Kanchipuram and Mahabalipuram

Date: 25-Oct-15 and 26-Oct-15

We had to attend one of Thilak’s cousins’ weddings in Chennai on 26 October. I had lived in Chennai for one and a half years between 2009 and 2010, and this was my first visit to the city after five years. While searching for accommodation, I came across many familiar localities and landmarks, which brought back several memories from my time there. Naturally, I was excited to visit Chennai once again.

Combining a family function with sightseeing

Rather than making the trip solely about attending the wedding, we decided to explore a couple of nearby destinations as well. The two places that immediately came to our minds were Kanchipuram and Mahabalipuram. Since the wedding reception was scheduled for the night before the wedding, we had some flexibility to include sightseeing in our itinerary.

After considering the available time, we finalized the following plan.

Itinerary

• Day 1: Start early in the morning, visit the popular temples of Kanchipuram, and reach Chennai by evening (around 3 PM to 4 PM). Attend the wedding reception at night.
• Day 2: Attend the wedding in the morning. Have lunch with family. If time permits and the weather is comfortable, visit Mahabalipuram. Explore the major attractions of Mahabalipuram and return to Bangalore.

Route planning

Since we had limited time for sightseeing, we decided to use the national highways for both onward and return journeys. The onward route followed AH43 and AH45 via Krishnagiri, Vellore, and Kanchipuram before reaching Chennai.

For the return journey, we preferred the same highway network instead of experimenting with state roads. We expected to finish sightseeing in Mahabalipuram only by evening, and driving on familiar highways after dark seemed like the safer and more comfortable option.

Thus, we planned a short trip that combined a family celebration with visits to two of Tamil Nadu’s most famous heritage destinations.

Travel snapshot

• Onward route: BTM Layout > Hosur > Krishnagiri > Vellore > Kanchipuram > Chennai
  Return route: Chennai > Mahabalipuram > Chengalpet > Kanchipuram > Vellore > Krishnagiri > Hosur > BTM Layout
• Total distance (To & Fro): 827 km
• Mileage (Car): 21 km/l
• Fuel expense: 2422 Rs
• Total expense: 6662 Rs

The detailed day-wise travel experiences of this trip can be found in the following posts:

• Day 1 – Kanchipuram
• Day 2 – Mahabalipuram