[googlemaps https://maps.google.com/maps?f=d&source=s_d&saddr=Bengaluru,+Karnataka&daddr=11.7511,78.05118+to:11.2057,78.16806+to:10.94469,78.41424+to:10.8793399,78.5826121+to:10.82751,78.70095+to:10.819292,78.7010876+to:10.7917111,78.7661051+to:10.81244,78.7168+to:10.7900424,78.7695192+to:10.77954,78.78458+to:Kumbakonam,+Tamil+Nadu,+India&hl=en&geocode=FU_uxQAdw_-fBCltTrTJcBauOzHgT35R6MPf-A%3BFbxOswAdbPemBCn3fJXgEvmrOzGh0_S6iK6FXA%3BFUT8qgAd_L-oBClp2obVms6rOzFHkETwFn365g%3BFbIApwAdoIGsBCl_vGGOY0-qOzHrs0GkDMGQNw%3BFWsBpgAdVBOvBCkLOmAGQlmqOzHQj-ovgxIQ-g%3BFfY2pQAdluGwBCmFt5NCrfWqOzHWjOqk60B8SQ%3BFdwWpQAdH-KwBClbTSXcqvWqOzE5bI_XMcqCAA%3BFR-rpAAdGeCxBCnTMedMQfOqOzG-sAFkZlFWIg%3BFRj8pAAdgB-xBCm1kTrT9vSqOzEbKhOUu5tIZg%3BFZqkpAAdb-2xBCkxe0M9R_OqOzF95VkvwW6avQ%3BFZR7pAAdRCiyBCmt1b_GLfOqOzGsBzZf_UQmRg%3BFR5DpwAd0V27BCkZNDVgszJVOjE1rRNE2bXsCQ&aq=0&oq=kumbskona&sll=10.790034,78.776081&sspn=0.095105,0.110378&t=m&mra=dpe&mrsp=10&sz=13&via=1,2,3,4,5,6,7,8,9,10&ie=UTF8&ll=10.962764,78.640137&spn=3.774386,4.669189&z=7&output=embed&w=425&h=350]
Trip details:
- Distance = 443 km (one-way)
- Road until Namakkal is awesome (4-6 lane National Highway). I keep referring this to as Vajpayee Road – lest we forget the great man who kicked off the Golden Quadrilateral Highway project.
- Speed will drop while approaching Salem though. Even though it is a bypass, several roundabouts and a lot of traffic will reduce your speed.
- After Namakkal, it is 2 lane highway. Road quality is pretty decent though.
- I was told that the last stretch to Musiri is really bad. So my brother-in-law had asked me to take the Kulithalai bridge just before reaching Musiri. The Kulithalai to Trichy road runs parallel to the Musiri Trichy road – just on the other side of the River Cauvery. The road however is decent.
- Once inside Trichy, there are two ways to reach Kumbakonam.
- First way is through Kallanai (Grand Anaicut) -> Thiruvaiyaar -> Kumbakonam.
- I took this road on my onward journey. This is typical country road. Single lane. The road quality is OK, not spectacular. There are patches of good and bad roads. I am told however to avoid this road during rainy season, since the road quality invariably deteriorates.
- Second way is through Tanjore -> Kumbakonam.
- I took this road on the way back. From Trichy, take the road towards Samayapuram. You will see the road leading to Nagappitanam. This is a national highway connecting Nagappatinam->Coimbatore. Extremely good road. This road leads you to Tanjore outskirts. Take the Tanjore bypass toward Papanasam. You will hit Ammapettai, Papanasam, Swamimalai and then Kumbakonam.
- Tanjore to Kumbakonam is typical of all Tanjore district (tanjavoor jilla roads :)) roads. Single lane. Winding roads with trees and fields on both sides. THe road will pass through every village/town on the road. Crazy bus drivers. Watch out for unmarked speed breakers too.