Temples of South
India
Duration – 9 Days
Destinations: - Chennai,
Mahabalipuram,
Pondicherry,
Trichy,
Madurai
Day 01: - Arrive
Chennai, India
Arrive at Chennai International Airport.
Chennai or Madras as it was known as is the capital of Tamilnadu.
It is a teeming, sprawling, bustling industrial metro established
on the site of a fishing village in 1639 as a first British
settlement in India by the English merchant, Francis Day.
Later, The East India Company developed Chennai as one of the major trading centres in India. Chennai has a blend of
Dravidian and Gothic architecture in its buildings. The city
might have grown but it has never lost its traditional grace
and charm. The Tamil society might have incorporated English
culture but the Dravidian roots are as strong as ever. Here
many interesting churches still remain from the first British
settlement in India. This coastal city has a beautiful promenade
and a string of waterfront Indo-Saracenic buildings.
Upon clearing Customs and Immigration, you are met by our
representative who will present you with a welcome pack including
all necessary documentation and arrange for your transfer
to your hotel for check-in. No activity is scheduled today,
since most of the International flights arrive into India
close to midnight only. Overnight at hotel
Day 02: - Chennai
This morning you are collected from your hotel for a half
day tour of Chennai.
This tour includes a visit to The Santhome Cathedral Church
- built in 1504, then rebuilt in neo-Gothic style in 1893,
this Roman Catholic Church near Kapaleeshwarar temple is said
to house the remains of St. Thomas the Apostle.
St Thomas Mount - is the place where the apostle is said to
have been killed.
Little Mount Shrine - St. Thomas is believed to have lived
in Little Mount Shrine (a tiny cave) when he came to India
around 58 A.D. Known locally as Chinnamalai, the cave is entered
via the Portuguese Church that was built in 1551.
Fort St George -built in the 1640 A.D., the first bastion
of British power of India, the fort has undergone much alteration.
The fort is now used by the Tamilnadu Legislative Assembly
and the Secretariat office. The 46m high flagstaff at the
front is actually a mast salvaged from a 17th century shipwreck.
St Mary's Church – built in 1678-80, was the first English
Church in Chennai, and is the oldest surviving British Church
in India. There are reminders in the Church of Clive, who
was married here in 1753, and of Elihu Yale, the early Governor
of Chennai who later founded the famous American University
bearing his name.
The Fort Museum - It has a collection of objects from the
tenure of the East India Company in Chennai including letters
from Robert Clive.
Rest of the day at leisure to explore the city on your own.
Overnight at hotel.
Day
03: - Chennai - Mahabalipuram
This morning you drive to Mahabalipuram (60 kms/1½
hrs.)
Mahabalipuram - Mahabalipuram is a sleepy coastal town 60
kms south of Chennai. This tiny sea side village set in a
boulder strewn landscape is a site of many ancient sculptural
marvels. It was the port city of the Pallavas who had mastered
the art of construction without using bricks or mortar, carving
out exquisite sculptures from rocks. The best examples of the ir art here are the five monolith chariots, the pride of
Mahabalipuram. The various panels on the walls depict scenes
from Hindu mythology and fables from the Panchtantra. The
Mahabalipuram ruins, date to the seventh century and consist
of a cave temple, shore temple, monolithic rathas (rock-carved
temple chariots) and bas-reliefs (among the world's finest.).
It is the ideal place to purchase intricately shaped and skilfully
carved statues.
Mahabalipuram , is one of the Indian towns that was devastated
by the recent Tsunami waves in December 2004 , but in true
Indian style , the city’s inhabitants showed tremendous
grit and courage and had the city back to normal very quickly.
Upon arrival check-in to the hotel. Rest of the day at leisure
to explore the city on your own or perhaps just relax on the
beach. Overnight at hotel.
Day 04:
- Mahabalipuram - Pondicherry
This morning you drive to Pondicherry (95-kms/02 hrs.).
Pondicherry - Pondicherry a former French colony settled
in the 18th century is now a Union territory and a beautiful
seaside town with traces of French culture still intact .Apart
from the charming atmosphere, excellent restaurants, and cheap
beer, what attracts most travelers to Pondicherry is the Sri
Aurobindo Ashram. The ashram, founded by Sri Aurobindo in
the year 1926, has brought international reputation to this
coastal town.
Upon arrival check-in to the hotel. Afternoon you are collected
from your hotel for a half day tour of Pondicherry.
This tour includes visits to the Sri Aurobindo Ashram - Founded
in 1926, the Sri Aurobindo Ashram has grown, under the Mother’s
guidance, from a small group of two dozen disciples into a
large diversified community. The Ashram is not a quiet place
of retreat secluded from the world but a vibrant centre of
life in a modern urban setting.
Aurobindo hand made paper factory - one of the Ashram’s
most successful commercial enterprises, with the paper produced
here being exported to other countries. You can actually watch
the process of manufacturing quality hand made paper as you
wander through the factory. The Pondicherry Museum with its
various stone statues and a fossilized tree trunk is also
worth a visit..
Evening at leisure. Overnight at hotel.
Day 05: - Pondicherry
- Trichy
This morning you drive to Trichy (255 kms/05 hrs.) enroute
visiting Tanjore – Famous as a “Rice bowl of Tamil
Nadu”, Thanjavur was the royal city of the Chola Empire
which ruled from 850 to 1270. It is the home of Carnatic music,
musical instruments, dance and traditional hadicrafts. It
is famous for the Brahadeeswarar Temple, built by the greatest
of the Chola emperors. It is also regarded as the Chola dynasty's
finest contribution to the Dravidian temple architecture.
Listed as a World Heritage site, the temple is visited by
a large number of people for regular worship.
Later continue your drive to Trichy.
Trichy - Trichy is a fine blend of tradition and modernity
built around the Rock Fort. It was one of the main centers
around which the wars of the Carnatic were fought in the 18th
century during the British-French struggle for supremacy in
India. It was a citadel of the early Cholas kings which later
fell to the Pallavas kings. This city is a thriving commercial
centre in Tamilnadu, and is famous for artificial diamonds,
cigars, handloom cloth, glass bangles and wooden and clay
toys. This city has given great Tamil scholars whose contributions
to the Tamil literature have been very significant.
Upon arrival check-in to the hotel. Rest of the day at leisure.
Overnight at hotel.
Day 06: - Trichy
This morning you are collected from your hotel for a half
day tour of Trichy.
This tour includes a visit to Rock Fort Temple -which stands
on a 84 m high rock in the centre of the town. In the eighteenth
century, the British fought and defeated the French at Trichy
for possession of the fort. Cave-shrines and temples are built
on the rock - look out for the Hall of a Thousand Pillars
and the shrine of Shiva. At the top we can relax and enjoy
the panoramic views of Trichy. Our next stop is the enormous
Ranganathswamy Temple. Dedicated to the Hindu god Vishnu,
the temple was known as a theological seat of learning as
far back as the 11th century and as a sacred site it dates
back two thousand years. As it is today, the temple comprises
of a series of walled courts with 21 towers – the tallest
of which reaches up 72 meters. It is a busy place with street
sellers offering sweets, garlands and holy images to worshippers
and tourists alike.
Afternoon at leisure. Overnight at hotel.
Day 07: - Trichy
– Madurai
This morning you drive to Madurai (200-kms/05 hrs).
Madurai - Madurai or the "city of nectar" nestled
down near the southern tip of India. This 2,500-year-old city
is famous for its Hindu and Tamil cultural attractions. The
ancient Kingdom of Maurya on the banks of the Vaigai River
is one of India’s most sacred pilgrimage centres. Originally
designed in the shape of a lotus motif, the city has since
spread into a colourful patchwork of temples, bazaars and
narrow roads packed with shops, stalls, pilgrims and cows.
A must-see is the impressive multitowered Sri Meenakshi Temple
built in 1560. Menakshi Temple, a vast complex of chambers
is renowned as the finest example of Dravidian architecture
in southern India.
Upon arrival check-in to the hotel. Rest of the day at leisure.
Overnight at hotel.
Day 08: - Madurai
This morning you are collected from your hotel for a half-day
tour of Madurai.
This tour includes a visit to the great Meenakshi Temple
-a splendid example of Dravidian architecture. The present
temple was designed in 1560 by Vishwanatha Nayak and subsequently
built during the reign of Tirumalai Nayak. There are four
entrances to the temple with an area of six hectares. Each
of its 12 towers has the height of 45 to 50 meters. Later,
visit the Tirumala Nayak Palace - A gracious building in the
Indo saracenic style, famous for the Stucco work on its domes
& arches. Also visit the Alagar Hills and Tirupara Kundran
Rock temple.
Evening witness Temple ceremony at Meenakshi Temple. Overnight
at hotel.
Day 09: - Madurai – Chennai
This morning you will be met by our representative and escorted
from your hotel to the airport intime to connect with the
flight for Chennai
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