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Day 01 Chennai
On arrival, transfer to the hotel. In the afternoon proceed for a half
day sightseeing of Chennai.
Visit Government Museum, Fort St.George, Fort Museum, St Mary’s Church,
San Thome Cathedral, Kapaleswara temple, drive past the Marina beach
and a bit of shopping, if you are interested.
Day 02 Mysore
Early in the morning transfer to the Station to board the Shatabdi
Express to Mysore. On arrival in Mysore check-in at hotel.
Mysore is a pleasant town with tree-lined streets and well-maintained
historic buildings. Dubbed as the 'city of palaces', few Indian cities
can rival the stately charm and easygoing atmosphere of Mysore.
Afternoon sightseeing of Mysore visiting Mysore Palace - The Maharaja's
Palace stands within walled gardens and was designed in typical
Indo-Saracenic style, sprouting turrets, arches and columns. The inside
of the palace is remarkable for its decoration and craftsmanship.
Chamundi Hill is crowned by a 12th century temple and is dedicated to
Mysore's
ruling goddess, Chamundi. Also here is a superb 5 metre tall black Nandi
bull. St Philomena's Church is one of the largest in India. Built in a
Gothic style, it has beautiful stained windows.
Day 03 Mysore
Day excursion to Somnathpur and Srirangapatna. SOMNATHPUR -
Dedicated to the Lord Siva, the exquisitely carved, star-shaped temple
with triple towers is a perfect example of Hoysala architecture.
Beautifully sculptured images of gods, goddesses, and scenes from the
epics, as well as the remarkably ornate ceilings in the pillared hall
will take your breath away. SRIRANGAPATNA - The Little Island
Fortress Of Tipu Sultan, Who Was Once Known As The "Tiger Of Mysore".
Visit the Summer Palace, The Daria Daulat, and the Beautiful Wall
Paintings.
Day 04 Hassan
Drive to Hassan and visit Belur and Halebid temples.
BELUR 40 km from Hassan, a temple town famous for its exquisite
temples. It is also known as Dakshina Varanasi. King Vishnuvardhana
built the Channakeshwara temple in 1117 AD to commemorate his conversion
from Jainism to Vaishnavism. The star shaped homogenous architectural
beauty raised on a platform carved in black stone with 650 charging
elephants that are different from each other and in the temple dome
inside four famous figures of Shantala Devi’s voluptuous beauty, queen
of King Vishnuvardhana are marvelous.
HALEBID 30 km from Hassan. It is also known as Dwara Samudra, the
wealthy capital of Hoysalas. The Hoysaleshwara temple stands on a
platform like a casket in shining black stone carved with variety of
gods and goddesses, animals, birds and dancing girls. There is a museum
on the lawns with 12th century sculptures and gold coins in
use at that time. One km from Halebid is Jain Basti hill built in the 8th
century surrounded by gleaming
carved black stone pillars.
Day 05 Hospet
Chitradurga means umbrella shaped lofty hill. Visit the Fort which has
4 secret entrances, 19 gateways and ingenious water tanks. Many ancient
temples are also located within its precincts, the Hidimbeshwara temple
is the oldest among them. Hospet is the perfect base for visiting Hampi
ruins.
Day 06 Hospet (Hampi)
The best way to experience this World Heritage Site is to take a
leisurely stroll through the eloquent ruins. Most of the important
structure and ruins are located in tow areas, which are generally
referred to as the Royal Centre and the Sacred Centre. The Royal Centre
contains structures that seem to have been palaces, baths, pavilions,
royal stables, and temples for ceremonial use. The sacred centre is
situated on the banks of the holy Tungabhadra river. Visit Vittthala
temple and Virupaksha temple.
Day 07 Badami
After breakfast drive to Badami. It has exquisite cave temples
belonging to the golden period of Chalukyan rule. There are 4 cave
temples – all hewn out of sand stone on the precipice of a hill. The
first cave temple has an exquisite carving of Nataraja embodying 81
poses. The third cave is dedicated to Vishnu and is the largest and
most ornamental. The fresco paintings in the cave resemble those of
Ajanta. Overlooking the cave temples is a large tank around which are
temples dedicated to Vishnu and Shiva.
Day 08 Badami
Full day excursion to Bijapur, known as the City of Victory. It has
about 50
mosques, more than 20 tombs and numerous palaces. Visit Gol Gumbaz:
The tomb of Mohammed Adil Shah is an astounding engineering feat, being
the second largest dome in the world, which is mysteriously unsupported
by any pillar. The monument has become memorable for the whispering
gallery under the dome, whose acoustics are superb. It carries the
faintest whisper around the dome and returns it to the listener nine
times. Ibrahim Rouza, Jumma Masjid, Archaeological Museum are the other
interests of this town.
Day 09 Goa Drop
Drive to Goa, known for the sandy beaches. Rest of the day free for
Leisure Activities.
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