan to go Nagarhole wildlife jungle safari.

Our Experience in the Famous Maha Vishnu Temple Wayanad

This was our very first trip to Wayanad and to the ancient MahaVishnu temple, unlike our frequent visits to Thirukovilur Vishnu Temple (TamilNadu near Tiruvannamalai).

First thing you notice here is the calm and serene location of the temple located in a valley surrounded by trees and mountains.

Second, despite all the crowd, you could only hear the noise of the surrounding nature, definitely a rare sight in a very famous temple I say. That’s how we listened to the Papanasini river nearby, otherwise we had no clue of its popularity and historic significance, since we didn’t do much research about this temple beforehand. 

When it is normal in pilgrimage places to get surrounded by the aggressive beggars before you even set foot inside the temple, worst even when you are pulled between the street vendors, this temple was offering a tranquil experience.

Third, People were offering prayers in silence, moving in disciplined pace inside the temple maintaining silence. Some were praying by lighting up the temple’s embossed brass lamp of different sizes kept exclusively for the purpose. Hundreds of the lamps are kept for devotees as personal belongings are not allowed inside except for the pooja items. 

Fourth, since it was maintained by a private trust, there was no unholy behavior of priests and administration are witnessed. Temple surroundings are including the parking area are beautifully maintained, even the stairs and the path leading to the holy river are maintained well.  

Fifth, Small Sivalingas about 10 to 15 cms are found in the couple of places inside the temple, around the main sanctum which I believe is connected to the temple history.

a sacred pond in thirunelli temple images
Panchatheertham with Sivalinga (almost invisible) and Lord Vishnu Foot carved on Rock stone.

Thirunelli Temple – How to Pray, Dress Code and Temple Timing

Before you know how to reach Thirunelli temple, I think it is essential to plan the trip according to the Thirunelli temple open timing and the temple procedures.

  • Before Entering Tirunelly Vishnu temple – Know this: After parking the vehicle, we went straight to the temple to pray. But, ideally you will be carrying a change clothes after taking a dip in the nearby holy River called “Papanasini”. Then pray to the Sacred pond called Panchatheertham, a rock carved with miniature sivalinga with footprint of Lord Vishnu. There is a change room near this pond, but not sure of the tidiness. There are no restrictions if you want to enter the temple wearing wet clothes straight from the river.
  • Thirunelli Vishnu temple is open from  5.30 am to 12.30 and 5.30 to 8.00 pm. Early morning pooja is very special here, and many devotees visit this temple to perform respect to their forefathers. 

If you are planning to attend the early morning pooja, it is better to book the Thirunelli agraharam resort at the foot of this temple stairs.

To know more about the temple, pooja timings and the contact number – visit this website http://thirunellitemple.org/index.php.

  • Thirunelly Vishnu Temple dress code for ladies is to wear decent attire of sarees or salwars, and for gents, only dhoti is allowed with no shirt.

To know about the ancient history, check this website.

Thirunelli Temple wayanad images
The holy river called “Papanasini” where poojas performed for forefathers

The name “Papanasini”, a holy river name of this Thirunelli temple reminded us of the similar experience we had in our recent trip to Papanasam, another famous tourist location near Kerala border. Even there is similarity in the name you see. And it was also a beautiful temple location amidst hills, with Thamirabarani river and Agasthiyar Waterfalls to crown the place.

Here in Thirunelli temple, we did not visit the Lord Shiva temple / cave near to the Vishnu temple due to lack of time. We left temple as soon as clicking pics in river and panchatheertham.

Then after chilling out for some time in Kutta, had lunch and went for jungle safari by 3pm.

Thirunelli Wildlife Sanctuary images
Places to Visit Thirunelli Wayanad

Returing To Bangalore From Wayanad – Via Kabini River

Next day, we checked out of the resort and returned back to Bangalore.

We took the following route to return back to Bangalore.

Wayanad (resort) – Tholpatty – Bavali wild life forest road – Mysuru – Bangalore

This route is one of the best scenic route suited for a peaceful drive.

You could use the same route to reach Thirunelly Vishnu temple, that is Bangalore – Mysuru – Bavali wildlife road – Tholpatty road. Somewhere in the tholpatty road it is approx. 13 kms journey to the temple. Less traffic and no bumpy roads to reach the destination.

On the way back, we stopped in Mysore for a long break. We had lunch in one of the non veg restaurants called Nandhini. Then had evening coffee at Malgudi cafe house situated inside the green hotel.

(Malgudi cafe house in Mysore is the best for coffee, dessert and sandwiches).

This is guide for someone on how to reach Thirunelly Vishnu temple from Bangalore by road via Mysuru and Nagarhole. Hope it helps to plan your journey.

The Spice Rack Restaurant in Gonikoppal near Coorg (Best Restaurant in Coorg)

Renu on October 3, 2019

The spice rack restaurant food menu

When we were on 3 days road trip to Wayanad from Bangalore, we routed our trip through Gonikoppal. The reason we had to drive via Gonikoppal was that Nagarhole tiger reserve park route was closed due to bad rains. And while we were there, we went to the The Spice Rack Restaurant – one of the best restaurants in Gonikoppal.

The Spice Rack Restaurant in Gonikoppal

We stopped for lunch in the late afternoon on 14th September, since we knew there will not be any choices on the Hill station. Except for the Dinner which we pre-ordered in the Resort we were going to stay, we had nothing planned for the entire 3 days journey. 

We were not exactly hungry. From morning since the time we started our car, we were binge eating on the fruits and snacks throughout the journey. Also we had heavy breakfast in A2B in the Mysore highways.

Now we wanted a good ambiance restaurant with good restroom facilities to refresh after a long drive.

The Spice Rack restaurant had all the comfort we looked for including the ample parking space in the underground. 

Find the link – https://g.page/TheSpiceRack?share

What we ate in Spice Rack Restaurant

We ordered Fried chicken to go with the Mutton biryani. Though it was the best biryani in Coorg or anywhere I have tasted, I very much liked the fried chicken more than the biryani.

Chicken was dipped in flour with groundnuts and deep oil fried, which gave the dish nutty and crunchy taste which I never had before.

Mutton was served with plain gravy and raita. Accompanied by the lemon soda we ordered.

It was sufficient for us two. 

We spent about an hr for refreshment and lunching. Then we headed to Wayanad resort, it was a thrilling experience riding among the woods and hairpin bends.

Best restaurant in Gonikoppal Coorg
Spice Rack Restaurnat in Gonikoppal

The best thing about this Spice Rack Restaurant was that it has a quiet and pleasant ambiance with good tasty food for a fair price. That’s all we look in any restaurant, isn’t?

We would love to visit here again on our next trip to Wayanad or Coorg.

(Here is the guide If you are planning to go Dubare Elephant camp and Nisargadhama temple in Coorg)

What We did and Where we ate in our 3 days Vacation to Wayanad

It was dawn by the time we reached the restaurant, unpacked our luggage, ordered ginger tea, spent the evening enjoying the view. We clicked some pics of the spotted deer grazing in a far away land before the desperate monkeys wanted the share of our tea and snacks. Thankfully there was no tv or mobile network, so we had to pick each other’s brain until we until had non-veg meals for dinner :). 

On day -2, we went to Tirunelli Vishnu Temple, then after lunch in Safari Inn at Kutta, we went for 3hrs safari ride to Nagarhole National Park. Again non-veg meals in the resort for dinner.

On day -3, Return back from Wayanad to Bangalore via Bavali – Nagarhole reserve forest – Kabini river. Followed by a long rest and lunch in Mysore, had an awesome time in Malgudi Cafe house for dessert and coffee. Soon, we added this Malgudi cafe house in the Green Hotel Mysore to our all time favourite places to hang out. 

Click the link for google map – https://goo.gl/maps/aA1bfDGLLsUx9m3r8

Best Restaurant in Mysore
Best Place to hangout for dessert and coffee – The Green Hotel Mysore
Best Coffee in Mysore
The Malgudi Coffee house in The Green Hotel Mysore

I would say this was one of the best road trips we have ever experienced. Loved every single minute of our time together.

Sum Up

If you are planning a trip to Wayanad via Gonikoppal, either from Bangalore or Coorg, I would suggest The Spice Rack Restaurant. When compared to the reviews of all other restaurant choices mentioned online, I found The Spice Rack restaurant in Gonikoppal to be elite, with fast service and good quality and tasty food. And definitely a go to place for the best biriyani in Coorg. Cheers!!.

Total 4 Routes: Best Route from Bangalore to Wayanad

Renu on September 20, 2019

best route to reach Wayanad from Bangalore

When you are planning on a Bangalore to Wayanad trip plan, you will be presented with 4 different routes. Which one is the best route from Bangalore to Wayanad?.

We went on a 3 days Bangalore to Wayanad Road trip, and stayed 2 nights in Jungle Retreat resorts on Thirunelli road.

When we started our onward trip, our journey didn’t go as planned. We had to pivot from the plan to reach Wayanad. And we had to take entirely different route for the return journey.

So, I now know how to reach Wayanad from Bangalore.

Bangalore To Wayanad Trip Plan By Car

Whenever we plan a trip, it is always my responsibility for the itinerary and the baggage packing.

It is in my best interest to look for a best route with more good choices for pit stops. 

So I take at-least a week’s time to analyse the routes, gather info from the forums, etc., Finally it wouldn’t take much time to plan the travel including pit stops and list out the travel essentials.

After the trip plan is designed, I would then discuss with hubby to take his opinion. Sometimes he agrees with the plan, sometimes he suggests alternative. At times he would add any additional sightseeing places along the way.

Now, all my research has gone for a toss as we faced an unexpected roadblock, and had to take an entirely new route to reach Wayanad.

So, from our experience I am suggesting the best route from Bangalore to Wayanad by road.

Even Though we stayed in Thirunelli, for the ease of reading I have mentioned the end destination as “Wayanad”. Since your destination could be anywhere in Wayanad so feel free to change it accordingly in google map.

Best Route from Bangalore to Wayanad: 4 Routes with Same Distances

When you are presented with 4 different routes with same distances: then which is the best route from Bangalore to Wayanad. I have given both pros and cons for the most frequented route by travelers, to make an informed decision.

Route 1:

Bangalore to Wayanad via shravanabelagola – Srirangapatna – Bandhipur Tiger Reserve(320 km)

This route looks best for the people travelling from Peenya, Yeshwanthpur, Malleshwaram and other nearby places. And I suggest taking the Nice ring road (toll road) and connecting to the Mysore highways. 

Restaurant choices – Plenty of Veg and Non veg Choices on the NH until Karnataka Border.

Route 2:

Bangalore to Wayanad via Srirangapatna – Hunsur – Nagarhole national park – Kutta (253 km)

This route looks best for the people starting from Bangalore South zone, this was the route we took to reach Wayanad on our onward journey. 

The drive was smooth in NH, except we were diverted from Nagarhole National Park because of heavy rains. 

Nagarhole National park route was closed for both – travelers and the safari tourists. 

So we had to take the Gonikoppal route to reach Wayanad (route 3).

But thanks to the road diversion, we got to eat in one of the best restaurants in Gonikoppal. 

Restaurants in Coorg and Wayanad
Gonikoppal_SpiceRack Restaurant

Note: To avoid any time delay like how we faced at that time, you could call Nagerhole National park office to check for the entry and timings if any.

Note on Nagarhole Wildlife Safari

Although Nagarhole to Kutta route was closed for wildlife safari, Safari from Kutta to Naharhole was operative. And we were able to book tickets to safari from the resort we stayed at, and it was a seamless process instead of booking directly. If you are not booking through the resort / hotel you are staying, you need to be there 45 mins before safari time to stand in a queue for booking.

Restaurant choices – Limited after you cross Hunsur, and very limited going forward. We found a small restaurant called Safari Inn lodge in Kutta during our wildlife safari, otherwise we had no choice but to eat in our resort. 

Route 3:

Bangalore to Wayanad via Srirangapatna – Hunsur – Gonikoppal -Tholpetty – Tirunelli – Kattikulam (303 kms)

This is the next best route from Bangalore to Wayanad, with good restaurant choices and good roadways connecting the destination. We had a good time travelling via Gonikoppal, we absolutely loved driving through woods and hair pin bends.

We reached only around 8pm to the Jungle Retreat Resort in the Thirunelli road. 

sightseeing and stay in wayanad
View from our resort in wayanad

One of the main attractions in the Thirunelly is the Vishnu Temple on the hills and we were just 6kms ride away from the temple. 

Next day morning we went to this temple on the account of celebrating our Wedding anniversary.

Read: How to reach Tirunelli Vishnu Temple, temple timings and dress code.

Also this is the best route to reach Coorg from Bangalore with Gonikoppal being the centre point for pit stop. 

Read: 4 Days Road trip to Coorg from Bangalore by Bike.

Restaurant Choices – After Hunsur, Gonikoppal is the best place with good restaurant choices. Otherwise it’s difficult to find any except for small tea shops.

Route 4:

Bangalore to Wayanad via Kanakapura – Malavalli – Somanathapura – Kabini -Bavali – Kattikulam (290 kms)

We discovered this route on our way back from Wayanad to Bangalore. Since route 2 doesn’t always work, this is the best route from Bangalore to Wayanad I can strongly suggest.

This is also the only best route to reach Kabini river from Bangalore.

best route from Wayanad to bangalore via kabini river
Kabini River view

Kabini reservoir view at this location – https://g.page/Kabini-Resort?share

Which is The ONE Best Route to Reach Wayanad from Bangalore?

From the list of 4 routes mentioned, I found Route 4 is the best route for Bangalore to Wayanad trip plan with so many advantages – 

1. Good roadways all the way connecting Wayanad 

2. No restriction for drive through Nagarhole National park entrance 

3. Enjoy Wildlife enroute

4. Awesome view of the Kabini river as far as your eyes could see (some resorts here with Kabini River view are pretty expensive).

Don’t Break Forest Law – Otherwise Pay 500 rupees Penalty

Note that when you drive through Nagarhole national park, you have but 1hr to cross the exit gate. 

If you delay more than 1 hr to reach the exit gate, that means you have stopped your vehicle in the middle of forest, which is against the forest law. 

And you will be levied Rs. 500 fine for breaking the law. 

Also if any forest rangers found you wandering outside the vehicle anywhere in the forest route, you will be levied heavy penalties, just a heads up guys :).

No one would warn you about this at the entry gate. You can inquire about this time restriction at the entry gate when you purchase an entry ticket (Ticket with a time stamp, with fare 100 rupees for a car). 

Read – Is it Safe to Drive From Bangalore to Coorg by Bike?

Things to Note Before Plan Your Bangalore Wayanad Road Trip

  1. Don’t bother to take route 1 and route 2, directly go for route 4. It is the best route from Bangalore to Wayanad I could suggest. 
  2. Mandatorily pack some food and snacks, or you could buy some when you are in Mysore. It helps when you are left with no good restaurants of your choice. This tip is actually helpful for travelling to any place you see. 
  3. Carry a water kettle to make instant noodles, instant soup and instant coffee when you think your resort is charging you way too much for simple snacks and beverages. This is the best water kettle I have been using for ages and it works best for all kinds of travels. 
  4. Carry back up power banks to charge your mobile phones for emergencies. This is one of the most essentials in our travel bags apart from toiletries, water bottles, kettle and protein packed snack bars. This is the best Bluetooth earphones under 2000 best suited for road trips.
  5. Thanks to our car we were able to charge our phones, otherwise it would have been so difficult in those 3 days. Also it doesn’t hurt to carry 3 or 4 different network sim cards, from our experience “Jio” saved us more than “Airtel”. On the safer side it is better to share the resort’s contact details to your family members for emergencies.
  6. While you are in Tirunelly / Wayanad, you could take your kids to Tholpetty park as well apart from Nagarhole National Park safari ride. And Visit Thirunelli Vishnu Temple for spiritual experience.

Are you a regular road tripper?. Here are some interesting articles for you to explore from my Website. Feel free to explore more of our bike trip experiences

7 Good Qualities of A Bike Ride Partner (A guide to select a Travel Partner)

Renu’s Solo Trip To Kumbakonam – How I roamed Kumbakonam for 5 days in a Rented Bike

How to Go Trip to Goa from Bangalore – Both by Air and Bus

This is How to Prepare for a Long Bike ride in India – Free Guide

Places to Visit in Papanasam with Distances (Rivers, Waterfalls, Dams and Temples)

Renu on August 27, 2019

road trip to papanasam tirunelveli

If you are looking for places to visit in Papanasam, surprisingly there are so many picnic spots you could go to. Papanasam is a small village located 60 kms from Tirunelveli city, falls under Ambasamudram taluk.

Papanasam is a must visit place once in your life time because it is a house for waterfalls, rivers, dams, green fields and historical temples. And all the goodnesses surrounded by hills and forests is a sight to sore eyes.

(Note: there is another place called “Papanasam” near Kumbakonam, also a famous place in Tamilnadu, mostly for temples).

Places to Visit in Papanasam with Distances

Here is a quick look at the sightseeing places to visit in and around Papanasam, Tirunelveli district:

  • In Papanasam – Ancient LordShiva temple at the foot of Agasthiyar Falls
  • Papanasam to Manimuthar (waterfalls and dam) – 14 kms
  • Papanasam to Manjolai (Tea estates) – 65 kms (via Manimutharu)
  • Papanasam to Courtallam – 34 kms
  • Papanasam to Tirumalai kovil, Panpoli – 50 kms  (via Ilanji and Tenkasi)
  • Papanasam to Ilanji Kumarar Temple – 37 kms
  • Papanasam to Tenkasi Ancient Ulagamman and Kasi Vishwanathar temple- 34 kms
  • Tenkasi to Courtallam – 5.5 kms
  • Papanasam to Tirunelveli – 60 kms

I know it is not practically possible to look at all places in Papanasam, here are some popular places to visit in Papanasam in one or two days.

Take a dip in Agasthiyar Waterfalls and Visit Papanasanathar Sivan Temple

  • This famous Hindu temple is located at the foot of Agasthiyar Forest and Waterfalls at the distance of 2.7kms. 
  • All the vehicles are allowed up to the foothill of waterfalls. There is toilet and dress change facilities near the parking.
  • No entry fee to enter the forest but a nominal fee for the waterfalls entry. No special fee for cameras.
  • Forest and waterfalls entry is restricted after 5 PM.
  • The famous Lord Siva temple is called as Papanasanathar or Mukkalanathar, lingam in the main sanctum is believed to be one of the 9 planetary deities – Lord Suriya.
  • This temple is one of the nava kailasam temples on the banks of Thamirabarani river and thus famously called Suriyan temple.
Best sighseeing places in Tirunelveli district - Papanasam agasthiyar falls
The best places to visit in Papanasam Tirunelveli – Agasthiyar falls
Famous Temples in Papanasam - travelduo images
The Best places to visit in Papanasam Tirunelveli – Sivan Temple entrance view

Read Related – Places to Visit in Tirunelveli In One day

Places to Visit near Papanasam – Courtallam Main falls, Courtallam Five falls and Tenkasi

  • Courtallam ranks top in the places to visit in Papanasam Tirunelveli.
  • Not much intro is required for this famous place in Tirunelveli district, the locals call it as Kuttalam, otherwise called Courtallam, is house for many rivers and waterfalls. 
  • Since the Nickname “Spa of South India”.
  • Distance from Papanasam to Courtallam is 34 kms.
  • This place is said to be the origin of rivers namely – Chittar river, Manimuthar river, Pachaiyar river, Thamirabarani river.
  • Most people visit Courtallam mainly for taking a dip in the main falls and pray to lord Siva.
  • You have toilet and dress change facilities here near the car parking area.
  • You could also visit courtallam five falls – Series of 5 small river cascades above a shallow pond, with separate bathing areas for men & women.
  • June to September are the best months to visit courtallam, later the entry is closed to waterfalls due to heavy rain and floods.
  • The famous Lord Kutralanathar temple (Lord Siva) is located at the foot of the main falls – Peraruvi.
  • This temple is one of the Pancha Sabhai Sthalangal, refer to the places where Lord Nataraja performed his cosmic dance.
Famous places to visit near Papanasam - Courtallam falls
Courtallam Main falls (Periya aruvi) Travelduo images in January Month
Courtallam falls and Lord Siva temple travelduo images
Courtallam Sivan Temple – Entrance view
Courtallam falls and Lord Siva temple travelduo images
Courtallam Sivan Temple at the foot of Courtallam main falls

Read Related – The Only Reason We Chose Tirunelveli For Our 5 Days Road Trip from Bangalore

Tenkasi is just 5.5 kms From Courtallam- house for one of the biggest temples in Tamilnadu

  • Tenkasi is the 34th district in Tamilnadu since 2019. This small town is built around the very famous, majestic dravidian style of architecture – Kasi Vishwanathar Ulagamman temple.
  • It is firmly believed that worshipping lord Siva in this temple would bring in as much benefits to the devotees as praying in Kasi – Varanasi.
  • This temple is notably famous for the swayambhu murti of Lord Siva, 180 feet artistic – majestic gopuram and exquisite beauty of the temple sculptures are world known.
The Best places to visit near Papanasam Tirunelveli - Tenkasi
The majestic 180 feet Gopuram View of Tenkasi Kaasi VishwanatharTemple

Related – The Night Bike ride of 200kms: Bangalore to Tiruvannamalai Temple

Places to Visit Near Papanasam – Manimuthar Dam and Waterfalls

  • Another important places to visit in Papanasam is Manimuthar dam and waterfalls, about 14 kms from Papanasam.
  • If you are travelling from Tirunelveli to visit Papanasam, spend some time in Manimuthar dam before heading towards Papanasam.
  • Situated above 6kms from Manimuthar dam is Manimuthar waterfalls and river, with the entry fee of 25 rupees per person. Camera fees extra.
Thamirabarani river near manimuthar dam, travelduo images
Best places to visit in Papanasam Tirunelveli images – Tamirabarani river near Manimuthar dam

Read – A moment of glory in Kanchipuram – Athi Varadar Perumal Raise Once in 40 yrs – We did Darshan on 21 July 2019

Places to visit Near Papanasam – Manjolai

  • If you are travelling from Tirunelveli, Manjolai is another tourist place to stop before heading to Manimuthar and Papanasam.
  • Located on top of the Manimuthar dam is Manjolai, about 23 kms from Manimuthar and about 63 km from Tirunelveli, is famous for tea plantations -Manjolai Estate, Manimutharu Estate & Oothu Estate.

Famous Temples in and around Papanasam with distances

  • Papanasanathar Sivan Temple, Papanasam
  • Kutralanathar Sivan Temple, Courtallam, 34 kms
  • Kasi Viswanathar Temple, Tenkasi, 34 kms
  • Shri Ilanji Kumarar Koil – Ilanji ,37 kms
  • Tirumala Koil -Panpoli, 50 kms
  • Thooranamalai Sri Murugan Koil – Perumpattu, 25 kms
  • Sri Nithya Kalyani Amman Temple, Kilakadayam, 19 kms
  • Ponmalai Murugan Temple, Pulavanoor, 20 kms

Summary

Here is how you can plan one day trip from Tirunelveli to Papanasam – 

  • Tirunelveli – Manjolai – Manimuthar dam (skip waterfalls) – Agasthiyar falls – Papanasam Sivan temple.

(or)

  • Tirunelveli – Papanasam – Courtallam.

See how we spent time in Papanasam and Tirunelveli in our recent 5 days road trip from Bangalore.

If you have a plan to stay in Courtallam then you can plan for Courtallam waterfalls and trekking, visit to all other places mentioned above.

You Know Athi Varadar Perumal Raise Once in 40 yrs Only? – We did Darshan on 21 July 2019

Renu on July 25, 2019

Athi varadar perumal darshan road trip to Vellore, Kanchipuram

Athi Varadar – Lord Vishnu made of Fig tree, has raised from the temple pond on July 1st 2019 after 40 long years.

Athi Varada Perumal, 9 feet tall fig wooden idol is kept immersed in “Kanchipuram Varadaraja temple” Pushkarini (the temple’s pond) for 350 yrs, he raises out of pond once in 40 yrs. 

Sri Varadaraja Perumal Temple’s pond water was cleared to bring out the idol and placed in the temple mandapam for 48 days for devotees darshan.

There were footfall of lakhs of devotees every single day since day 1, to darshan Lord in the Sayana Kolam / Ranganathar Kolam (Lying posture). News is that the Lord will be placed in Nindra Kolam (Sri Venkatesa Perumal Kolam) in the last 10 days.

We were blessed to see him on Sunday 21st July 2019 in Sayana kolam, around 7pm, after waiting in que for 3.30 hrs, walked about 8kms from car parking to darshan. 

We had planned for 2 days road trip from Bangalore to Vellore. On the first day we traveled from Bangalore, stayed in Vellore, traveled to Kanchipuram from Vellore for Athi Varadar Darshan. On the second day we visited Vellore Golden temple before we left to Bangalore.

Image Courtesy – Social Media

For Athi Varadar Darshan: How We Reached Kanchipuram From Bangalore

Bangalore to Vellore

  • We started on 21st July Sunday Morning by 5.45 am from our home by car. We had breakfast at our all time favourite Krishna Inn in Shoolagiri (Right next to McDonald’s in Bangalore to Salem highways).
  • Reached Vellore by 11am, had wonderful darshan in Vellore Shiva Temple – Jalakandeswarar Temple located inside the Vellore Fort.
  • We checked in at the hotel Khanna Fiesta around 12 noon, took a much needed break from long drive before we got ready to leave to Kanchipuram.
  • Then had a light lunch in the ground floor khanna Veg restaurant, before we started our travel to Kanchipuram.

Drive to Kancheepuram – Athi Varadar Darshan

  • We reached Kanchipuram before 4pm, parked our vehicle 1 km away from the Sri Varadaraja temple East gopuram. Left our footwears in the nearest shop, headed towards the gopuram entrance. We somehow had hope of getting special entrance for a fee, but we were told that there are no paid entrance, except for general que for all the devotees.
  • Joined the general que at 4.05 pm, walked among the flood of devotees, with the free biscuit pack and mini water bottle provided by the government service. There were lots of people running among the crowd testing our patience.
  • And some were pushing and elbowing the people for a quick getaway, some lost temper and got into fist fights. But we stood in queue calmly to save energy for a long walk.
  • We reached the darshan mandap in 3.5 hrs time, had wonderful darshan of Lord Athi Varadar in the Sayana Kolam. 
  • There was also a special que from the temple entrance for family with elders and kids. Also there was a special que for devotees with VIP tickets, god knows how we couldn’t get one. For all of them it only took 45 mins to reach Darshan mandap. 
  • There was a live telecast of the pooja being performed to the Lord AthiVaradar. It kept the audience engaged for those long hrs of painful queue. 
  • There was also a team of doctors camp for first – aid just in case.

Read Related – Bangalore to Kanchipuram Road trip of 570 kms (with route map)

Returning back to Vellore – The Reason for stay in Vellore

After Lord Athi Varadar darshan, we got back energy all the energy we lost standing /slow walking in the que. We came out of the temple (don’t know exactly which side of temple), walked for about 3 kms to reach the east gopuram to collect our shoes. Then again walked for about 1km to reach our vehicle parking.

We have book marked the vehicle parking area in google maps, so it was no trouble getting to the vehicle in the pitch dark.

Started the car and headed straight to Vellore, reached the stay by 9.30, with the rumbling stomach. Soon after reaching the hotel, we had dinner in the in-house Veg restaurant Called Khanna Veg Restaurant.

We didn’t want to eat in Kancheepuram from our previous trip experience. Wonder where people eat in this most visited pilgrimage place with footfall of lakhs of devotees all year round. 

This was one of the reason for not choosing to book room in Kancheepuram, but even if we had tried we would not have got it in these 48 days.

Kanchipuram town is world wide famous for its unique traditional silk sarees. Kanchipuram is house for hundreds of handlooms for authentic and exquisite silk sarees manufacturing and retail sales.

Well, in both the visits in the past we have bought silk sarees from a famous shop. This time we didn’t plan for any shopping, our only intention was to get at least the glimpse of Lord Athi Varadar. 

We were more than blessed to visit him on 21st july 2019, Sunday 7pm, a moment of glory with Lord Athi Varada Perumal. 

Read Related – From Bangalore to Kanchipuram Road trip or Train trip?