Sunday, April 28, 2013

Chennai to Palani Trip

Made a trip to Palani on 23-4-2013, started from Home at 7am, earlier checked the route plans with HVK and Gearheads for the Trichy Dindigul diversion rechecked with Google maps and took printouts for the easy navigation.

Traffic was there till Chengalpet bypass after that it was a bliss, had made a rule that speed not to exceed 80KMPH, so was cruising with the highway with music to give company.

As usual the Tambaram Tindivanam road was milled out at many locations for relaying and all these locations the transition was a sharp jump. Road condition has gone to worse, not sure when they will restore right from December 2012 i am witnessing it.

Stopped at Ulunderpet toll plaza and got the most sweet tasting jackfruit.
Reached Trichy around 11 am and  followed the direction Boards to take it on to the Dindigul Highway, the Trichy Dindigul 4 Lane road starts after a few km, so have to ride on a rough patch for about 6km,  touched the 4 lane road and traffic was almost nil continued the drive and earlier planned to visit Puthanatham for getting some readymade dress as i had read in a magazine that Puthanatham sells good readymade at cheap prices.
Reached Manaparai around 12 pm and was looking for the famous manaparai murukku couldnt able to locate at any of the shops selling it.

Continued to the puthanatham and found it to be a small town asked for the direction to Dindigul and after taking the turn found the shop having the readymade dress. Checked to a shop and took the dress to heart's content, Dress for me, my son and for my wife. It was nearing lunch time hence couldn't spend more time as we were hungry and our next stop was at Dindigul Venu Biriyani so left and reached Dindigul Venu biriyani around 2.30pm the shop had run out of biriyani, took an empty biriyani, it was too spicy and hot not worth its name. after finishing started for Palani from Dindigul by 3.30 pm and reached Palani by 5 pm.

Visited the temple had a good darshan, next day planned to visit Kodaikanal, but the bus service was too infrequent, hence vacated room and started for Chennai by 10am, again empty roads, the Dindigul Palani Trichy stretch is too much dominated by Tata Ace not sure where they are plying and what business they get.

Crossed Trichy by 12 pm not able to locate good hotel, this time at Manaparai took the famous murukku as usual it was delicious and crispy, looking for a teashop on the Dindigul trichy stretch couldnt find a decent one.

Continued on the NH 45 reached Ulundurpet and took the Tasty jackfruit and rushed to have Lunch at Ponnusamy villupuram at 2.30pm as usual biriyani was finished, the waiter gave one biriyani to my son who was disappointed for not having biriyani, we had the empty biriyani again.

Started after completing Lunch and as usual traffic picked up from Chengalpet and reached Home by 5 pm.

Overall 970km ride and toll charges was 570 rs
 Drive on the NH 45 near Chengalpet
 On the move towards Palani at Thiruvannamalai diversion nearing Tindivanam
 Trichy to Dindigul Diversion Road
 Trichy Dindigul 4 lane road NH 45
 Puthanatham to NH 45 Connecting road
  Puthanatham to NH 45 Connecting road
 On Nearing Dindigul
 Unique road with one side paved shoulder only from Dindigul to Palani
 On the move to Palani
 Pilgrims using the paved shoulder unaware of the traffic from behind, they could move to the other side watching the oncoming traffic.
 Oddanchatram ROB not sure how they are going to connect it in the middle
 Km to go at the karur Dindigul Diversion
 Dindigul Railway track and RUB
 NH45
 NH 45 inviting roads
 Important Numbers from Tambaram to Thuvarankurichi pondicherry toll plaza locations call centres
 At Ulundurpet
 At Ulundurpet toll plaza
 At Ulundurpet taking a brief halt
 Ready to start
 Our famed Infant Jesus Bus was at Ulunderpet at around 1.30 pm they were attending to it for some repairs
 New Model Car Volvo shot at NH 45
 Precast structure slender and thin not sure how it is stiffened and where it is put to use
 Another view
 Reaching towards Home


Our Hero with the Palani Tonsure