Day 01 Arrive Chennai
Arrive in Chennai. After completing formalities with
customs and immigration, you will be r eceived by our
representative with Traditional Indian Welcome (with
garlands).
Chennai, one of the four major metropolitan cities of
India, is the capital of the southeastern state of
Tamilnadu-the exotic state famous for its cutworks in
the temples, coconut fringes, and silk saris. The city
of Chennai was earlier known as Madras. The city of
Chennai was once a village of the fishing community. In
1639, the British took over the place and made it the
capital of the British presidency. It used to be the
center of conflict for the supremacy of the British and
the French.
Afterwards transfer to your hotel for the overnight
stay.
Day 02 Chennai –
Mahabalipuram ( Approx 80 Kms/02 Hours )
After breakfast you embark on your sightseeing trip of
City which would include the visit to
Fort St. George : The first bastion of British power in
India & built in the year 1640 AD by the British East
India Company. Within the Fort we visit St. Mary's
Church, built in the year 1680 & oldest Protestant
Church in the East. Fort Museum has 10 galleries &
displays armory, old uniforms, crockery & silverware,
coins, palanquins, paintings, letters, old prints, etc
San Thome Cathedral : Built in 1504, is said to house
the remains of St. Thomas the Apostle, who is believed
to have visited Madras (Chennai) sometime during 52 AD.
National Art Gallery, established in the year 1857, is
undoubtedly one of the country's finest museums. It has
sections devoted to geology, archaeology, anthropology,
botany, zoology, sculpture & numismatic
Government Museum: Has a fine archaeological section
representing all the major South Indian periods
including Chola, Vijaynagar, Hoysala & Chaulakya. The
bronze gallery has a superb collection of Chola art
especially the bronze statue of Ardhanareeswara, the
androgynous incarnation of Shiva. Its most prized
possessions are the relics from 2nd century AD Buddhist
site of Amaravathi & the prehistoric antiques of South
India.
Later you drive to Mahabalipuram.
Mahabalipuram : Town of temples, sand & sea. It is world
renowned for its beautiful Shore Temple & other temples.
It was once the main port & naval base of the great
Pallava kingdom & was later made the capital of this
dynasty. Most of the temples here are dedicated to Lord
Shiva & Vishnu. These structures were built by three
successive Pallava Kings, between 630 A.D & 728 A.D, who
developed the Dravidian style of temple architecture
within the short span of a hundred years. The monuments
are mostly rock-cut & monolithic, constitute the early
stages of Dravidian architecture, wherein Buddhist
elements of design are prominently visible. It is known
especially for its rathas (temples in the form of
chariots), mandapas (cave sanctuaries) & giant open-air
bas-reliefs & has been classified as UNESCO World
Heritage Site.
On arrival in Mahabalipuram check in to your hotel.
Overnight at hotel.
Day 03 Mahabalipuram (
Excursion to Kanchipuram ) ( Approx 80 Kms/02 Hours)
After breakfast embark on your tour of Mahablipuram
which would include your visit to
Shore Temple: One of the oldest temples in South India.
It belongs to the 8th Century AD. Designed to catch the
first rays of the rising sun & to illuminate the waters
after dark, the temple ended up with an unusual lay-out.
Arjuna's Penance: World's largest bas-relief. This huge
whale-back shaped rock contains figures of gods,
demigods, men, beasts, & birds & in fact can be said to
represent creation itself.
Rathas, monolithic temples fashioned as chariots. They
remain an architectural mystery as each is apparently a
faithful reproduction of a structure built of wood. In
fact, even the grain of the timber beams & rafters has
been simulated in stone. Of the eight Rathas, five have
been named for the Pandava brothers, the heroes of the
epic Mahabharatha
La ter drive for excursion to Kanchipuram
Kanchipuram: Is one of the seven holy cities in the
country. It was a city of learning for both Tamil &
Sanskrit, & was believed to be visited by Hsuan Tsang.
In ancient times it was called Kachi. Once had over a
thousand temples & today there are more than a hundred
extant. It is also known for its temples & silk sarees.
Kailasanatha Temple: built in 8th Century AD. It is
built in the typical Pallava style, with a pyramidal
tower. The temple is famous for exquisite carvings &
attracts devotees & tourists alike. Fresco style
paintings adorn the inner walls of the temple.
Ekambaranatha: Ancient temple dedicated to lord Shiva.
The 57 metres high Raj Gopuram is one of the tallest
towers in South India. The 3000 year old mango tree
inside the temple has 4 branches each yielding different
variety of mangoes. Later we also visit Kamakshi Amman,
built in 12th century AD, as an important Shakthisthalam,
known as Parabrahmaroonpini.
Return back to the hotel.
Overnight at hotel.
Day 04 Mahabalipuram –
Tanjore ( Approx 300 Kms/06 Hours )
After breakfast drive to Tanjore. On arrival check in at
the hotel.
Tanjore : Thanjavur (also known as Tanjore) is the royal
city of the Cholas and Nayaks. Thanjavur derives its
name from Tanjan-an asura (giant), who according to
local legend devastated the neighbourhood and was killed
by Sri Anandavalli Amman and Vishnu. Sri
Neelamegapperumal Tanjan's last request that the city
might be named after him was granted. Chola, Chera and
Pandya kings were ruling Tamizhagam even before
Mahabharat period. Chola kingdom was leading and
patronizing literature, art, science and religion than
the other two kingdoms. The capital city of Chola was
always changing. Thiruvarur was the capital during
Manuneethi Cholan. Uraiyur, Pazhaiyarai, Thanjavur and
Gangaikonda Cholapuram used to be the capitals of Chola
Kingdom. It has been believed from the Epics that many
Chola kings were ruling from Thanjavur even before
Karikala Cholan.
Afterwards embark on your sightseeing trip of
Brihadeshwara temple, also known as Big Temple, built by
Rajaraja Chola I was completed around 1010 CE. This 10th
century CE temple, one of UNESCO World Heritage Sites,
is a brilliant example of the Dravidian style of temple
architecture. The beautiful Chola Fresco paintings on
the inner walls of the temple are no way less than
Ajanta paintings.
Return to the hotel.
Overnight at hotel.
Day 05 Tanjore – Madurai
Via Trichy ( Approx 200 Kms/05 Hours )
After breakfast drive to Madurai . Enroure visit Trichy
Trichy, which has very historic temples & monuments. It
was an important town in the days of the later Cholas,
Nayaks as well as during the early days of the British
East India Company.
Srirangam Temple, surrounded by the waters of the River
Kaveri on one side & its tributary Kollidam on the
other. It is a 600-acre island-town enclosed within the
seven walls of the gigantic Sri Ranganathaswamy Temple.
Rockfort : The most famed landmark is an 83 m high rock
which is the only outcrop in the otherwise flat land of
the city. The most amazing fact about the rock is that
it is one of the oldest in the world approximately 3,800
million years, which m akes it as old as the rocks of
Greenland & older than the Himalayas.
Later continue the drive to Madurai On arrival check in
to the hotel.
Madurai: Is one of the oldest cities of India, with a
history dating all the way back to the Sangam period of
the pre Christian era. The glory of Madurai returned in
a diminished form in the earlier part of this
millennium; it later on came under the rule of the
Vijayanagar kingdom after its ransack by the ravaging
armies of Delhi (Malik Kafur). During the 16th and 18th
centuries, Madurai was ruled by the Nayak Emperors, the
foremost of whom was Tirumalai Nayakar. The Sangam
period poet Nakkeerar is associated with some of the
Tiruvilayaadal episodes of Sundareswarar - that are
enacted as a part of temple festival traditions even
today.
Overnight at hotel.
Day 06 Madurai - Periyar (
Approx 140 Kms/04 Hours)
After breakfast you embark on the sightseeing of
Meenakshi Sundareshwar, first built 2000 years ago & was
substantially expanded between the years (1623-55 AD). A
striking feature of the temple is the astonishing
structure known as Ayiramkaal mandapam or Hall of a
thousand pillars in the outermost corridor.
Afterwards you continue the drive to Periyar. On arrival
check in to the hotel.
Periyar : Set on an attractive lakeside, it is South
India's most popular Wildlife Sanctuary. It is a place
to cruise on the lake & gives an opportunity to see
wildlife. It is home to tigers, leopards, elephants,
bison, antelopes, sambhar, wild boar, monkey, a wide
variety of birds.
Afterwards you explore the Periyar wildlife Sanctuary
Periyar Sanctuary : The Periyar wildlife sanctuary an
ideal destination for wildlife enthusiasts, Periyar is
reputed as one of the most popular wildlife sanctuary in
India. Visit Periyar and have a time of your life in a
park that is a haven to a number of wild and feathered
species. Also known as Thekkady Wildlife Sanctuary, it
provides a perfect atmosphere for watching wild animals
in their natural habitat.
Return back to the hotel.
Overnight at hotel.
Day 07 In Periyar
Enjoy your breakfast at hotel. Rest of the day free at
leisure..
Overnight at Hotel.
Day 08 Periyar – Cochin (
Approx 200 Kms /05 Hrs)
At sun rise take a boat ride to view wildlife in the
sanctuary on Lake Periyar. After two hours of wildlife
viewing we get back to the hotel for breakfast.
Afterwards you drive to Cochin. Upon your arrival check
in to the hotel.
Cochin : Over the centuries , the princely state of
Kochi came under numerous empires. The original local
rulers were dominated by the Portugese, Dutch , British
and even the Zamorin of Kozhikode (Calicut). Around 1530
AD , under the Portugese, Kochi grew into a prosperous
town. The ruler of Kochi gave the Portugese, permission
to build a fort at Kochi called 'Manuel Kotta' - which
is the first European fort in Kochi .
Rest of the day free at leisure.
Overnight at Hotel.
Day 09 In Cochin
After breakfast you embark on your full day tour of the
city with would include your visit to
St. Francis' Church, built in the year 1503 by
Portuguese Francisan Friars & known to be the oldest
European church in India. It was restored in the year
1779 by the protestant Dutch, converted to an Anglican
Church by the British in 1795. Vasco da Gama's remains
were buried here in 1524 & later moved to Lisbon,
Portugal.
Dutch Palace, originally built by the Portuguese. Later
in 17th century they modified it & presented it to the
Raja (King) of Kochi (Cochin). The Palace has a fine
collection of mural paintings depicting scenes from
Hindu epics, Mahabharata & Ramayana.
Jew Town, synagogue, built in the year 1568, is
magnificently decorated by Chinese tiles & Belgian
chandeliers. Giant scrolls of the Old Testament can be
found here
Spice market, where the air is filled with the pungent
smell of spices & history that brought the world to its
doorstep.
Chinese fishing nets, (Cheenavala) are distinctly unique
to Cochin. It is believed that traders from the court of
the Chinese ruler Kublai Khan introduced these nets
here.
Afterwards you return to the hotel.
Overnight at Hotel.
Day 10 Cochin – Goa
After breakfast, free till your departure transfer to
the airport to connect your flight for Goa. Upon your
arrival in Goa you are received at the airport and are
transferred to the Hotel. On arrival check in to the
hotel.
Goa : A small enclave on the West Coast of India is one
of the best holiday destinations in the World. Famous
for its long stretch of beaches dotted with shacks, it
is a favourite destination for the European tourists who
flock to Goa during the winter months.
Rest of the day free at leisure or for own activities.
Overnight at hotel.
Day 11 In Goa
After breakfast you embark on your full day tour of Goa
which would include your visit to
Goa Churches; Basilica of Boom Jesus, built in 16th
century dedicated to Infant Jesus is the most popular &
famous of all churches in Goa. The mortal remains of St.
Francis Xavier, kept in a silver casket, are enshrined
here.
Sri Mangueas Temple, surrounded by rolling green hills &
dedicated to Lord Shiva, is the most important of all
temples in Goa & is located at Priol in Ponda Taluka.
Dona Paula, a village named after Dona Paula de Menezes,
the wife of a noble man Antonio de Souto Maior, who died
as a young woman in 1682.
Miramar Beach, an urban beach where the Mandovi River
meets the Arabian Sea, a point that offers the best
location to watch enchanting sunsets
Afterwards return back to hotel.
Overnight at hotel.
Day 12 In Goa
After breakfast, full day free at leisure. enjoying the
golden beaches, luxurious casinos & flowing spirits in
Goa.
Overnight at Hotel.
Day 13 In Goa
After breakfast, full day free at leisure. enjoying the
golden beaches, luxurious casinos & flowing spirits in
Goa.
Overnight at Hotel.
Day 14 Goa – Mumbai.
After breakfast, free till departure transfer to Airport
to connect your flight for Mumbai. Upon arrival met at
the arrival hall and are provided departure transfer to
the International airport to connect your flight back.
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