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Day
01:
Arrive Mumbai (Bombay)
Arrive tonight in Mumbai (formerly bombay), India's most
cosmopolitan city. You are greeted with a traditional
Indian welcome by Company representative and escorted to
your pre booked hotel.Day 01
Arrive Chennai (Madras): Met on arrival by
representative. Traditional welcome with garlanding and
transfer to the hotel. Overnight stay at the hotel.
Day 02
In Chennai:
The day is free. In the afternoon there will be an
optional tour of Madras - founded by the British in the
17th century and still retaining much of its colonial
elegance. We visit museum, art gallery, St. George Fort.
Overnight stay at the hotel.
Day 03
Chennai / Kanchipuram / Mahabalipuram:
After enjoying our breakfast at the hotel we leave for a
full day tour of Kanchipuram and Mahabalipuram.
Kanchipuram - 70 kms from Chennai (Madras) is the
ancient capital of the Pallavas famous as a city of 1000
Temples and still has 124 shrines. The first temple
dedicated to Shiva was built in the 7th and 8th century
& has paintings on the walls. Temples of Ekambareswara,
Kailasanatha, Sri Kamakshi and Varada Raja Swamy are of
interest. Kanchipuram is also famous for its silks.
The city of Mahabalipuram - 75Kms from Kanchipuram
famous for the 7th Century Temples. Here on the seashore
is an interesting group of ancient rock hewn temples
which are the examples of Dravidian style of
Architecture. Overnight stay at Mahabalipuram at a beach
side resort.
Day 04
Mahabalipuram / Trichy (300 Kms - 06 hrs):
After breakfast at the hotel we drive to Trichy - The
citadel of the Chola dynasty in the medieval period. In
the 18th century it witnessed the Carnatic wars fought
between the French and the English. The Rock-Fort is the
landmark of Trichy. A climb of 434 steps leads to the
ancient temple of Ganapati on top. From here you will
get a good view of Sri Rangam Temple and the Cauvery
River. Overnight stay at the hotel.
Day 05
Trichy / Tanjore / Madurai (250Kms - 06 hrs):
After breakfast we leave for Madurai enroute visiting
Tanjore. At Tanjore, the beautiful Chola Temple of
Brihadeshwara is capped by a monolithic cupola made of a
single granite block weighing 80 tons which was taken to
the top with the help of a 6 km long ramp, an old
technique used by the Egyptians for building pyramids.
Its bronzes and handicrafts make Tanjore one of the
highlights of a visit to South India.
Later we continue to Madurai - one of the great
pilgrimage centres of the south. On arrival check inn to
the hotel. Overnight stay at the hotel.
Day 06
In Madurai:
Morning breakfast followed by half day sightseeing
visiting the vast Meenakshi Temple - Dedicated to the
consort of Lord Shiva with its towering Gopurams (rising
high above the surrounding country side). Later we visit
the Tirumala Nayak Palace - A gracious building in the
Indo saracenic style, famous for the Stucco work on its
domes & arches. There is also an extensive museum
dedicated to the life and work of Mahatma Gandhi.
Afternoon free at leisure. Overnight stay at the hotel.
Day 07
Madurai / Periyar (150 Kms - 04hrs):
After breakfast we drive to Periyar - The earliest
sanctuary to be set up in 1934, it extends to 777 square
kms & forms part of the high mountain ranges, the
Western Ghats. Wild life can be seen while cruising on
Periyar Lake in a motor boat. Amongst the animals which
can be seen are elephants, wild boar, sambar, tiger,
leopard, wild dog, languor monkeys, etc.
On arrival Periyar check inn to the hotel. Overnight
stay at the hotel.
Day 08
Periyar / Kumarakom (125 Kms - 03 hrs):
After breakfast at the hotel drive to Kumarakom. On
arrival transfer to Backwater resort. PM Free on the
backwater Resort with the option to visit the nearby
Kumarakom Bird Sanctuary. Overnight stay at the hotel.
Day 09
Kumarakom - Houseboat:
Morning relaxing and our Houseboat will pick us up at
the resort jetty at noon. There is the opportunity to
spend an unforgettable afternoon and overnight cruising
at a leisurely pace through Kerala's superb backwaters
scenery in a private houseboat. Overnight stay in the
Houseboat.
Day 10
Alleppey / Cochin (65 kms - 1.5hrs):
After breakfast, we disembark the Houseboat at Alleppey
and drive to Cochin. On arrival, check in to the hotel.
Afternoon we leave for a sightseeing tour of Cochin -
The natural harbour created by the famed underwater
Malabar mud-banks whose quality ensures that the rougher
the seas are outside the calmer the waters are within
the Harbour. Vasco-de-Gamma placed it on the world map.
It has a Jewish synagogue, Portuguese churches, mosques
& Hindu temples. We watch the Chinese Fishing Nets and
in the evening a performance of Kathakali Dancing.
Overnight stay at the hotel.
Day 11
Cochin / Bangalore / Mysore:
Transfer to Cochin airport to take the morning flight to
Bangalore. We arrive Bangalore & drive to Mysore
(150Kms) enroute visiting Srirangapatanam, a wooden
palace where Tipu Sultan hosted his afternoon tea
parties. Overnight stay at the hotel.
Day 12
In Mysore:
After a leisurely breakfast at the hotel we visit the
palace of the Maharaja built in 1911.The palace is of
harmonious syntheses of the Hindu and saracenic styles
of architecture with archways, domes, turrets,
colonnades and sculptures which are magnificent. We
drive up to Chamundi hill to see Chamundeshwari Temple
and a panoramic view of Mysore. On the way back, see the
Nandi Bull.
Afternoon free to explore the colourful vegetable and
flower market and bazaars. Overnight stay at the hotel.
Day 13
Mysore / Hassan (Belur and Halebid):
After breakfast we drive to Hassan (140 Kms) and full
day tour of Belur and Halebid. The Chennakesava temple
of Belur built 900 years ago is an exquisite example of
Hoysala art. Halebid's 12th century Hoysaleswara and
Kedareswara temples are masterpieces of Hindu art. On
the way also visit Sravanbelagola - hewn out of a single
rock and visible from a distance of 25 kms is the statue
of Lord Gomteshwara which is bathed with milk and honey
once every 12 years. Overnight stay at Hassan.
Day 14
Hassan / Hospet / Hampi (325 Kms / 07 hrs):
Morning drive to Hospet and visit Hampi. The once
beautiful capital city of Vijayanagar Empire - greater
than Rome, had palaces, temples & sculptures, spread all
over. The city was razed to the ground by the Sultanates
of South in 1565. Some of the interesting ruins
remaining are the Virupaksha, Vittala and Hazara Rama
temples huge Ganesha and Narasimha images, the elephant
stables, the Queen's Bath, carvings on the Ramachandra
temple & Lotus Mahal. Overnight stay at Hospet.
Day 15
Hospet / Badami (200 Kms / 04 hrs):
After breakfast we drive to Badami enroute stopping at
Aihole and Pattadakal, Aihole is the cradle of stone
temple architecture of the southern Dravidian School.
The oldest temple, Lad Khan goes back to the 5th century
A.D. There are 70 temples in this group. The Durga
temple is noted for its sculptures.The Meguti temple is
built of 630 small stone blocks. The Ravanaphadi Cave
has some beautiful carvings.
Pattadakal, referred to as Petrigal, reached its
pinnacle of glory under the Chalukya kings from 7th to
9th centuries. The oldest in this group is the
Sanghameswara Temple. The Mallikarjuna Temple has
pillars depicting life of Krishna. Virupaksha temple has
sculptures and panel scenes from the epics, the Ramayana
& Mahabharata. The Papanatha Temple has impressive
carvings on pillars and ceiling. Overnight stay at
Badami.
Day 16
In Badami:
Breakfast at the hotel followed by sightseeing tour of
Badami also known as Vatapi is rich with Hindu and Jain
temples carved out of sand stone hills. The carved
temples date back to the 6th century. Of these, three
are Hindu and one Jain. Sculptured out of solid rock
they are adorned with carvings. The Fort, on top of a
hill encloses large granaries, treasury and a
watchtower. The Malegitti Shivalaya temple set on the
summit of a hill is built of stones without mortar.
Overnight stay at the hotel.
Day 17
Badami / Goa (350 Kms / 07 hrs):
After breakfast we drive leisurely to Goa. On arrival
transfer to the Hotel. Evening free to Relax on the
Beach. Overnight stay at the hotel.
Day 18
In Goa:
Full day at lesiure. Overnight stay at the hotel.
Day 19
Goa / Mumbai (By flight):
Departure Transfer to Airport to connect flight to
Mumbai. On arrival In Mumbai transfer to the
international airport to Board your homeward flight or
connect to your onward destination. |
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