Whether you consider it the metropolitan city in the South of India or a city with some of the best beaches, Chennai is famous for various reasons. If you live in Chennai, you have many reasons to feel good not only for all the facilities you get here that make your life much easier, but also because the city is a point from where you can take various road trips. The location of Chennai, despite being on the coast, has great connectivity through the state and national highways. Whether you want to explore the state of Tamil Nadu or head to other states, you can travel to anywhere you want.
Now if you are all pepped up for an offbeat road trip from Chennai, you can easily choose the beautiful journey to Anantapur. It is a city in the state of Andhra Pradesh that was used as a strategic point by the British Indian Army during World War II. The road trip from Chennai to Anantapur should be planned during the winter season as the weather condition of the route and the destination is usually dry and hot and does not become too cold even during the winter months. The distance between Chennai to Anantapur is 425.4 km and takes around 9 hours and 13 minutes. This means you can start early in the morning from Chennai to reach Anantapur on the same day.
Before you start the journey, you can keep the Chennai to Anantapur route map handy, in case the GPS gives you a hard time on the way. The road trip can be really exciting with all the pit-stops you can take on the way. Let us take a look at the places that you can take breaks at before you reach Anantapur.
The temple town of Nagalapuram in Andhra Pradesh was built during the period of Krishnadevaraya of the Vijayanagara Empire regime. The place is famous for housing Vedanarayana Temple, which is dedicated to Lord Vishnu in the form of Matsya.
Distance: 70.4 km
It is a village you will find on your way to Anantapur from Chennai. The village is located at a closer distance to Tirupati. You can take a short break here and enjoy the beautiful view of the village.
Distance: 99.7 km
Chandragiri has been an important town for several years. It was ruled by the Vijayanagar Empire from 1367. You can still find several reminiscences of the Vijayanagar period here. While you take a pit-stop here, you can visit the Raja Mahal here that was built in the 11th century. Exploring this town is one of the most interesting things to do on the road trip.
Distance: 145.2 km
Once you start from Chandragiri, it will take just five hours to reach Anantapur. And as you reach Anantapur, you can head to your hotel; take some rest, and gear up for the exciting upcoming hours.
If you are a history buff, you will have some of the best times spent in this town. The town was under the rule of several empires but the one that almost everyone remembers and left a mark in history was the Vijayanagar Empire. Although you will find the ruins of the Vijayanagar Empire in the entire town, here are the places to visit in and around Anantapur that you can include in your itinerary.
The ISKCON at Anantapur is one of the major tourist attractions that you can visit. As all the other ISKCON located in various parts of the world, this is equally beautiful. Spending some time here will surely bring you peace of mind. If you happen to visit the town during Janmashthami, you will even see the most beautiful side of the temple.
Ahobilam is a tiny village located near Anantapur at a distance of 37 km. The village is known for housing the Lord Narasimha Swamy Temple. Within the temple complex, you will find other temples of Adi Lakshmi Devi Temple and Chenchu Lakshmi Devi.
This is one of the most famous temples near Anantapur that you must take a tour of. The temple is devoted to Hindu Lord Shiva. The unique feature of this temple is the natural underground spring from which the waterfalls into the Garbha Griha. You will find Shiva Purana written here on the walls of the temple. The temple is situated at a distance of 51 km.
Now here is something for the history aficionados. The fort was earlier called Ghanagiri, and as you enter the 11-feet tall fort you will find a huge idol of Lord Hanuman. The other things that you will find inside this fort are Gagan Mahal and Babayya Darga. A drive of 67 km from Anantapur will take you to this fort.
It is one of the oldest and famous hill forts in the state of Andhra Pradesh. This fort was used by empires like Chalukyas, Mughals, Marathas, and even the East India Company. The fort is spread over a huge area, and you will be able to witness bastions, granaries, ramparts, storerooms, etc. The Gooty Fort is situated at a distance of 49 km.
While you have made your mind to explore Anantapur, you can choose a self-drive car rental in Chennai and enjoy the trip thoroughly. The car rental from Revv is one of the most opted for, presently in India. You can choose the car of your choice and make the plan to see the beautiful side of Anantapur. To get started, download the Revv App and check out the amazing inventory of vehicles available in Chennai.
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