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DAY
01 : ARRIVE CHENNAI
Arrive Chennai in the evening, transfer
to prebooked Hotel
DAY
02 : CHENNAI - KANCHIPURAM - MAHABALIPURAM
After breakfast , city tour of  Chennai
: At the southern tip of India in the state of Tamil Nadu, Chennai
– or Madras as it was known earlier – is its capital city of the
state of Tamil Nadu. It is also the third largest metropolis in
India. Chennai as the gateway will put you in touch with a different
face of India – classical, ancient, gentle. Definitely touched by
colonialism but not ravaged by wars & intensely aware of its
roots & traditions. Vvisit the Museum to see
the art and bronze gallery (Closed
on public holidays). Drive through the Flower & Fruit
Market, High Court, Fort Museum, Marina Beach, San Thome cathedral.
Afternoon, leave for Mahabalipuram, enroute visit Kanchipuram
- (64 km from Madras) ancient capital of the Pallavas, famous as
a city of 1000 temples that still has 124 shrines. The first temple
dedicated to Shiva was built in the 7th & 8th century &
has painting on the walls. Templs of Ekambaswara, Kailasnatha, Sri
Kamakshi & Vardarajaewamy are of interest. Kanchipuram is also
famous for its silk. On arrival in
Mahabalipuram checkin at your prebooked hotel.
DAY 03
: MAHABALIPURAM
After
breakfast, visit Mahabalipuram , which was the main port
of the Pallava dynasty & has exquisite Rock-cut monuments, monolithic
structures & Bas-reliefs. It is also a beach resort. Visit a
very interesting creation enroute Dakshin Chitra , a museum that
preserves actual houses of different communities & village craftsmen
from the four southern states of Tamil Nadu, Andhra Pradesh , Karnataka
& Kerala.
DAY
04 : MAHABALIPURAM - TIRUVANNAMALAI - PONDICHERRY
After breakfast, leave for Pondicherry,
enroute visit Tiruvannamalai - is an ancient city named after the
holy mountain "Tiruvannan Malai". Geologist consider this
mountain is older than The Himalayas. The history of Tiruvannamalai
can be tracked from B.C 100. This city is full of spiritual ashram
built by many holy men and enlightenment gurus. Visit the Arunachala
Temple - a living symbol of ancient Tamil architecture. The 11 tiered
East Rajagopuram temple towers to a height of 217 feet, while the
fortified walls pierced with 4 tower entrances offer a formidable
look to this vast temple complex . The Pei Gopuram, Tirumanjana
Gopuram and Ammanaiammal gopuram are the other three. The 1000 pillared
hall and the temple tank were built by Krishna Deva Rayarar of Vijayanagar.
Each of the prakarams has a huge Nandi and several towers such as
the Vallala Maharaja Gopuram and Kili Gopuram.
Continue drive to Pondicherry. Upon arrival, check-in at prebooked
Hotel
DAY
05 : PONDICHERRY - CHIDAMBARAM - TANJORE
Morning,
sightseeing of Pondicherry which was formerly a French Colony. Settled
early in the 18th century Pondicherry became part of the Indian
Union in the early 50s when the French voluntarily relinquished
control. The main attraction here is the Aurobindo Ashram
which was founded by Sri Aurobindo in 1926. The ashram is one of
the most popular in India with westerners, and is also one of the
most affluent. Also to be visited is the Pondicherry Museum which
has a well displayed variety of exhibits ranging from French furniture
to this history of bead making.
Afternoon, leave for Tanjore, enroute visit Chidambaram - one of
the most ancient and most celebrated of shrines in India. It is
of great religious as well as historic and cultural significance.
Chidambaram is associated with Nataraja, or Shiva in his Ananda
Tandava pose (the Cosmic Dance of bliss) in the cosmic golden hall
and the hall of consciousness (Chit Sabha). Shiva is also worshipped
in the "formless form" of the Chidambara Rahasyam, while
the temple is known for its Akasa Lingam, an embodiment of Shiva
as the formless Space. The word "Koyil" or temple in the
Tamil Saivite tradition refers to none other than the Chidambaram
Nataraja temple
Continue drive to Tanjore. Upon arrival, check-in at prebooked
Hotel
DAY 06 :
TANJORE - SRIRANGAM - TRICHY
Morning,
visit Tanjore (Thanjavur) which was the ancient capital of Chola
kings. Visit the Brihadishwara temple which was built by
Raja Raja and is termed as the crowning glory of Chola temple architecture.
This temple is one of the monuments in India with World Heritage
listing. Also visit the Thanjavur Palace which was contructed
in 1550 and has huge corridors, spacious halls, observation and
arsenal towers.
Afternoon,
leave for Trichy, enroute visit the Sri Ranganathaswamy Temple
at Srirangam - This superb temple complex is surrounded by seven
concentric walls with 21 gopurams and is probably the largest in
India. Most of it dates back from 14th to 17th centuries. The largest
gopuram was completed as recently as 1987, and now measures an astouning
73 metres.
Continue drive to Trichy. Arrive Trichy and arrival checkin at prebooked
hotel.
DAY 07 :
TRICHY - MADURAI
Morning,
visit the Rock Fort Temple, a spectacular monument perched
on a massive rocky out crop which rises abruptly from the plain
to tower over the old city. It was one of the main centers around
which the wars of the Carnatic were fought in the 18th century during
the British-French struggle for supremacy in India. The city is
a thriving commercial centre in Tamil Nadu and is famous for artificial
diamonds, cigars, handloom cloth, glass bangles and wooden and clay
toys.
Afternoon, drive to Madurai. Upon arrival, check-in at prebooked
Hotel
DAY 08 :
MADURAI
After breakfast, visit Madurai – one of the oldest cities in South
India and has been a centre of learning & pilgrimage for centuries.
Visit Madurai’s main attraction – Sri Meenakshi temple which attracts
thousands of pilgrims from all over India. The temple is named after
the daughter of a Pandyan King. Designed in 1560 by Vishwanatha
Nayak, the present temple was substantially built during the reign
of Tirumalai Nayak (1623-55 AD), but its history goes back 2000
years to the time when Madurai was the capital of Pandya Kings.
DAY 09 :
MADURAI - RAMESHWARAM
Drive to Rameshwaram, an island- of Lord Rama's temple at Tamil
Nadu is a terrific destination. Along with being a major pilgrimage
for the Hindus, Rameshwaram is a happening holiday spot too. The
religious island is spread in an area of 61.8 square kilometers
and happens to be in the shape of a conch. The Ramanatha Swamy Temple
occupies major area of Rameshwaram. The masterpiece of Dravidian
architecture boasts of the largest temple corridor in India. Different
rulers built the Ramanatha Swamy Temple over a period of time starting
from the 12th century. The temple comprises of twenty-two wells
where the taste of the water of each well is different from the
other. The waters of the wells are believed to possess medicinal
properties
DAY 10 :
RAMESHWARAM - CHENNAI
Transfer to Chennai airport to board your onward/return flight
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