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Day 01 :- Arrive Delhi
Arrive in Chennai. After completing formalities with customs
and immigration, you will be receive d by our representative
with Traditional Indian Welcome (with garlands).
On arrival transfer to hotel.
Madras is a fascinating city with its ancient temples and
unique culture, golden sandy beaches merging with the
breakers of the Bay of Bengal and a marvelous tradition of
music and dance.
Check In at Hotel
Overnight at Hotel.
Day 02 :- Chennai –
Kanchipuram - Mahabalipuram
After breakfast embark upon the morning city tour of Chennai
Sri Kapaleeswarar temple : this ancient siva temple is a
delightful introduction to dravidian temple sculpture &
architectture.
Fort St. george : the building of the nucleus of this fort
in 1640 was the first step towards the founding of chennai
and an empire,
The Marina Beach & Aquarium : 3 kms from chennai, stretching
two miles, from the coovum river’s mouth, south of the fort,
till the northern boundaries of the 16th century portuguese
town sam thome, is this magnificient beach drive &
promenade.
Afterwards drive to Mahabalipuram enroute kanchipuram :
Kanchipuram: The golden city of a thousand temples. it was
the capital of many empires. one of the seven sacred cities
of india and once had 1000 temples. now only 200 remain. it
is also famed for its hand woven cottons and kanjiwaram
silks.on arrival check-in at hotel.
Afternoon visit Mahabalipuram nature and man made
architecture come together at mahabalipuram. a seventh
century temple, mahabalipuram, is a rock temple carved out
of rocks. this singular feature enhances its magnificence
manifold. also known as the seven pagodas, the temple has
intricate carvings on each rock .
Return back to hotel & overnight stay.
Day 03 :-
Mahabalipuram – Pondicherry (Approx 140 Kms / 03 Hours)
After breakfast drive to Pondicherry. On arrival check-in at
hotel.
Pondicherry : A former french colony, is now a union
territory. It also includes the other former french enclaves
of karaikkal (tamil nadu), mahe (kerala), and yaman (andhra
pradesh). On arrival check-in at hotel.
Afternoon city tour visit :
Govt. palace, Raj Niwvas, the official residence of the lt.
governor of Pondicherry; botanical garden; beach; ousteri
lake (13km on the villupuram road); and french institute.
Overnight at hotel.
Day 04 :-
Pondicherry – Tanjore (Approx 200 Kms/ 05 Hours)
After breakfast drive to Tanjore enroute visit Chidambaram,
Kumbakonam, Gangakondaicholapuram.
Chidambaram : Chidambaram is also known as thillai, since
the place was originally a forest of thillai(excecaria
agallecha)shrubs. it is an important pilgrim centre and a
holy place for saivaites as the famous nataraja temple is
located here.
Kumbakonam: nestled along the cauvery rover is noted for its
many temples with their colourful semi-erotic sculpture.
according to legend, a kumbh (pitcher), that contained the
‘seeds of creation’ was brought here by flood waters.
Gangaikondancholapuram : the brahadeeswarar temple at
gangaikondancholapuram was conceived and constructed by the
chola king rajendra -i after his victory over the kingdoms
in the region of the river ganges.
On arrival check-in at hotel.
Tanjore also known as thanjavur was the ancient capital of
the chola kings whose origins (like those of the pallavas,
pandyas and cheras with whom they shared the tip of the
indian peninsula) go back to the begin ning of the christian
era.
Overnight at hotel.
Day 05 :- Tanjore –
Trichy (Approx 55 Kms/ 02 Hours)
After breakfast embark upon the sightseeing of the city and
visit :
Brihadisvara Temple & Fort : built by raja raja in 1010, the
brihadishwara temple is the crowning glory of chola temple
architecture. this superb and fascinating monument is one of
only a handful in india with world heritage listing and is
worth a couple of visit. constructed from a single piece of
granite weighing an estimated 80 tonnes.
Thanjavur Palace & Museums : the huge corridors, spacious
halls, observation and arsenal towers and shady courtyards
of this vast, labyrinthing building were constructed partly
by the nayaks of mandurai around 1550 and partly by the
marathas.
Afterwards drive to Trichy. On arrival check-in at hotel.
Trichy : Tiruchirappalli now called trichy is situated on
the banks of the cauvery river. trichy, the fourth largest
city in the state was a citadel of the early cholas which
later fell to the pallavas. but the pallavas never really
managed to retain control of this strategic city and lost it
to the pandyas several times. Afternoon sightseeing of the
city where you visit :
Rock Fort : The view from the fort is spectacular. the
vinayaka temple at the top is reached by climbing a tunnel
in rock. half way up is the sri thayumanaswamy temple,
dedicated to lord siva. it has a 100-pillar hall and a
vimana covered with gold. On the southern face of the rock
are several beautifully carved rock-cut cave temples of the
pallava period.
Srirangam : the most important pilgrim center in the
district is located in an island just 5kms from trichy.
srirangam, surrounded by the waters of the cauvery on one
side and its tributary kollidam on the other, is a
600 acre
island-town enclosed within the seven walls of the gigantic sri ranganatha temple.
Overnight at hotel.
Day 06 :- Trichy –
Madurai (Approx 150 Kms/ 04 Hours)
After breakfast drive to Madurai :
A pilgrimage to south in incomplete without a visit to
Madurai. It is the second largest city in Tamilnadu and is
elaborated for the Meenakshi temple. Madurai is also one of
India's most ancient cities with a history dating back to
the 6th century b.c. It was the capital of the pandyan
empire till the 14th century a.d. on arrival check-in at
hotel. afternoon city tour. Evening visit Meenakshi temple
to witness
Puja ceremony : this in an exquisite example of temples
built by the pandyan rulers. there are as many as 11
majestic towers with the main entrance from the east. there
are two shrines one dedicated to sundareswarar (siva) and
the other to his consort meenakshi. The hall in front of the
sundareswara shrines is known as kampathadi mandapam. the
different manifestation of lord Siva are depicted on the
pillars of this hall. The hall of thousand pillars is the
most interesting feature. This remarkable structure was
built in the 16th century.
Upon arrival check in to the hotel. Rest of the day free at
leisure.
Overnight at hotel.
Day 07 :- Madurai -
Kanyakumari (Approx 250 Kms/ 06 Hours)
After breakfast drive to Kanyakumari. On arrival check-in at
hotel .
Kanyakumari, also known as cape comorin, is the ‘land's end’
of india. the three seas – the bay of bengal, the indian
ocean and the arabian sea meet here and a dip in their
confluence is considered holy. it has a great spiritual
significance for the hindus. it’s dedicated to goddess devi
kanya, a form of parvati, the consort of shiva. kanya kumari
is essentially a pilgrimage town. chaitra purnima (tamil for
the april full moon) is one of the best times to experience
the sunset and moonrise over the ocean simultaneously.
afternoon visit
Kumari Amman Temple – is the shore temple dedicated to the
virgin goddess devi kanniyakumari (parvati), who stands
guard over the country. the legend of this temple is as
romantic as the place itself. The temple is built at the
spot where the goddess is believed to have done penance and
waited for her consort lord shiva to come and claim her hand
in marriage.
Gandhi Memorial – is raised at the spot where his ashes were
kept for public darshan (viewing) before they were immersed
in the sea. The memorial resembles an orissan temple and was
designed so that on gandhi’s birthday (2nd october), the
sun’s rays fall on the place where his ashes were kept.
Vivekananda Memorial – is located on two rocky islands about
400m offshore. Swami Vivekanda meditated here in 1892 before
setting out as one of India’s most important religious
crusaders. the mandapam (pillared hall) built here in his
memory in 1970 reflects architectural styles from all over
the country. close to the vivekananda rock is another rock
called ‘
Sripada Parai’ meaning “the rock that has been blessed by
the touch of the feet of the goddess”. both these rocks are
fine places from where one can have a view of the land's end
of India Vivekanada Puram – is a museum that details the
extensive journey across India that was made by the Indian
philosopher Swami Vivekananda.
Overnight at hotel.
Day 08 :-
Kanyakumari – Kovalam (Approx 110 Kms/ 03 Hours)
After breakfast drive to Kovalam enroute visit Trivandrum
for your city tour –
Trivandrum : Is the capital of the state of Kerala, the
former name for kerala's capital city, Trivandrum, may be
easier to pronounce, but the present official name
Thiruvananthapuram, is closer to its mythological origins.
‘thiru-anantha-puram' means the place of the sacred serpent
anantha or adisesha on which lord padmanabha (vishnu), the
presiding deity of the town, reclines. it is a beautiful
seaside city built on seven hills and it still retains some
of the ambience characteristic of old kerala – the
pagoda-shaped buildings with red tiled roofs and narrow
winding lanes. visit
Sri Padmanabhaswamy Temple – Dedicated to Lord Vishnu is an
ancient temple that covers an area of 2400 sq. km. it
believed to have been rebuilt by marthanda varma in 1733 ad.
the temple stands on an elevated part of the city with its
lofty eastern tower (gopuram), the main entrance, rising
seven storeys (30m) high over gabled roofs and white walls
with a curious pagoda effect at its peak.
Puthe Maliga Palace Museum – is housed in the wings of the
200-year-old palace of the maharajas of travancore, located
near the padmanabhaswamy temple. notable for its keralan
architecture, the palace took almost 5000 workers four years
to complete. the museum displays paintings and various
priceless collections of the royal family and many of the
exhibits reflect the spice trade with china and europe.
Museum Complex – an 80-acre beautifully landscaped park in
the north of the city houses a collection of museums and a
zoo. the napier museum is housed in a keralan style building
dating from 1880 and has an eclectic display of bronzes,
temple carts, ivory carvings ancient musical instruments and
life size figures of kathakali dancers.
The natural history museum has a rudimentary ethnographic
collection as well as an interesting replica of a tharawad,
the traditional wooden residence of the nair family.
On arrival check-in at hotel.
Overnight at hotel.
Day 09 :- In
Kovalam
Breakfast at hotel.
Kovalam – situated 16km south of Trivandrum, is a sheltered
bay endowed with unusual beauty. this internationally
renowned beach resort has been a favourite haunt of tourists
since the 1930s. This natural bay is a safe sea-pool, free
from high waves and surge. kovalam consists of three
adjacent crescent beaches. The southernmost, known as the
lighthouse beach, is the most popular. the small palm
fringed bays separated by rocky headlands, pale sands,
gentle surf and lush green lawns compel the visitor to
overstay in Kovalam. The surf here is ideal for surf riding
and the water invites the visitors to ride the “catamaran”
or log with the fisherman or to take a cool swim. There are
many ayurvedic treatment centres and resorts in kovalam.

Relax at beach or can do some ayurvedic treatment.
Overnight at hotel.
Day 10 :- Kovalam -
Kumarakom (Approx 250 Kms / 05 Hours)
After breakfast this morning drive to Kumarakom. On arrival
check-in at hotel.
Drive to kottayam jetty & from here transfer by boat to
hotel .
Kumarakom, which is a picturesque drive. Kumarkom is bound
by vembanad lake on two sides, the swaying paddy fields on
one side and the bird sanctuary on the other. The place is
home to a large variety of migratory birds. Day at leisure &
overnight at hotel.
Day 11 :- Kumarakom
– Periyar (Approx 175 Kms /04 Hours)
After breakfast drive to Periyar .On arrivals check in at
hotel.
Morning drive to alleppey jetty to board backwater till
chenganacherry jetty & from here drive to periyar.
Periyar : Is South India’s most popular wildlife sanctuary.
it covers an area of 777 sq. km with a 26 sq. km artificial
lake, created by the british in 1895. the periyar lake was
formed by a dam across the periyar river. this tropical
forest reserve has all the major birds, animals as well as
flora, it is home to bison, antelopes, sambar, wild boar,
monkeys, langur and a variety of birds, elephants and of
course the tiger. periyar is also known for the best quality
indian spices and the whole atmosphere is full with the
aroma of high quality spices.
On arrival check-in at hotel.
Evening boat ride at Lake Periyar to view wildlife -
wildlife can be seen in its natural habitat by cruising on
the lake in motorboats. Two-hour boat trips on the lake are
the usual way of touring the sanctuary. Elephant rides
inside the park are also popular. The best time to visit the
sanctuary is from September to May, although the hot season
February to March may be less comfortable, it offers more
opportunities for wildlife sightings because with other
water resources drying up, the animals are forced to the
lakeside. there are many picnic spots around the sanctuary
that are approachable by either motor launch or bridge path
in the forest, some of which are manakkavala (1 0km), periyar
dam (12kms), arubi creek (16kms), crusoe island (19km) and
pavarasu (19kms).
Overnight at hotel.
Day 12 :- Periyar –
Munnar (Approx 165 Kms /04 Hours)
After breakfast drive to Munnar:
Munnar : Situated at an altitude of 1,524m and set amid
dramatic mountain scenery in what was once known as the high
range of travancore, the hill town of munnar is the
commercial centre of some of the world’s highest tea growing
estates. it has a cool bracing climate exuding an old-world
charm and the atmosphere is fragrant with extensive tea and
cardamom plantations. the enchanting high ranges, craggy
peaks, lakes and streams and the crisp mountain air makes it
an ideal retreat. the highest peak of south india, anaimudi
or the elephant's head peak (2,695m) is only a short
distance from here and munnar serves as a good base for
treks to the peak. munnar offers good opportunities for bird
watchers as the green slopes of munnar and the dense shola
forests in the folds of the hills offer varied, protected,
habitats for feathered species.
On arrival check-in at hotel. Rest of the day free at
leisure.
Overnight at hotel.
Day 13 :- Munnar –
Kochi (Approx 130 Kms / 03 Hours)
After breakfast drive to Kochi. On arrival check-in at
hotel.
Kochi- is one of India's most interesting cities. it is
endowed with a natural harbor and is claimed to be the "venice
of the orient" and the "queen of the arabian sea". it has a
maritime history that began in the remote past. arabs,
chinese, dutch, british & portuguese followed the sea routes
to cochin. it is one of the few places in world where one
can see a jewish synagogue, portuguese churches, dutch
architecture, mosques, temples and chinese fishing nets -
all in one city. Cochin consists of mainland ernakulam, the
island of wellingdon, bolgatty and gundu, fort
cochin and mattanchery on the southern peninsula and vypeen island
north of fort cochin.
Afternoon city tour visit
Bolgatty Island: it is the most beautiful of the islands
forming cochin. it also has a golf course.
Dutch Palace, Mattanchery: built by the portuguese in 1557
AD, and presented to the cochin raja, veer kerala varma, as
a gesture of goodwill. In the coronation hall, there is a
display of dresses and palanquins used by the rulers of
cochin. The palace houses one of the finest groups of
traditional indian murals, depicting scenes from the
ramayana and other epics.
Fort Cochin: Cochin is a busy port round the year. One can
always see merchant ships anchored in the sea off fort
Cochin awaiting berth. A familiar sight here is a fisherman
using nets with Chinese contraptions . These nets can be
found at the entrance to the harbor along the backwaters.
Jewish synagogue: this synagogue was built in 1567 ad the
Jewish community in cochin has its roots going back to st.
thomas the apostle's voyage to India in 52 AD. They first
came to settle down in cranganore, north of Cochin.
St. Francis Church: This protestant church built originally
by the Portuguese in 1510 ad. Is said to be the first church
built by Europeans in India. Vasco da Gama, the first
European to reach India by sailing around Africa, died in
Cochin in 1524 ad his body was buried in this church. His
gravestone is still there, although his remains were taken
back to Portugal in 1538 ad. Evening kathakali dance show.
Overnight at hotel.
Day 14 :- Kochi –
Mumbai
After breakfast free till departure. Departure transfer to
airport to connect the flight for Mumbai . On arrival in
Mumbai, you are received at the domestic airport and are
transferred to International airport to connect your flight
back home.
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