BHPian prasad14 recently shared this with other enthusiasts: Hello all, 1. Nothing new to report on the Bangalore-Mantralayam road. Gooty-Pattikonda road is getting worse. A lot of potholes, too many unmarked humps, and eunuchs in a couple of places. Since it was post-Ganesha festival, there was no extortion in the villages as others have reported. (Went to Bichchale from Mantralayam and there the villagers stopped the car with ropes for some donation to a temple (I think), though I managed to get through without giving them anything – I’d have probably, if it was a request and not an extortion attempt). Otherwise, the highway section till Gooty is superb, and so is Adoni-Mantralayam. Total of 6 hours from JP Nagar (with a 20-minute break at Nandi Upachar), 2 hours from Gooty. Rushed a bit so as not to miss the lunch at the mutt. 2. Went to Hampi from Mantralayam on the route Google suggested. Mantralayam-Adoni-Alur-Ballari-Hampi. 4.5hrs with a 30min break in Ballari for lunch. Roads are pretty decent, though passing through Adoni was extremely painful (they are building a bypass, which should save at least 15-20 minutes). The Adoni-Ballari 2-lane road is good, barring some scattered bad stretches. Ballari onwards till diversion to Hampi are 4-lane roads (NH67) with constructions at a few places. It was raining, and with the truck traffic, it called for little extra concentration. (There is a tolled state highway while entering Ballari, and I paid Rs.20 with a heavy heart as a recent entrant to ATP and regained my happiness after I realized that even with a NH toll, it’d have still costed me Rs.15 ). (Additional info for folks going to Chakrateetha/Kodanda Rama temple/Yantrodharaka Hanuman temple in Hampi, that there is a car park lot closer to these places (near Police station), and no need to park at the main/initial lot (meant for the Virupaksha temple). This’d save 700-800m of walking. Check out BHPian comments for more insights and information.
