Temples Architecture of South India ( 11 nights / 12 days )

Mode of transport  :  By air-conditioned car and flight
Destination covered  : Chennai – Tirupati – Chennai – Kanchipuram Mamallapooram - Pondicherry - Chidambaram - Tanjore - Trichy - Madurai – Rameshwaram - Trivandrum - Kanyakumari

Sketched itinerary  : 

Day 01 : Arrival Chennai. Meet and greet service at Chennai airport and transfer to hotel. Chennai is the fourth largest city in India. Night stay in Chennai.
Day 02 : Chennai – Tirupati temple ( By chauffer driven air-conditioned car ) Approx. 02 hrs. and half drive. Tirupathi- a temple town known for the famous ancient temple of Lord Venkateswara ( Lord of seven hills or Balaji, as he is affectionately known ) on the top of the 860mts high Tirumala hills. The temple of Lord Venkateswara is not only believed to be amongst the oldest temples in the country, but also the richest of them all. Legend has it that Lord Venkateswara borrowed money from the divine treasurer Kubera for his wedding expenses. He is still paying back this debt which is why the pilgrims donate generously to the temple funds. Night stay in Tirupati.               
Day 03 : Chennai sightseeing – visit Fort St. George - Still surrounded by cannon-proof walls. Within the fort, visit St. Thomas Mount, San Thome Cathedral, Kapaleeswar Templ and the National Art Gallery.  Night stay in Chennai.
Day 04 : Morning drive to Mahabalipuram visting Kanchipuram. Chennai – Kanchipuram ( By chauffer driven air-conditioned car ) Approx. 02 hrs. drive / Kanchipuram – Mahabalipuram ( By chauffer driven air-conditioned car ) Approx. 02 hrs. drive.  Kanchipuram is one of the seven sacred cities of India and it is the only one associated with both Shiva and Vishnu. Visit Ekambareshwar Temple, Kailashnath Temple, Kamakshi Temple, the Vaikunthaperumal Temple, all built in the 7th and 8th centuries. With a weaving tradition dating back to the Pallava era (when silk was the royal cloth), Kanchipuram is justly famous for its particularly fine silk saris, embellished with stunning patterns. Visit the local homes of the weavers and watch them create magic out of silk thread into saris. On arrival at Mahabalipuram transfer to hotel. Night stay in Mahabalipuram.   

Day 05 : After breakfast check out from the hotel and proceed to visit sightseeing of Mahabalipuram - situated on the shore of the Bay of Bengal, Mahabalipuram was already a famous seaport in the 1st century AD. This town was a workshop for temple building. Visit the seven pagoda-style Shore temples, lashed by the waves of the sea and the seven rathas or temple chariots, a group of monolithic monuments & animal figures carved out of solid rock, the earliest known examples of Dravidian architecture. They were constructed in a single century-long burst of creative enthusiasm, starting in the reign of Narasimhavarman 1 (AD 630-68). End the visit by photography of the beautiful Shore temples at sunset. Afternoon drive to Pondicherry ( By chauffer driven air-conditioned car ) Approx. 03 hrs. drive . Pondicherry - which carries a strong whiff of the French presence in India. This erstwhile French colony on the east coast of South India merged with the rest of the country in 1954.  Night stay in Pondicherry.           

Day 06 : Pondicherry to Tanjore or Thanjavur ( By chauffer driven air-conditioned car )   Approx. 03 hrs. and half drive. Morning proceed for sightseeing tour of Pondicherry which includes visit to the Vardaraja Perumal Temple, Vedapureeswarar Temple & Manakula Vinayagar Temple, Sri Aurobindo Ashram - founded in 1926 by Aurobindo Ghose. It is the famous place, where Aurobindo preached his ideas about peaceful community. This ashram comprises several buildings and there are around 1,200 members along with 400 students living in this centre. This place has Samadhi of Sri Aurobindo and Mother Mirra Richard. It is one of the largest institutions in Pondicherry, with its branches spread all over the world. This ashram is engaged in numerous charitable wings like a publishing house and offers free medical amenities. Later drive to Tanjore Enroute visting Chidambaram.  Tanjore - Chidambaram ( Approx. 02 hrs. drive )also called as Thillai, which has the famous Nataraja temple with the root of the sanctum-sanctorum covered with golden plates is located in the centre of the town covering an area of 40 acres. In this temple, postures from the Bharatnatayam form of dance are depicted in sculpture. Natraja is Lord Shiva as a cosmic dancer.   On arrival at Tanjore transfer to hotel. Night stay in Tanjore.                  

Day 07 : Tanjore to Thiruchirapalli or Trichy ( By chauffer driven air-conditioned car ) Approx. 01 hr. drive. After breakfast check out from the hotel and proceed for sightseeing tour of Thanjavur which includes visit to the famous Thanjavur temples, the Brahadeeswarar Temple.  Later drive to Trichy. Night stay at Trichy.             

Day 08 : Thiruchirapalli or Trichy to Madurai ( By chauffer driven air-conditioned car ) Approx. 03 hrs. drive. After breakfast check out from the hotel and proceed for sightseeing tour sightseeing tour of Thiruchirapalli including visit to the Ranganathan Temple at Srirangam, 10 kms away from Trichy.  Later drive to Madurai. Night stay at Madurai.      

Day 09 : Madurai to  Rameshwaram  day excursion ( By chauffer driven air-conditioned car ) Approx. 03 hrs. drive for 01 way. Morning drive to Rameshwaram- the most sacred temple town of India is an island hallowed by the epic Ramayana, where Lord Rama is said to have visited before going into battle of Srilanka. Legend has it that Lord Rama sent Hanuman to Mount Kailash to bring a Lingam for worship when he set foot after defeating Ravana. As Hanuman did not return when the auspicious hour was approaching, Sita made a sand Lingam so that worship could be performed in time, which is where the present day Ramanatha Swamy Temple stands close to sea on the eastern side of the island. One of the twelve Jyotirlingam shrines is also well known for its magnificent corridors and the massive sculptured pillars lining them. Return to Madurai and transfer to hotel. Night stay in Madurai.      

Day 10 : After breakfast drive to Trivandrum and transfer to hotel ( By chauffer driven air-conditioned car )Approx. 04 hrs. and half drive. Afternoon sightseeing tour of Trivandrum visiting. The ancient temple of Sri Padmanabhaswamy is one of the major attractions in the city of Thiruvananthapuram.Napier Museum was built in 1880 and shows a harmonious blending of Kerala, Mughal, Chinese and Italian architectural styles. Sri Chitra Art Gallery has a good collection Tanjore, Mughal, and Rajput schools of art. The Zoo in Thiruvananthapuram has many shady and delightful walks. Night stay in Trivandrum.            

Day 11 : Trivandrum - Kanyakumari ( By chauffer driven air-conditioned car ) Approx. 02 hrs. drive. After breakfast proceed for Kanyakumari - the land's end of India where Arabian Sea , the  Bay of Bengal and the Indian Ocean meet. An important pilgrim centre of India, it is famous for the Amman Temples - a symbol of unity and sanctity –deidicated to the virgin Goddess Kanya Kumari. Also visit famous Vivekananda Rock Memorial, a blend of all the architectural styles of India. Evening enjoy the beautiful sun set. Night stay in Kanyakumari.                  

Day 12 : Kanyakumari - Tivandrum ( By chauffer driven air-conditioned car ) Approx. 02 hrs. drive. – Departure
After breakfast transfer to airport to connect flight for onward journey.

Monuments / places to visit :      
Chennai : Fort St. George, visit St. Thomas Mount, San Thome Cathedral, Kapaleeswar Temple and the National Art Gallery.     
Tirupathi : a temple town known for the famous ancient temple of Lord Venkateswara ( Lord of seven hills or Balaji, as he is affectionately known ) on the top of the 860mts high Tirumala hills. The temple of Lord Venkateswara is not only believed to be amongst the oldest temples in the country, but also the richest of them all.           
Mahabalipuram : Seven pagoda-style Shore temples, seven rathas or temple chariots, a group of monolithic monuments & animal figures carved out of solid rock.          .
Kanchipuram : Ekambareshwar Temple, Kailashnath Temple, Kamakshi Temple, the Vaikunthaperumal Temple, all built in the 7th and 8th centuries. With a weaving tradition dating back to the Pallava era (when silk was the royal cloth), Kanchipuram is justly famous for its particularly fine silk saris.
Pondicherry : Vardaraja Perumal Temple, Vedapureeswarar Temple & Manakula Vinayagar Temple, Sri Aurobindo Ashram.    
Tanjore or Thanjavur : Thanjavur temples, the Brahadeeswarar Temple.
Chidambaram : also called as Thillai, which has the famous Nataraja temple with the root of the sanctum-sanctorum covered with golden plates is located in the centre of the town covering an area of 40 acres. In this temple, postures from the Bharatnatayam form of dance are depicted in sculpture. Natraja is Lord Shiva as a cosmic dancer.          
Thiruchirapalli or Trichy : Ranganathan Temple at Srirangam, 10 kms away from Trichy.
Madurai :  Meenakshi Sundareswara Temple, Tirumalai Nayak Palace & the Vandiyur Mariamman Tank.
Trivandrum : The ancient temple of Sri Padmanabhaswamy is one of the major attractions in the city of Thiruvananthapuram.Napier Museum was built in 1880 and shows a harmonious blending of Kerala, Mughal, Chinese and Italian architectural styles. Sri Chitra Art Gallery has a good collection Tanjore, Mughal, and Rajput schools of art. The Zoo in Thiruvananthapuram has many shady and delightful walks.      

( Please note this is a private tour so if time permits you can add  some other places also in any city or at the time of traveling from one city to other )  

Given itinerary is an suggested itinerary for your idea only. This is suggested to send us E-mail or to give us a call so that our tour consultant can help you to arrange or customize your India trip as per your mind plan.

Temples Architecture of South India ( 11 nights / 12 days )

Highlights of this tour / tour includes :

• 11 nights accommodation as per your choice of hotels with daily breakfast
• Meet and assist at the airport on arrival/departure
• Assistance on arrival, departure in all cities or places , at the time of check in ,     check out at
• Hotels and during introduce the local guides for sightseeing.
• Good air-conditioned vehicle with English speaking chauffer during your tour of     local sightseeing.
• Highly experienced local English speaking guide in Chennai, Mahabalipuram, Kaknchipuram, Pondicherry, Tanjore, Trichy ,     Madurai.

Package does not includes :

• Any meals except breakfast other than specified in " cost includes ".
  
• Entry fees to monuments.
• Any airfare.
• Cost of personal nature like beverages, laundry, tips , telephone bill and any other cost of personal nature.