Day/
1 Chennai
Arrive Chennai - the gateway to southern India, established
in 1639 by the East India Company, is one of the oldest cities
of the country. Assistance and transfer to hotel.
After
lunch at hotel, half day sightseeing tour, visiting Gandhi Memorial,
Kala Kshetra, Mylapore temple and Marine beach. Dinner and overnite
at hotel.
Day/
2 Chennai (Excursion - Tirupathi,154kms/3.5hours)
After breakfast, proceed to Tirupathi. Lunch at local restaurant
Tirupathi is a temple town known for the famous ancient temple
of Lord Venkateswara (Lord of seven hills or Balaji, as he is
affectionately known ) on the top of the 860mts high Tirumala
hills. The temple of Lord Venkateswara is not only believed
to be amongst the oldest temples in the country, but also the
richest of them all .Legend has it that Lord Venkateswara borrowed
money from the divine treasurer Kubera for his wedding expenses.
He is still paying back this debt which is why the pilgrims
donate generously to the temple funds. In the evening return
to Chennai for dinner and overnite stay.
Day/
3 Chennai - Kanchipuram - Mamallapooram
After breakfast drive to Kanchipuram ( 76 kms/01.50 hrs ) –
is the ancient capital of the Pallavas famous as a city of 1000
Temples and still has 124 shrines. The first temple dedicated
to Shiva was built in the 7th and 8th century and has paintings
on the walls. Temples of Ekambaswara, Kailasanatha, Sri Kamakshi
and Varadarajaswamy are of interest.
Kanchipuram
is also famous for its silks. Lunch at local restaurant and
later drive to Mamallapooram and check in at hotel.
Afternoon visit the city - built in 7th century, earlier called
Mahabalipooram, this ancient Pallava port, is today the sight
of several antique sculptural marvels. In this ancient seaside
town , shrines and huge sculptures cut-out of rocks more than
1200 years back during the reign of Pallava Kings in the region
can be seen. The rock carvings depicting mythological episodes
- of demons, Gods and animals in battle and others - are truly
poems in stone. The only shore temple which remains here is
the spectacular two - spired shrine, unique because it houses
both Lord Shiva and the Lord Vishnu in its sanctum-sanctorum.
Dinner and overnite at hotel.
Day/
4 Mamallapooram - Tiruvannamalai - Pondicherry
After breakfast drive to Tiruvannamallai(112kms/03hrs)- a pilgrim
centre with an ancient temple of Lord Shiva. After lunch at
local restaurant, proceed to Pondicherry (131kms/ 3.5hrs), which
carries a strong whiff of the French presence in India. This
erstwhile French colony on the east coast of South India merged
with the rest of the country in 1954. Legend says that Pondicherry
is the place where St.Agasthaya settled down. Checkin ,dinner
and overnite at hotel.
Day/
5 Pondicherry
After breakfast drive to visit Aurbindo Ashram, the city of
dawn, which is 10kms north of Pondicherry. This ashram promotes
Aurbindo's ideas in bringing about a synthesis of Yoga and modern
science, so as to unite the spirit and matter. After lunch at
hotel, visit Auroville - a unique experiment in international
living and in creating a new environment where men and women
of all nationalities live together in harmony. Dinner and overnite
at hotel.
Day/
6 Pondicherry - Chidambaram - Tanjore
After breakfast drive to Chidambaram(65kms/1.5hrs) also called
as Thillai, which has the famous Nataraja temple with the root
of the sanctum-sanctorum covered with golden plates is located
in the centre of the town covering an area of 40 acres. In this
temple, postures from the Bharatnatayam form of dance are depicted
in sculpture. Natraja is Lord Shiva as a cosmic dancer. After
lunch at local restaurant, drive to Thanjavur (104kms/03hrs)
enroute visiting the Brass factory at Kumbakonam. Tanjore once
the capital of Chola Kings, has the Brahadeswara temple(or the
big temple of God).The temple tower rises to a height of 15mts
from a square base of 29 mts and then tapers off, making a total
of 66mts.Checkin, dinner and overnite at hotel .
Day/
7 Tanjore - Trichy (54kms/02hrs)
After breakfast leave for Trichy, short name of Trichurapalli,
situated on the banks of Kaveri River is a blend of history
and tradition as well as pilgrim centre, it is famous for Ranganath
temple at Srirangam. Checkin at hotel. After lunch city tour
visiting Rock fort and its temple at a height of over 23mts.
Also visit Srirangam and Jambukeshwar Temple. Dinner and overnite
at hotel.
Day/
8 Trichy - Madurai (133kms/3.5hrs)
After breakfast proceed to Madurai and checkin at hotel. The
ancient city of Madurai, some 2600 years old is laid out in
the banks of river Vaigai as a lotus flower with the Meenakshi
temple in the centre. After lunch city tour visiting - Meenakshi
temple, King Tirumala's Palace, Great tank and Gandhi museum.
Dinner and overnite at hotel.
Day/
9 Madurai (Excursion-Rameshwaram,154kms/04hrs)
After breakfast proceed to Rameshwaram- the most sacred temple
town of India is an island hallowed by the epic Ramayana, where
Lord Rama is said to have visited before going into battle of
Srilanka. Legend has it that Lord Rama sent Hanuman to Mount
Kailash to bring a Lingam for worship when he set foot after
defeating Ravana. As Hanuman did not return when the auspicious
hour was approaching, Sita made a sand Lingam so that worship
could be performed in time, which is where the present day Ramanatha
Swamy Temple stands close to sea on the eastern side of the
island. One of the twelve Jyotirlingam shrines is also well
known for its magnificent corridors and the massive sculptured
pillars lining them. Lunch at local restaurant. Return to Madurai
for dinner and overnite stay at hotel.
Day/
10 Madurai - Trivandrum ( 329 kms/08.50 hrs )
After breakfast drive to Trivandrum and check in at hotel. Afternoon
at leisure.
Day/
11 Trivandrum (Excursion Kanyakumari – 87 kms/02.00 hrs
)
After breakfast proceed for Kanyakumari – is the land’s
end of India where the water of the Arabian Sea, the Bay of
Bengal and the Indian Ocean meet. An important pilgrim centre
of India, it is famous for the Amman Temples – a symbol
of unity and sanctity – deidicated to the virgin Goddess,
Kanya Kumari. To its South – East lies the famous Vivekananda
Rock Memorial, a blend of all the architectural styles of India.
Lunch at local restaurant. Evening enjoy the beautiful sun set
and later return to Trivandrum. Dinner and overnite at hotel.
Day/
12 Tivandrum - Back Home
After breakfast transfer to airport to connect flight for onward
journey. End of our services.