Day 01 : Arrive Chennai
Arrive Chennai, after a traditional
'Swagat' (Welcome) our representative
would assist you at the airport & to our hotel
for check in. Chennai (formerly known
as Madras), is known for its cultural heritage
& temple architecture. The region was served
as an important administrative, military, &
economic centre dating back to the 1st
century. The first Westerners were Portuguese,
who arrived in the year 1522 & built a port.
It then passed on to the Dutch in 1612. In
1639 the British East India Company
established a fort & trading post & since then
this coastal centre of trade has drawn traffic
from all over the world.
Day 02 : Chennai - Mahabalipuram
Book this Tour
Today we take a tour of Chennai, visiting
Fort St. George, the first bastion of
British power in India & built in the year
1640 AD by the British East India Company.
Within the Fort we visit St. Mary's Church,
built in the year 1680 & oldest Protestant
Church in the East. Fort Museum has 10
galleries & displays armory, old uniforms,
crockery & silverware, coins, palanquins,
paintings, letters, old prints, etc. San
Thome Cathedral, built in 1504, is said to
house the remains of St. Thomas the Apostle,
who is believed to have visited Madras
(Chennai) sometime during 52 AD.
National Art Gallery, established in
the year 1857, is undoubtedly one of the
country's finest museums. It has sections
devoted to geology, archaeology, anthropology,
botany, zoology, sculpture & numismatics.
Government Museum has a fine
archaeological section representing all the
major South Indian periods including Chola,
Vijaynagar, Hoysala & Chaulakya. The bronze
gallery has a superb collection of Chola art
especially the bronze statue of
Ardhanareeswara, the androgynous incarnation
of Shiva. Its most prized possessions are the
relics from 2nd century AD Buddhist site of
Amaravathi & the prehistoric antiques of South
India.
Later we drive to Mahabalipuram, town
of temples, sand & sea. It is world renowned
for its beautiful Shore Temple & other
temples. It was once the main port & naval
base of the great Pallava kingdom & was later
made the capital of this dynasty. Most of the
temples here are dedicated to Lord Shiva &
Vishnu. These structures were built by three
successive Pallava Kings, between 630 A.D &
728 A.D, who developed the Dravidian style of
temple architecture within the short span of a
hundred years. The monuments are mostly
rock-cut & monolithic, constitute the early
stages of Dravidian architecture, wherein
Buddhist elements of design are prominently
visible. It is known especially for its rathas
(temples in the form of chariots), mandapas
(cave sanctuaries) & giant open-air
bas-reliefs & has been classified as UNESCO
World Heritage Site.
Day 03 : Mahabalipuram - Excursion to
Kanchipuram
Today we take a guided tour of
Mahabalipuram, visiting Shore Temple,
one of the oldest temples in South India. It
belongs to the 8th Century AD. Designed to
catch the first rays of the rising sun & to
illuminate the waters after dark, the temple
ended up with an unusual lay-out.
Arjuna's Penance, world's largest
bas-relief. This huge whale-back shaped rock
contains figures of gods, demigods, men,
beasts, & birds & in fact can be said to
represent creation itself. Next we visit
Rathas, monolithic temples fashioned as
chariots. They remain an architectural mystery
as each is apparently a faithful reproduction
of a structure built of wood. In fact, even
the grain of the timber beams & rafters has
been simulated in stone. Of the eight Rathas,
five have been named for the Pandava brothers,
the heroes of the epic Mahabharata.
Excursion to Kanchipuram
Later we take a day excursion to
Kanchipuram, is one of the seven holy
cities in the country. It was a city of
learning for both Tamil & Sanskrit, & was
believed to be visited by Hsuan Tsang. In
ancient times it was called Kachi. Once had
over a thousand temples & today there are more
than a hundred extant. It is also known for
its temples & silk sarees. We visit
Kailasanatha Temple, built in 8th Century
AD. It is built in the typical Pallava style,
with a pyramidal tower. The temple is famous
for exquisite carvings & attracts devotees &
tourists alike. Fresco style paintings adorn
the inner walls of the temple.
Next we visit Ekambaranatha, ancient
temple dedicated to lord Shiva. The 57 metres
high Raj Gopuram is one of the tallest towers
in South India. The 3000 year old mango tree
inside the temple has 4 branches each yielding
different variety of mangoes. Later we also
visit Kamakshi Amman, built in 12th
century AD, as an important Shakthisthalam,
known as Parabrahmaroonpini.
Day 04 : Mahabalipuram - Tanjore
Today we drive to Tanjore, flourished
during the rule of the Nayaks & Mahrattas. It
has been the treasure house of art for
centuries. It is called the Rice Bowl of
Tamil Nadu. Thanjavur is well-known
throughout the world for its exquisite
handicrafts like the Art Plate, pithwork,
bronze icons, Thanjavur paintings & the
classical South Indian musical instruments.
Later we visit Brihadeshwara temple,
also known as Big Temple, built by Rajaraja
Chola I was completed around 1010 CE. This
10th century CE temple, one of UNESCO World
Heritage Sites, is a brilliant example of
the Dravidian style of temple architecture.
The beautiful Chola Fresco paintings on the
inner walls of the temple are no way less than
Ajanta paintings.
Day 05 : Tanjore - Madurai
Today we leave for Madurai, rich
cultural heritage passed for more than 2500
years old & has been an important commercial
centre as early as 550 AD. It is the oldest
city in Tamil Nadu & was originally known as
Kadambavanam or the forest of
Kadamba.
En route Trichy
En route we stop at Trichy, which has
very historic temples & monuments. It was an
important town in the days of the later
Cholas, Nayaks as well as during the early
days of the British East India Company. We
start with Srirangam Temple, surrounded
by the waters of the River Kaveri on one side
& its tributary Kollidam on the other. It is a
600-acre island-town enclosed within the seven
walls of the gigantic Sri Ranganathaswamy
Temple.
Later we visit Rockfort most famed
landmark is an 83 m high rock which is the
only outcrop in the otherwise flat land of the
city. The most amazing fact about the rock is
that it is one of the oldest in the world
approximately 3,800 million years, which makes
it as old as the rocks of Greenland & older
than the Himalayas.
Day 06 : Madurai - Periyar
Today we visit to Meenakshi Sundareshwar,
first built 2000 years ago & was substantially
expanded between the years (1623-55 AD). A
striking feature of the temple is the
astonishing structure known as Ayiramkaal
mandapam or Hall of a thousand pillars in the
outermost corridor.
Later we drive to Periyar, Set on an
attractive lakeside, it is South India's most
popular Wildlife Sanctuary. It is a place to
cruise on the lake & gives an opportunity to
see wildlife. It is home to tigers, leopards,
elephants, bison, antelopes, sambhar, wild
boar, monkey, a wide variety of birds.
Next we explore the sanctuary to experience
the beauty & ecological pattern.
Day 08 : Periyar - Cochin
At sun rise we take a boat ride to view
wildlife in the sanctuary on Lake Periyar.
After two hours of wildlife viewing we get
back to the hotel for breakfast.
Later drive to Cochin always had a very
popular & historical sea trade connection with
Middle East, Mediterranean Europe & Dutch. It
has one of the finest natural harbours on the
Arabian coastline. Its cosmopolitan character
is reflected in the buildings & structures
representing different regions of the world.
Later we attend Kerala's most popular
classical dance performance, Kathakali
by local artist.
Day 09 : Cochin
Today we take a tour of Cochin, visiting
St. Francis' Church, built in the year
1503 by Portuguese Francisan Friars & known to
be the oldest European church in India. It was
restored in the year 1779 by the protestant
Dutch, converted to an Anglican Church by the
British in 1795. Vasco da Gama's remains were
buried here in 1524 & later moved to Lisbon,
Portugal. We also visit Dutch Palace,
originally built by the Portuguese. Later in
17th century they modified it & presented it
to the Raja (King) of Kochi (Cochin). The
Palace has a fine collection of mural
paintings depicting scenes from Hindu epics,
Mahabharata & Ramayana.
Later we visit Jew Town, synagogue,
built in the year 1568, is magnificently
decorated by Chinese tiles & Belgian
chandeliers. Giant scrolls of the Old
Testament can be found here. Also visit the
spice market, where the air is filled with
the pungent smell of spices & history that
brought the world to its doorstep. Chinese
fishing nets, (Cheenavala) are distinctly
unique to Cochin. It is believed that traders
from the court of the Chinese ruler Kublai
Khan introduced these nets here.
Day 10 : Cochin - Goa
Today, we take a flight to Goa,
once a part of the Mauryan Empire in the 3rd
century BC. From 580-750 AD the Chalukyas of
Badami had their sway over Goa. It is also
known for its world heritage architecture
including the Bom Jesus Basilica. Goa also has
rich flora & fauna, owing to its location on
the Western Ghats range, which are classified
as a biodiversity hotspot rather an absolute
paradise on earth.
Day 11 : Goa
Book this Tour
Day at leisure
Today you may take an Optional tour of Goa,
Visiting old Goa Churches; Basilica of Boom
Jesus, built in 16th century dedicated to
Infant Jesus is the most popular & famous of
all churches in Goa. The mortal remains of St.
Francis Xavier, kept in a silver casket, are
enshrined here. Sri Mangueas Temple,
surrounded by rolling green hills & dedicated
to Lord Shiva, is the most important of all
temples in Goa & is located at Priol in Ponda
Taluka. Dona Paula, a village named
after Dona Paula de Menezes, the wife of a
noble man Antonio de Souto Maior, who died as
a young woman in 1682. Miramar Beach,
an urban beach where the Mandovi River meets
the Arabian Sea, a point that offers the best
location to watch enchanting sunsets
Day 12 & Day 13 : Goa
Day at Leisure, enjoying the golden
beaches, luxurious casinos & flowing spirits
in Goa.
Day 14 : Goa - Mumbai
Depart Mumbai - Next Destination.
