NH 73 — Kyatasandra to Padil

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NH 73

Tumakuru–Mangaluru Highway

324 km Open Karnataka National Highway

Route

NH 73 runs 324 km from Kyatasandra, Karnataka to Padil, Karnataka.

Crosses Karnataka.

Through Kyatasandra, Tumakuru, Tipaturu, Arasikere, Belur, Mudigere, Belthangadi, Mangaluru and Padil.

Why it matters

Coastal Karnataka trades with the interior over a handful of ghat roads. When the Shiradi Ghat closes for repair — which it often does — Charmadi carries the load.

History

National Highway 73 runs west from Tumakuru through Tiptur and Arsikere to Belur, then climbs down the Western Ghats through the Charmadi Ghat to Belthangady and Mangaluru on the coast. The Charmadi is one of the three main ghat crossings between Bengaluru and coastal Karnataka, and it is the narrowest and most scenic of them.

Good to know

Crosses the Western Ghats by the Charmadi Ghat, a tight, steeply banked mountain road.
Passes Belur, whose Hoysala temple was made a UNESCO World Heritage Site in 2023.
Tiptur, on the route, is one of the largest coconut markets in India.
It is one of only three main road crossings of the Ghats between Bengaluru and Mangaluru.

On the road

The Charmadi Ghat has tight hairpins and is not comfortable for large vehicles or nervous drivers. Landslides close it in heavy monsoon. Avoid it after dark in the rains.

More details

Lanes: 2 lanes, widened in places; ghat section

Connected roads

NH 75 Mangaluru–Bengaluru–Vellore HighwayThe Shiradi Ghat route, the other main road down to Mangaluru NH 66 Panvel–Kanyakumari HighwayThe coastal highway met at Mangaluru NH 48 Delhi–Chennai HighwayThe Bengaluru–Pune highway met at Tumakuru NH 150A Chamarajanagara–Jevaragi National HighwayMet near Chikkanayakanahalli NH 69 Honnavar–Chittoor HighwayMet near Arasikere NH 169 Nanthoor–Hosa Mandli National HighwayMet near Mangaluru

Sources

NHAI — National Highways Authority of India Ministry of Road Transport & Highways

NH 73 — Tumakuru–Mangaluru Highway