Chennai to Thiruchendur road trip in late October 2020

Single day return ride from Chennai to Thiruchendur and back on Saturday, 2020-10-31 in Yamaha FZ25 by K Veanu. 

Roads are fine all through till Thuthukkudi. Thereafter the state highway had lots of speed breakers and many rough patches. 

Indian Roadie Preferred Route for Chennai to Thiruchendur: 

Chennai - Trichy - Madurai - Thuthukkudi - Thiruchendur. 

Left home in Chennai for Thiruchendur at 5 am. Reached by 2 pm.  Returned home at 2 am. Returned via the same route. 

Filling stations within Chennai city limits were not open at 5.30 am. Filled fuel at a highway pump at Perungalathur.  Every toll plaza had long queues of vehicles. Small time vendors were busy hawking their chores. No masks at most places. 
Our fellow roadie had assumed that temple will be devoid of crowd, only to realise that all devotees thought so. Signages clearly said kids less than 10 yrs and elders above 65 yrs won't be permitted inside the temple. That was only on the board. People of all ages were going inside with the same enthusiasm. He did 9 pradhakshinams which was pending for a long time. He tried maintaining social distancing to maximum possible extent. Did darshan from a distance without getting inside the temple and got back on saddle by 5 pm.  Completed early dinner by 7 pm at a restaurant called Mangalam Restaurant on the Kariapatti bypass.
Fuel break was at Samayapuram around 9.45 pm. 

Covid Perspective: 
His was a KA registered bike. Was not stopped anywhere. If you are coming from other state don't try your luck. Do whatever is necessary. Check before entering. As of today you just need e registration of details before entering the state of TN and need epass for hill stations. 
Seems life in TN has almost returned to normal with folks roaming freely. Temples are crowded, restaurants are crowded.  Seems now Corona had to learn to live with us in TN. Sad state of affairs. People are not bothered. So keep a hand sanitizer handy and carry spare masks. If it falls, before you pick it, someone will stomp. That much of social distancing is followed. 
Saw a lot of Chennai registered vehicles in Thoothukkudi. Few KA registered too. They did not look like tourists. Possibly most of them have moved back to their hometown with their bikes and cars.