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Day 01 Chennai
Arrive Chennai, the gateway of South India. You will be met by our Tour
Manager and transferred to the hotel to relax.
Chennai is an old port that retains a distinct atmosphere that combines
Tamil traditions with a long and still visible British legacy. Chennai
grew to become a key commercial city of colonial days, generously
endowed with striking Indo-Saracenic public buildings. It is the gateway
to the sunny south and is the seat of ancient Civilization where one can
still enjoy the old world charm. Splendid strains of classical music and
India's living traditions are savoured fro m
Chennai.
Half a day sightseeing of Chennai. Visit Government Museum, Fort
St.George, Fort Museum, St Marys Church, San Thome Cathedral,
Kapaleswara temple, drive past the Marina beach and a bit of
shopping, if you are interested.
Overnight at Chennai.
Day 02 Mahabalipuram
Breakfast at Hotel.
Today you will visit Kanchipuram and Mahabalipuram.
KANCHIPURAM is known as the 'City of 1000 temples' and one of
India's Seven Sacred cities. Kanchipuram has magnificent temples of
unique architectural beauty bearing eloquent testimony to its glorious
Dravidian heritage. You can visit Varadaraja temple noted for its
exquisite sculptures and 1000 pillared hall, Ekambareeswarar temple
known for its tallest gopuram (towers), Kamakshi Amman Temple-
where Goddess Kamakshi is worshipped in the form of a Chakra placed in
front of the idol with a golden gopuram in the centre. Kanchipuram is
also known for its handloom. Visit the handloom and shop if
you please.
After Lunch proceed for a sightseeing of Mahabalipuram, the only
surviving shore temple of India. MAHABALIPURAM also known as
Mamallapuram, is situated on the shore of Bay of Bengal is an ancient
sea-side town. The art at this place emphasizes robust earthly
beauty, imbibed with life. The Pallavas have created many
marvellous monuments sculptural panels, caves, monolithic rathas and
sculptural temples. Mythological episodes, epic battles,
demons, gods, animal all vividly depicted on the wall sculptures
and breathtakingly real and artistic. Visit the
worlds heritage monument the shore temple
 in
Mahabalipuram. Also visit Five Rathas, Arjunas penance.
In the evening explore the
sunny beach.
Overnight at Mahabalipuram.
Day 03 Pondicherry
Breakfast at Hotel. Drive to Pondicherry, the French Town.
Proceed for a sightseeing of Aurobindo Ashram, Government Museum,
Chunambar Boat House - where facilities for boating, canoeing are
available The backwaters and luxuriant greenery on both sides of
the river provide an idyllic setting for boating.
Visit Auroville envisioned as
a Universal Town, where people from different nationalities, faiths and
beliefs can live in peace and harmony. Also visit the
paper industry (optional).
Later in the evening relax in the beach. Beach road in the evening
is a refuge from the heat. Beach road has little of architectural
interest but oceans of charm.
Overnight at Pondicherry.
Day 04 Tanjore
Drive to Tanjore enroute visit Chidambaram temple and Pichavaram,
a mangrove forest (Optional).
CHIDAMBARAM is famous
for the temple dedicated to Lord Nataraja, the Cosmic Dancer (Lord
Shiva).
PICHAVARAM
16 kms from Chidambaram is a place of rare scenic beauty with its serene
backwaters dotted with dense mangrove forests, which boasts of unique
avifauna. It sprawls over 11,000 hectares of backwaters. The
numerous channels and creeks are ideal for boating. A fishing
enthusiast will find a variety of fin and shell fish in these forests.
Check-in to your hotel by noon. Tanjore also known as Thanjavur is often
referred as 'The Rice Bowl of Tamilnadu'. Tanjore is famous for
its paintings and handicraft viz making of bronze icons, Thanjavur
art plates, bell-metal castings, bowls, napkin and powder boxes and
artistic in-laying and engraving work of motifs well known as Thanjavur
Paintings. It is equally well known for pith - work, ornamental fans,
mats and making of musical instruments of jack-wood. It is a
flourishing center of handloom silk and cotton sarees.
Visit the Big temple a finest
example for the Indian sculptural architecture's greatness. This
temple is unique to have the tallest tower over the sanctum sanctorum
unlike the other temples. It is 216 feet tall. The stupa at
the top is made of bronze. The walls of the sanctum are covered
with the wall paintings of Chola and Nayak periods, comparable to the
famous Ajantha Cave frescoes. Gaurding the inner shrine of the
temple is the gigantic statue of Nandi , the Bull. The Nandi is 12
feet tall, 19 1/2 feet long and 8 1/4 feet wide. Also visit the
Palace, and the ancient Saraswathi Mahal Library.
Overnight at Tanjore.
Day 05 Trichy
Breakfast at Hotel and drive to Trichy. It is a fine blend of
temples and monuments and one of the largest city.
Visit the Rock fort temple 83 m high and the rock is one of the oldest
(3800 million years, which makes it as old as the rocks of F\Greenland
and older than the Himalayas). 344 steps hewn out of rock lead to
the top where there are inscriptions dating back to 3rd century BC. Atop
of the rock is the Uchipillayar temple, a temple dedicated
to Lord Ganesha from where one can enjoy a panoramic view of
Trichy.
Srirangam is a 600 acre island-town enclose within the seven walls of
the gigantic Sri Ranganathaswami temple. There are 21 gopurams,
among which the Rajagopuram is the largest in South India. Today
Srirangam stands as the biggest temple complex in the country.
Overnight at Trichy.
Day 06 Madurai
Breakfast at Hotel and proceed to Madurai - a rich cultural heritage
centre.
Full day sightseeing of Madurai. Visit 1000 pillared Meenakshiamman
temple, Tirumalai Nayaks Palace, Gandhi Museum, Alagarkoil, Koodal
azhagar temple. If interested one can also visit Pazhamudircholai
and Thirupparakundram one of the six abodes of Lord Muruga.
In the evening witness the
night ceremony at the temple.
Overnight at Madurai.
Day 07 Departure to Chennai or proceed with the Extension Tours
Transfer to the Airport to connect flight to Chennai / Mumbai for onward
journey.
"All
Tours can be tailor-made to your needs"
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