Temples of South India

Temples of South India

Page 2 of 15 TRIP SUMMARY Arrive Chennai Arrival Transfer Chennai Sightseeing Lunch during sightseeing Chennai - Kanchipuram - Mahabalipuram (120kms/ 3hrs approx) Kanchipuram Sightseeing Lonch Optional Mahabalipuram - Pondicherry (100kms/ 2hrs approx) Mahabalipuram Sightseeing Lunch during sightseeing Pondicherry - Thanjore (170kms/ 4hrs approx) Pondicherry Sightseeing Lunch during sightseeing Chidambaram Sightseeing Thanjore - Trichy (60kms/ 1.5hrs approx) Thanjore Sightseeing Lonch Optional Trichy Sightseeing Trichy - Madurai (140kms/ 3hrs approx) Lonch Optional Madurai Sightseeing

Madurai - Periyar (Thekkady) (160kms/ 3hrs approx) Page 3 of 15

Page 4 of 15 ARRIVE CHENNAI Arrival Transfer On arrive at airport meet with our office representative assistance and transfer to hotel. (Hotel check in out time 1200hrs afternoon early check in subject to rooms availability) Chennai Sightseeing Visit the San Thome Cathederal, built on the site of a 16th century Portuguese basilica which is said to be the tomb of the apostle Thomas, who is reputed to have brought Christianity to India in the 1st century AD. The tour also includes St Thomas Mount, the Little Mount Shrine, the Fort St George, St Mary's Church, and the Fort Museum which has a collection of objects from the tenure of the East India Company in Chennai including letters from Robert Clive. The Marina Beach is the second longest in the world. Walk along the surf-kissed edge, coast along the Drive, relax in your shorts, take the kids to the aquarium, sip coconut water, but worshippers of the sun, beware! You ll offend everyone if you bring out your bikini. Rumours of sharks and sharp eddies keep all but the bravest away. The academy of classical dance and music, Kalakshetra or 'Temple of Art is in Thiruvanmayur. Run on the ancient lines of gurukul education, it frequently presents recitals of classical music and Bharatnatyam in town. The Government Museum and Art Gallery has objects of art, sculptures and carvings from the Chola, Pandya, Pallava, and the Vijayanagar periods. Overnight at hotel.

Page 5 of 15 Lunch during sightseeing Lunch during the tour at your choice of restaurant on direct payment basis. Our guide can suggest the restaurant of your choice meal and within your budget. Dinner at your choice of restaurant or at your hotel on direct payment basis. Overnight at hotel. CHENNAI - KANCHIPURAM - MAHABALIPURAM (120KMS/ 3HRS APPROX) Breakfast at hotel, sightseeing of Chennai if not done on day 01. Later drive to Mahabalipuram en route visit Kanchipuram Temples. Kanchipuram Sightseeing Kanchipuram the City of Thousand Temples and The Silk City. It is also called as Silk City as silk saris are being manufactured here. Kanchipuram is known for its

Page 6 of 15 culture and civilization. Visit Kailasanathar temple: It is dedicated to Lord Shiva, dates back to 8th century. This temple is noted for its architecture and sculptures. There are 58 small shrines situated around the main shrine as compound wall. Sandstone was used in the construction of this temple. Ekambareswarar temple: This temple represents one of the five elements called Earth (Prithvi). Another ancient temple of the city dedicated to Siva. The 2500-year-old mango tree inside the temple has 4 branches each yields different varieties of mangoes. Varadharaja temple - This temple is dedicated to Lord Vishnu. The temple is noted for its wonderful sculptures. This is one of the 108 sacred Shri Vaishnavite temples. Vaikundhaperumal temple: It is dedicated to lord Vishnu. It is also one of the 108 Divyadesams. Kamakshiamman temple: It is dedicated to Goddess Kamakshi the presiding deity. It is one of the holy Sakthi worship places in India. It is closely associated with Sri Adi Sankaracharya. Handloom industry: Kanchipuram is also famous for handloom Silk Sarees. The main profession of people in Kanchipuram is weaving silk sarees. Lonch Optional Lunch at hotel after check in or at your choice restaurant during sightseeing. Our guide can suggest the restaurant of your choice meal and within your budget. Dinner at your choice of restaurant or at your hotel on direct payment basis. Overnight at hotel.

Page 7 of 15 MAHABALIPURAM - PONDICHERRY (100KMS/ 2HRS APPROX) Breakfast at hotel. Mahabalipuram Sightseeing Visit the Cave Temples: which excavated by scooping out the scarp of the hill. The scooping work starts from front to back. The cave temple is usually divided into inner & outer mandapas, distinguished by the difference in levels. The front mandapa will have pillars & plasters numbering 4,6,8,10. The inner mandapa contains single, triple or five cells. The cave temple with little modification is categorized as Mamalla style. The pillars under this style are slender & taller with squatting lion at their base. The pillar is divided into distinct parts known as kalasa, tadi, kumba, padma etc. Monolithic Temples: are locally known as Rathas. They were executed by chiseling out the exterior face of the boulder. Work started from top to bottom. The pyramidal vimana with sikhara at the top is an important feature of this style. It can be rightly said that these monolithic temples must have paved the way for the structural temples with elaborate architectural & sculptural details in the subsequent stage. There a total number of 8 monolithic temples found in Mamallapuram. The five rathas in one place, Ganesha Ratha, Valayankuttai Ratha & Pidari Rathas. Shore Temple: The Shore Temple on the Bay of Bengal was constructed in the 7th century during the rule of King Narsimha-Varman II Rajasimha (c. 690-728).The Shore temples is a temple complex consisting of two Siva temples and a carving of Anantasayana Vishnu. The temple facing east is entered by a small gopura. On plan, it consists of a small sanctum & a front mandapa & is a two-tired vimana. The sanctum is housing a linga. The Somaskanda panel consisting of Siva & Parvati with baby Skanda is on the back wall of the sanctum. The dhara linga & Somaskanda panel on the back wall of the sanctum are the features of the Pallava temples only.

Page 8 of 15 Lunch during sightseeing Lunch during the tour at your choice of restaurant on direct payment basis. Our guide can suggest the restaurant of your choice meal and within your budget. Later drive to Pondicherry check in at hotel. Rest time free and easy to relax. Overnight at hotel. Dinner at your choice of restaurant or at your hotel on direct payment basis. Overnight at hotel. PONDICHERRY - THANJORE (170KMS/ 4HRS APPROX) Breakfast at hotel sightseeing of Pondicherry. Pondicherry Sightseeing Visit Shree Aurobindo and The Mother, his most eminent disciple, set up the Aurobindo Ashram, Auroville in 1926. Together they explored the possibilities of yoga and meditation as a path to salvation. At the Ashram residents continue to

Page 9 of 15 practice their teachings and run a lot of the cultural activity in Pondicherry. There is an educational centre, which occasionally hosts lectures, screens films and holds play performances. The sun, surf and sand are best at the beaches a little outside town. Called Serenity, Quiet and Reppo they manage to live up to their name. The town beach has a 4-meter high statue of Mahatma Gandhi and French World War I memorial. There is a 150-year-old lighthouse also. The French Institute is in a stylish colonial building. It has some remarkable old French books that are very rare. The Romain Rolland library has over 60,000 volumes and overlooks the sea. Along with the kepis capped cops and its streets being called rue, it is the churches that help the town retain its European charm. Thechurch of Our Lady of the Immaculate Conception or Notre Dame de la Conception is almost 300 years old. The church to Our Lady of Angels is famous for an oil painting that was gifted by Napoleon III. The most magnificent however is the grand gothic Sacred Heart Church with 3 stained glass panels of the life of Christ. Just outside town is a copy of the Basilica at Lourdes. Many temples around Pondicherry are dedicated to Ganesh, the half man half pachyderm god who is the Destroyer of all Obstacles. The oldest ones date back to the 10th century Chola Empire. The Vinaynagar Manakula temple has a golden dome and a collection of 40 beautiful friezes. Lunch during sightseeing Lunch during the tour at your choice of restaurant on direct payment basis. Our guide can suggest the restaurant of your choice meal and within your budget. Drive to Thanjore en route visit Chidambaram.

Page 10 of 15 Chidambaram Sightseeing Visit Nataraja Temple which is dedicated to the Nataraja or the dancing posture of Lord Shiva. This temple is located in the heart of the town and has undergone numerous renovations under the reign of Chola and Pallava kings. In 1213 AD, Aragalur Udaya Iraratevan Ponparappinan rebuilt some of the parts of this temple. The Nataraja Temple is known for its attractive gopurams, carvings, five mandapams and inscriptions. Built during the 10th century by Chola Kings, this temple is known for huge walls, four tall shikharas in four directions and a big Sivagangai tank. The four tall shikharas are decorated with 108 carved dance postures of Natya Shastra. On arrival check in at hotel. Dinner at your choice of restaurant or at your hotel on direct payment basis. Overnight at hotel. THANJORE - TRICHY (60KMS/ 1.5HRS APPROX)

Page 11 of 15 Breakfast at hotel Thanjore Sightseeing Visit Brihadeshwara Temple & Fort: built by great Chola king in the 10th century it is an outstanding example of Chola architecture and is listed in world heritage. On the top of the apex of 63metres high, a dome is said to be constructed from a single piece of granite, weighing an estimated 81 tones. Thanjavur Palace & Museum: the palace near the temple is a vast building of masonry built by the Nayakas around 1550 and partly by the Maratha. The palace houses an art gallery, a library and a hall of music. The art gallery occupies the Nayak Durbar Hall. It has a superb collection of Chola bronze statues from the 9th to 12th centuries. The Saraswati mahal Library is next door to the gallery. Art Gallery: In the Palace there are a number of granite and bronze statues of the Chola period. Saraswathi Mahal Library: In another section of the Palace is the library where over 30,000 palm leaf and paper manuscripts in India and European languages are preserved. Drive to Trichy check ion at h Lonch Optional Lunch at hotel after check in or at your choice restaurant during sightseeing. Our guide can suggest the restaurant of your choice meal and within your budget.

Page 12 of 15 Trichy Sightseeing Visit Rock Fort Temple: The 83m high Rock Fort is the only outcrop in the otherwise flat land of the city. The rock is one of the oldest in the worldapproximately 3.800 million years, which makes it as old as the rocks of Greenland and older than the Himalayas. The fort played an important part during the Carnatic wars and according to an inscription, mainly contributed to lay the foundations of the British Empire in India. At the top of the rock is the Uchipillaiyar Koil, a temple dedicated to Lord Vinayaka from where one can enjoy a panoramic view of Tiruchirappalli. A flight of steps leads to the Mathrubutheswarar of Thayumanaswami temple, dedicated to Lord Siva where the lingam is a projection of the rock itself. Below the Siva temple are the two Pallava cave temples that have beautiful sculptures of the 6th and 7th centuries. At the foot of the Rock Fort are a tank and a pavilion which are used during the float festival of the temples. Near the tank is the house where Robert Clive lived when he was in Tiruchirappalli and there is an 18th century Church built by Reverend Schwartz of Denmark. The Rock fort Hillock is said to be 230 crore years old. The materials like Quartz used in glass making and felspar used in ceramic are found in this Rock formation. Tiruvanaikkaval: The Jambukeshwara temple, here, is dedicated to Shiva, and it houses five concentric walls, and seven gopurams. Once an elephant worshipped Lord Shiva under the holy Jambu tree and hence the name Jambukeshwar. Srirangam Temple or Sri Ranganathaswamy Temple: Srirangam, situated around a distance of 7 kms this small island town in the Cauvery River is encircled by the temple walls. There are 22 gopurams including India s tallest (72 meters, 13 storey high), which was built in 1987 while the others date back to the 14th century.many people have had a hand in its construction, including the Cheras, Pandyas, Cholas, Hoysalas and rulers from Vijayanagar. An annual Car Festival is held here in January during which a decorated wooden chariot is pulled through the streets between various walls. In mid-december, the Vaikunda Ekadasi, or Paradise Festival will be celebrated in the Vishnu Temple. Ivory sculptures of Lord Vishnu in various poses and the images of Nayak Kings with consorts donated by Nayak kings who ruled Madurai during the 17th century are available here.

Page 13 of 15 Dinner at your choice of restaurant or at your hotel on direct payment basis. Overnight at hotel. TRICHY - MADURAI (140KMS/ 3HRS APPROX) Breakfast at hotel, drive to Madurai check in at hotel. Lonch Optional Lunch at hotel after check in or at your choice restaurant during sightseeing. Our guide can suggest the restaurant of your choice meal and within your budget. Madurai Sightseeing Visit Meenakshi Temple: This temple is the city's main attraction. This temple is nearly 2000 years old placed in the heart of the old town - a splendid example of Dravidian architecture. A striking feature of the temple is the astonishing structure know as Ayiramkaal Mandapam or the Hall of Thousand Pillars and each pillar features high, ornate, bold sculptures that look life like. The present temple was designed in 1560 by Vishwanatha Nayak and subsequently built during the reign of Tirumalai Nayak. There are four entrances to the temple with an area of six

Page 14 of 15 hectares. Each of its 12 towers has the height of 45 to 50 meters. The Potrama Raikulam or the Golden Lotus Tank is the place where the Tamil literacy society, called Sangam used to meet to decide the merits of the work presented to them. The temple museum has 985 richly carved pillars and each one surpasses the other in beauty. Tirumalai Nayak Mahal: This Indo-Saracenic building was built in 1636 by the ruler whose name it bears. The imposing edifice is famous for the Stuccowork on its domes and impressive arches. The Sorgavilasam (Celestial Pavilion), measuring 75m x 52m, constructed entirely of brick and mortar without the support of a single rafter or girder, is a marvel of indo-saracenic architectural style. Among other striking features of the palace are the massive white pillars, several of which line the corridor that runs along the courtyard. Connected by high decorated arches, these pillars measure 20m in height and have a circumference of 4m. Elsewhere, there are polished black stone pillars of varying heights. It was King Thirumalai Nayak s grandson who demolished much of the fine structure and removed most of the jewels and woodcarvings in order to build his own palace in Tiruchirapalli. Vaniyur Mariamman Teppakulam: This enormous temple tank is fed by water from the Vaigai river. Mariamman Teppakulam is a beautiful square tank spread over a huge area of almost 16 acres, located about 5Kms East of Meenakshi Temple. The tank is the scene of the colourful float festival held in January/February to celebrate the birth anniversary of King Thirumalai Nayak, who built this tank. The deities of Meenakshi and Sundareswarar are placed in a float, called Teppam, decorated with flowers and illuminated with hundred of lights. This float is taken around the tank to the sound of traditional music. On the Northern side of the tank a temple is dedicated to Mariamman, a famous village deity of Tamil Nadu.

Page 15 of 15 Dinner at your choice of restaurant or at your hotel on direct payment basis. Overnight at hotel. MADURAI - PERIYAR (THEKKADY) (160KMS/ 3HRS APPROX) Breakfast at hotel. As per flight schedule transfer to airport to board flight for Chennai. From Chennai board connecting flight for your onward destination