Madurai Mystique. February 17 th and 18 th 2017

Transcription

1 Madurai Mystique February 17 th and 18 th 2017 (Heritage vertical of Embassy Travel and Tours ) & Historian Pradeep Chakravarthy Meenakshi Temple Samanar Malai Nayak Mahal Sivagangai Aranmanai Kalayar Koil Street Food Trail Growing up in Madurai Illustrative Discussion by Cartoonist Biswajit B Online Brochure - Or contact us at sridhar@embassy-travels.com /

2 Our Philosophy We seek to instill a tangible pride of our glorious past and build a responsible, culturally sensitive 2 community through heritage travel

3 Madurai Kooduvom "Naan maada koodalil (Madurai). Celebrated from the ancient Sangam times, the city of Madurai means many things to many people. A facet of this diamond nourished Tamil, another gave us musical legends and yet another the imposing Meenakshi Temple and the count goes on. Madurai s famous temples, Jain caves and archeological remains are as much a visual splendor as is the street food is a culinary splendor in a town that never sleeps. This journey is going to be a rich experience for all your senses! We have palaces and temples to see, textiles to touch, jasmine to smell, street food to relish and music to listen to! All of this meticulously packaged and presented by Mystical Palmyra (Heritage vertical of Embassy Travel and Tours) & expert historian Pradeep Chakravarthy 3

4 Where are we going? Meenakshi Temple & Pudhu Mandapam One can experience the presence of Kadamvanavasini (Meenakshi) not just in the imposing temple but in the entire city. The massive temple has excellent sculptures and fabulous ivory artifacts and pillars that sing! Pudhu Mandapam at the entrance is a shoppers paradise of the yesteryears and still excites the modern visitor in its current avatar. 4 Samanar Malai A rocky outcrop beside a large lotus pond and trees that are several centuries old are remains of a once flourishing Jain settlement and school in Madurai. Though Madurai is dotted with over a dozen Jain caves, this one has some of the most magnificent sculptures and settings of them all. The short climb up is amidst a landscape that has remained as is for over 2000 years!

5 Where are we going? Sivagangai Palace For over 500 years, Palayakars or Poligars as the British called them were the war lords of the entire southern region. Many like Kattabomman and Velu Nachiyar rebelled against the British and attained martyrdom. Palaces have since crumbled away but their royal owners have lost none of their patriotism or exemplary hospitality taste this for yourself in a banquet of traditional delicacies at the Sivagangai Palace. 5 Kalayar Koil A massive complex that houses three temples which have been celebrated by Saint Sundarar. In contemporary history, this was the scene of a bitter battle between the Sivagangai Zamindari and the British forces. The temple was extensively renovated in the 19 th century with motifs similar to the Chettinadu mansions.

6 Where are we going? Tirumalai Nayakar Palace The decadent appearance of the Nayak king conceals an astute administrator. He navigated the glory of the Madurai Nayak dynasty to great heights. The Meenakshi wedding festival was conceptualized by him. We will be seeing remnants of his palace in Madurai and enjoy a sound and light show in the evening. 6

7 Where are we going Chungadi Saree During the reign of the Nayak Kings, Madurai played host to many communities. One such was the Saurashtran community from Saurashtra, Western India. Their distinctive Chungadi or tie and die work is unique to Madurai and goes well with a garland of the headily fragrant Jasmine that is also unique to Madurai 7 Madurai Malli Known for its powerful, mysteriously attractive and seductive fragrance the Madurai Malli gets its name due to its origin. For centuries Tamil women have adorned their hair with this highly scented beautiful flower. It is also an acclaimed raw material for famous international fragrances.

8 What we will be listening to Cartoonist Biswajit on Growing up in Madurai: Biswajit B is a Cartoonist+doodler - a "caboodler". His daily cartoons in the New Indian Express are a hit! His cartoons in the Madras Musings are also well known! In our tour, he will - through his images - talk about growing up in Madurai and how he may live in Madras now but always has a bit of Madurai in his soul! Audio on the Bus: We will be listening to the contributions of Madurai to classical music and Literature: M S Subbulakshmi and Mani Iyer s songs and compositions on Meenakshi will make our journeys musical 8

9 What we will be tasting? The famous Jigar dhanda Paruthi Paal ( Cotton Seed drink) Butter Bun Prema Vilas Halwa 9

10 Trip details Day Assemble at Hotel Chandra Park Depart Chennai by Pandian Express to Madurai Day Arrive at Madurai/ go to hotel Meenakshi Amman Temple and Pudhu Mandapam Visit the Chungadi printing Facility Madurai Malli an introduction Lunch Day Kalayar Koil Sivagangai Palace Cartoonist Biswajit B Talk Lunch with the Prince of Sivagangai Aranmanai Samanar Malai Nayakar Mahal Sound and Light show Dinner Leave for Madurai Street food tour Check out and Leave to the station Pandian Express to Chennai Dinner on the train Day Arrive at Chennai - Say Bye until the next tour J

11 The Fine Print! Included Several places we will be visiting are places of worship and therefore we request your special attention to the following: Please dress conservatively and avoid wearing shorts and sleeveless wear. Please carry a dhothi and shawl. Comfortable shoes or slippers since monuments are footwear free zones We strongly advice carrying sun block, sunglasses and cap Basic medication/ first aid will be available. Please carry your specific medication if any Camera - certain places may charge anything between Rs. 10 and Rs.100 for the usage of camera. Photography may not be permitted in certain Places We would like to iterate that this is not a religious trip and therefore we all need to respect the time and interest of those who are coming to enjoy the heritage aspect of the trip. Therefore please ensure that you respect and stick to time schedules. Due to unforeseen circumstances, in case we need to make certain changes in the itinerary, we request your patience and understanding. We assure you that the alternate option provided will be just as exciting Train Travel by Two Tier or Three Tier AC coach on train. Incase your registration does not meet the deadline, we shall provide an alternate mode of transport Road travel on AC coach Accommodation in AC rooms accommodating up to 2 adults. Children will be accommodated depending on the age and hotel policy. In this Trip we will be staying at The Thangam Grand - Meals mentioned - 2 breakfast, 2 lunch and 2 dinners per person (Request you to specify your preference if any in advance) 2 bottles of water per person will be provided on the coach every day. We request you to bring a refillable bottle in order to reduce the usage of plastic waste. Regular entry tickets where required will be provided Darshan at temples will be allowed if People wish to and ONLY if time permits. All applicable taxes as on date Not Included Expenses of Personal nature Room Service Any other attraction/temple not mentioned in the itinerary 11

12 Your partners in crime Embassy Travel and Tours has been in the business of tailoring unique and memorable travel experiences for the past four decades. A part of the Airlift Group of Companies, we adhere in a personalized manner to all travel related services that one might require be it guidance, documentation, reservations, currency exchange etc. Customization and luxury travel is our forte, which ensures the utmost comfort for our clients whether it is outbound, inbound or domestic travel. Mystical Palmyra is the heritage vertical we take pride in adding to our existing array of experiences extended by us. We are proud to showcase some of the neglected treasures of a bygone rich era that are just around the corner. We assure you that the whole experience will be an absolute luxurious insight into our glorious past. 12 Hailing from Tirunelveli and moving on to international exposure through KFI, MCC, JNU (Delhi) and LSE (London) in his academic years, Pradeep Chakravarthy has always had a passion for the history and Heritage of Tamil Nadu with special focus on the role that it plays in society then and now. Having a background in HR/leadership development and coaching though his assignments in TVS, Cognizant, Infosys and McKinsey, he constantly explores methods of constructively employing out of the box techniques of exposure to fine elements practiced in ancient times to motivate and hone ones inherent skills. He pioneered temple walks in Madras. His deeply invested interest in the music, food, literature of Tamil Nadu allows him to present succinctly and simply even the dreariest topic in history. He has authored several books and has over 300 articles in The Hindu, Marg magazine, India Express, Times of India etc., to his credit. He has lectured in several prestigious venues like IIC (Delhi), IC (London) and is an awardee from the Tag Foundation.

13 From the horses mouth! It was a wonderful trip last week - excellent organization by Priya accompanied by Pradeep's usual insight. I learned more about my home district than I ever knew earlier Dr. Bala Ramachandran, Child Trust Hospital Thank you Pradeep for sharing your knowledge you have so passionately gathered over so many years. Yes I was able to see beyond the garbage dumps and the ruins only because you made us see what and how you see and that's a glowing testament to how contagious your zeal is. Thank you to Priya; you redefine congeniality with your ready alacrity and enthusiasm. The trip felt like a family picnic of sorts only because of the warmth you so naturally radiate. Puja Gandhi I had a very insightful trip and my appreciation and awe of Indian history and culture is being expanded with each trip. It is also an eye opener as to how a warped version of our history is being taught in schools whereas such phenomenal achievements of our ancestors are being glossed over Shailesh Vummidi, Jeweler It was the first trip for us and an absolutely enjoyable experience. My son told me it was a pretty good trip and coming from a teenager, it is a personal triumph for me Bhaskar Dey, Bangalore It was our first trip with Pradeep and Priya. We never had to think or be concerned about anything. Every little detail was taken care of. Living in Delhi, we are surrounded by monuments/tombs reminding us of the Mughals, British and India s independence. One always thought that all history was in the north. This trip opened my eyes to history in the south Sudha Rajendran, Delhi With impeccable organization and the historic perspective that you both added, this became most enjoyable. Accommodation, transport, arrangements were all very well done. The pre and post trip correspondence was thorough Uttara Bharath, Nalamthana, NGO 13

14 Contact: Sridharan Lakshmanan; Raji Kumar; Address: 23, Thanikachalam Road, T. Nagar, Chennai Bank Details: Ours is a Current Account ICICI BANK LTD, NO.1, Cenotaph Road, Teynampet, Chennai Beneficiary: EMBASSY TRAVEL & TOURS PVT LTD A/C NO: IFSC CODE - ICIC SWIFT CODE: "ICICINBBCTS BANK OF BARODA: S.I.E.T College Avenue Branch, Chennai Beneficiary: EMBASSY TRAVEL & TOURS PVT LTD A/C NO: RTGS/NEFT, IFSC CODE: BARB0COLMAD STATE BANK OF MYSORE, NO.13 (6), Plot No.3, Thanikachalam Road, T. Nagar, Chennai Beneficiary: EMBASSY TRAVEL & TOURS PVT LTD A/C NO: IFSC CODE SBMY Cheques in Favor of: Embassy Travel and Tours Pvt. Ltd. 14 Minimum age: 15 years Package cost: - INR 16,000 on twin sharing basis - INR 19,000 on single occupancy basis Registration: Before December 30th 2016 by way of a NON-REFUNDABLE payment of rs Full payment: at the time of registration or before 30 th December 2016 to ensure confirmed participation in the tour Cancellation and refund: - 45 days before commencement of tour 50% of tour cost will be refunded - Less than 45 days before commencement of tour no refund - incase of non-participation due to rescheduling of tour by the organizers due to ANY REASON 75% of tour cost will be refunded -Incase of cancellation of the tour by organizers full refund including registration fee

15 What's next Coimbatore in August 2017 Tiruvanamalai in October 2017 Kumbakonam in December 2017 Tiruvarur in February