Luxury
Holidays » South India Temples Tour
South
India Temples Tour
| Duration:
9 Nights / 10 Days
Destinations: Chennai - Kanchipuram - Mamallapooram
(Mahabalipuram) - Tiruvannamalai - Pondicherry - Chidambaram - Tanjore - Trichy
- Madurai - Trivandrum - Chennai |
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 proceed for half day sightseeing tour, visiting Gandhi Memorial,
Kala Kshetra, Mylapore temple and Marine beach.
Dinner and overnight
will be at hotel.
Day 2 Chennai - Kanchipuram - Mamallapooram:
By Road
76 km in 2 hours After breakfast drive to Kanchipuram
- 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.
Overnight will be at hotel.
Day 3 Mamallapooram - Tiruvannamalai
- Pondicherry:
By Road
131 km in 3 hours
After breakfast drive
to Tiruvannamallai - a pilgrim centre with an ancient temple of Lord Shiva.
After lunch at local restaurant, proceed to Pondicherry, 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.
Enjoy sightseeing in the evening. Overnight will be at hotel.
Day
4 Pondicherry - Chidambaram - Tanjore:
By Road
65 km in 1 hour
After breakfast visit the Aurbindo Ashram - the city of dawn in the 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.
Later
drive to Chidambaram 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
was 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.
Overnight will be
at hotel.
Day
5 Tanjore - Trichy:
By Road
54 km in 2 hour 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. Check in at hotel. After lunch, proceed for
a city tour visiting Rock fort and its temple at a height of over 23mts.
Also visit Srirangam and Jambukeshwar Temple.
Overnight will be
at hotel.
Day 6 Trichy - Madurai:
By Road
133 km in 4 hour
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, proceed
for the city tour visiting - Meenakshi temple, King Tirumala's Palace, Great tank
and Gandhi museum.
Overnight will be at hotel.
Day 7 Madurai
- Rameshwaram - Madurai:
By Road
154 km in 4 hour 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 will
be at local restaurant.
Return to Madurai. Overnight will be at hotel.
Day 8 Madurai - Trivandrum:
By Road
329 km in 6 hour
After breakfast drive to Trivandrum and check in at hotel. Afternoon
will be at leisure on the Kovalam Beach.
Overnight will be at hotel.
Day 9 Trivandrum - Kanyakumari - Trivandrum:
By Road
87
km in 2 hour 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 will be at local restaurant.
Evening enjoy the beautiful sun set and later return to Trivandrum.
Enjoy evening at the beach. Overnight will be at hotel.
Day 10 Trivandrum
- Chennai:
By flight departing at 1430 hr & arriving at 1530 hr
After breakfast relax at the beach.
Proceed to airport to connect
flight for Chennai with sweet memories of India.
TOUR ENDS
South India
Temples Tour Reservation Form 
