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Value
South India Tour
CHENNAI/TIRUPATI/CHENNAI/MADURAI/KANYAKUMARI/KOVALAM/COCHIN/BANGALORE/PUTTAPARTHI
MUMBAI
Day 01: Arrive Chennai
Arrive Chennai International airport.
On arrival, the guest will be met by our representative and transferred to
hotel.
Overnight at hotel.
Day 02: Chennai
Morning city tour of Chennai - is the fourth largest city in India. The
sprawling city which is divided in two by the cooum River, has few tall
buildings to mark the impression of an easygoing market town. The
gracefulness is present in Madras in such liberal quantities is propriate.
Visit the Fort St. George -
Still surrounded by cannon-proofwalls the fort was rebuilt several times
between 1642 when its original bastions were completed and 1749 when the
French left, it remains - moats and all - pretty much today as when first
made the seat of empire. Declared a national monument in 1948, most of its
buildings have been converted into government offices, notably the
Legislature and Secretariat. At various times the fort was home of Robert
Clive, Elihu Yale and Sir Arthur Wellesley. Within the fort, visit the
little St Mary's Church the oldest Protestant church east of the Suez and
the first Anglican one in India.
Overnight at hotel.
Day 03: Chennai
Full day sightseeing tour of Kanchipuram and Mahabalipuram
Kanchipuram - known as the
Golden City of a Thousand Temples, is one of the oldest towns in India. It
is famous for both its temples, many of them remarkably well
preserved and for its hand-woven silks. Kanchipuram is one of the seven
sacred cities of India and it is the only one associated with both Shiva
and Vishnu. Visit Ekambareshwar Temple, Kailashnath Temple, Kamakshi
Temple, the Vaikunthaperumal Temple, all built in the 7th and 8th
centuries. With a weaving tradition dating back to the Pallava era (when
silk was the royal cloth), Kanchipuram is justly famous for its
particularly fine silk saris, embellished with stunning patterns. Visit
the local homes of the weavers and watch them create magic out of silk
thread into saris.
Mahabalipuram
-
This is a small, quiet seaside resort with a unique 7th-century Shore
Temple, a lovely beach and some of the most beautiful rock-cut temples in
the world. Situated on the shore of the Bay of Bengal, Mahabalipuram was
already a famous seaport in the 1st century AD. This town was a workshop
for temple building. Visit the seven pagoda-style Shore temples, lashed by
the waves of the sea and the seven rathas or temple chariots, a group of
monolithic monuments & animal figures carved out of solid rock, the
earliest known examples of Dravidian architecture. They were constructed
in a single century-long burst of creative enthusiasm, starting in the
reign of Narasimhavarman 1 (AD 630-68). End the visit by photography of
the beautiful Shore temples at sunset.
Overnight at hotel.
Day 04: Chennai - Tirupati
Full day trip to Tirupati (154 kms each way)
The "holy hill" of Tirumala in the extreme south of Andhra
Pradesh is one the most important pilgrimage centres in India, and is
claimed to be the busiest in the world - eclipsing Jerusalem, Rome and
Mecca in its sheer number of pilgrims.
Tirumala is an engrossing place where you can spend the whole day just
wandering around. It's one of the few temples in India which allows non-hindus
into the sanctum but, despite this, the place sees few foreign visitors.
Venkateshwara Temple -
Pilgrims flock to Tirumala to visit the ancient temple of Venkateshwara,
an avtar of Vishnu. This is the god whose pictures graces the reception
areas of most lodges and restaurants in Southern India and garlanded in so
many flowers that only his feet are visible.
Among the powers attributed to Venkateshwara is the granting of any wish
that is made in front of the idol at Tirumala; and so the millions come.
There are never less than 5000 pilgrims here at any one time and, in
single day, the total is often as high as 100,000. The temple staff alone
number nearly 6000.
Overnight at hotel.
Day 05: Tirupati - Chennai - Madurai
Morning drive to Chennai airport (154 kms) to connect flight Chennai -
Madurai ( 1145 / 1240 hrs. )
Upon arrival met and transferred to hotel.
Madurai -
It's one of the
most pleasant Indian cities, and has a charming situation on the River Vaigai, fringed by lush paddy fields and coconut groves.
Visit the Meenakshi temple
one of the biggest temple complexes in India - 46 ft. long by 790 ft broad
built in the 17th Century. It is a rectangular twin shrine - the southern
temple dedicated to Meenakshi (the consort of Shiva) and the other to
Shiva. It is Madurai's greatest landmark - a virtual city within a city.
The complex includes a bazaar that bustles from dawn to nightfall. The
high point of the Meenakshi temple is "Hall of a Thousand Pillars", built
in the 16th C which is as great a work of structural engineering as it is of
art.
You will drive (walk is recommended ) through the fascinating bazaar that
is bustling from dawn to nightfall. If time permits you may also visit the
palace of Tirumala Nayak which is an example of the architectural mastery
of the Nayaks - a blend of Hindu and Saracen architecture. It's enormous
roofed arcade supported by 48 foot high stoned pillar still stands.
Overnight at hotel.
Day 06: Madurai - Kanyakumari
Morning, drive to Kanyakumari ( 240 kms / 5 hours).
Kanyakumari - meeting point
of three oceans, the Bay of Bengal meets the Indian Ocean and the Arabian
Sea. Kanyakumari is famous for its beautiful views of sunrise, sunset and
moonrise over the waters. Kanyakumari is also a popular pilgrimage
destination and of great significance to Hindus.
Overnight at hotel.
Day 07: Kanyakumari - Kovallam
Early morning view the rising sun.
Return to the hotel for breakfast
Thereafter drive to Kovallam (70 kms / 1 ½ hours).
Upon arrival check in at hotel.
Kovallam - Kovallam is one
of India's most spectacular beach with the boundless blue of the Arabian
Sea and the unwinding miles of fine - sanded beaches washed by the surf
which roars and hisses at the feet of the stalwart palms. Located in
idyllic surroundings, it's a beautiful getaway for relaxation &
recuperation.
Rest of the day at leisure for own activities and enjoy the facilities of
the hotel or at the beach. Overnight at hotel
Day 08: Kovallam - Cochin - Bangalore - Puttaparthi
Morning drive to Cochin airport to connect flight Cochin / Bangalore (
1450 / 1545 hrs. )
Upon arrival in Bangalore - drive to Puttparthi (170 kms / 3 ½ hours).
Ovenright at Ashram / hotel.
Day 09: Puttaparthi
Day at Puttaparthi.
Ovenright at Ashram / hotel.
Day 10: Puttaparthi - Bombay
Transfer to the airport for flight Puttparthi - Bombay ( 1450 / 1610 hrs.
)
Upon arrival met and transferred to the international airport for flight
back home. |
