NH 77
Krishnagiri–Tindivanam Highway
181 km
Open
Tamil Nadu
National Highway
Route
NH 77 runs 181 km from Krishnagiri, Tamil Nadu to Tindivanam, Tamil Nadu.
Crosses Tamil Nadu.
Through Krishnagiri, Uthangarai, Chengam, Tiruvannamalai, Giingee and Tindivanam.
Why it matters
It is a useful diagonal across northern Tamil Nadu, and for millions of pilgrims a year it is the road to Tiruvannamalai.
History
National Highway 77 runs south-east across northern Tamil Nadu from Krishnagiri through Chengam and Tiruvannamalai to Gingee and Tindivanam. Its middle is a temple road: Tiruvannamalai, at the foot of the hill Arunachala, draws enormous crowds every full moon for the Girivalam walk around the hill, and hundreds of thousands come at Karthigai Deepam.
Good to know
- Serves Tiruvannamalai, where pilgrims walk the fourteen-kilometre circuit around Arunachala hill every full moon.
- Passes the Gingee Fort, a huge hill fortress held in turn by the Nayaks, Marathas, Mughals, French and British.
- Connects the Bengaluru–Chennai corridor at Krishnagiri to the Chennai–Trichy highway at Tindivanam.
- Karthigai Deepam at Tiruvannamalai brings traffic on this road to a standstill for days.
On the road
Plan around the full moon if you are passing Tiruvannamalai — the town closes to through traffic during Girivalam.
More details
- Lanes
- 2–4 lanes