South India Temple Tour

Day 01 Chennai:
Welcome on board at Chennai airport/railway station, meet out tour representative who will escort you to the cab to be driven to the hotel. Chennai the capital and the principal port-city of Tamil Nadu and regarded to be the ‘Gateway to the South’. It is most of the time called as the cultural capital of India for its deep-rooted traditions and heritage. Chennai was earlier called as Madras or Madaraspatanam. The charming features of Chennai are its allegiance to ancient traditions, no matter how modernized it has become at present. Check in hotel and later on move out for the local tour of the city. Visit Fort St. George, the government museum complex, MGR film city, Birla Planetarium, Kapaleeshwarar Temple, Marina beach – the second longest beach in the world, Crocodile bank, etc. Later in the evening return back to the hotel for an overnight stay.

Day 02 Chennai – Kanchipuram:
Morning after breakfast, drive to the city of thousand temples – Kanchipuram. It is one of the seven most sacred cities of India and is also called as the ‘Varanasi of the South’. The city is a witness to the rise and fall of the Dravidian rulers and their style of architecture. In addition to being a pilgrimage centre, it was also the centre of learning, culture and philosophy. The temple town of Kanchipuram is famous for its temples and its hand woven silk and zari. On reaching Kanchipuram check in hotel and later on move out for the local tour. Visit the Ekambareshvara temple – dedicated to Lord Shiva, Vaikunta Perumal Temple, Kamakshi Amman Temple, Devarajaswami Temple, Kailasnatha Temple, etc. Late in the evening return back to the hotel for an overnight stay.

Day 03 Kanchipuram – Mahabalipuram:
Morning after breakfast, drive to Mahabalipuram also called as Mamallapuram. It was earlier a famous seaport which was found by the Pallavas however is today a fascinating archaeological site. The monuments of Mamallapuram, most of them rock-cut temple belong to the earlier phase of Dravidian temple architecture. There is a shore temple it is one of the oldest that has survived the ravages of time. On reaching Mahabalipuram check in hotel and later on move out for the local tour. Visit the Shore temple, the nine rock-cut cave temples, Crocodile bank, Thirukkalukundram, Tiger Caves – it houses a shrine of goddess Durga, Arjuna’s Penance – one of world’s largest and finest stone bas-relief, etc. Late in the evening return back to the hotel for an overnight stay.

Day 04 Mahabalipuram – Pondicherry:
Morning after breakfast, drive to Pondicherry – the charming coastal town with a few enduring pockets of French culture and an ashram. The architecture, cuisine and even the housing reflects the legacy of the French. Pondicherry also has an ancient history record of being home to Agastya Muni. On reaching Pondicherry check in hotel and later on move out for the local tour. Visit the Sri Aurobindo Ashram, Raj Niwas, The Museum, the botanical garden, Auroville, the churches and temples, etc. Late in the evening return back to the hotel for an overnight stay.

Day 05 Pondicherry – Chidambaram:
Morning after breakfast, drive to Chidambaram – it is an important pilgrim centre and a holy place for the Shaivites. The city got its name from Chit Ambaram, which means the sky permeated with an atmosphere of intelligence and wisdom. This is one of the Pancha Linga Kshetras depicting Shiva in the Akasha Linga aspect. It is dedicated to Lord Shiva in the form of Nateshwara or Lord Nataraja. On reaching Chidambaram check in hotel and later on move out for the local tour. Visit the famous Lord Nataraja Temple, Tillai Kaliamman Temple, Annamalai University, Poompuhar, Paavai Manram, Vaideeswaran Kovil dedicated to Lord Shiva, Srimushnam – the famous Vaishnava temple, Seerkazhi – popular temple associated with Gnana Sambandhar, Vadalur, Parangi Pettai – the Port Nova, Poompuhar Beach, etc. Late in the evening return back to the hotel for an overnight stay.

Day 06 Chidambaram – Thanjavur:
Morning after breakfast, drive to Thanjavur. It was earlier the capital of the Chola, Nayak and the Maratha rulers. The city got its name as per the dying request of the demon, Thanja who was destroyed by Lord Vishnu. It is also referred as the ‘City of Refuge’ and is also popularly known as the ‘Rice bowl of Tamil Nadu’. The city has reached its zenith becoming the centre of Tamil learning and culture during the Chola rule. There are rare specimens of old art and architecture, inscriptions and paintings created centuries ago.  On reaching Thanjavur check in hotel and later on move out for the local tour. Visit the Brihadishwara temple one of the finest contributions by the Chola dynasty, the Palace Building, Saraswati Mahal, Sangitha Mahal, Karundhittangadi Temple dedicated to Lord Shiva, Kuthanur – rare temples of goddess Saraswati, Manora, Poovanoor, Thiruppugalur dedicated to Lord Shiva, etc. Late in the evening return back to the hotel for an overnight stay.

Day 07 Thanjavur – Tirchy:
Morning after breakfast, drive to Tirchy - it is the forth largest town of Tamil Nadu. It is situated on the banks of the river Kaveri. The town and the rock fort temple were built by the Nayaks of Madurai. The rock fort temple looms at a spectacular height of 83 mts. on a massive rocky outcrop. This rock claims to be oldest in the world and is regarded to be older than the Himalayas. The Uchipillaiyar temple is the rock fort temple dedicated to Lord Ganesh is the main attractions here. On reaching Tirchy check in hotel and later on move out for the local tour. Visit the Rock Fort, St. John’s Church, Vayalur, Sri Ranganathaswamy temple, Jambukeshwara temple, Thiru Erumbur – a famous where Lord Shiva is worshipped, etc. Later on return back to the hotel for an overnight stay.

Day 08 Tirchy – Madurai:
Morning after breakfast, drive to Madurai, one of the ancient most cities of India. It is one of south India’s oldest cities and has been a centre of learning and pilgrimage for centuries. The city is said to be blessed by Mauram (nectar) from Lord Shiva’s lock. Sri Meenakshi Amman located at the heart of the city is the famous tourist attractions here. It is the best example for the Dravidian style of architecture. The gopurams are covered with beautiful profusion of multicolored images of gods, goddesses, animals and mythical figures. Madurai is popularly known as the ‘Temple Town of South India’. On reaching Madurai check in hotel and later on move out for the local tour. Visit the Meenakshi Amman Temple, Tirumalai Nayak Mahal, Mariamman Teppakulam tank, the government museum, etc. Late in the evening return back to the hotel for an overnight stay.

Day 09 :Madurai – Rameshwaram
Morning after breakfast, drive to Rameshwaram, popularly referred to be the Benaras of the South. It is a small island situated in the Gulf of Munnar, surrounded by the Bay of Bengal on one side and Indian Ocean on the other. This island spreads to an area of 52 sq kms and is represented in the form of the Panchajanya – the conch of Vishnu. The Ramanathaswamy temple is the main attraction here. On reaching Rameshwaram check in hotel and later on move out for the local tour. Visit the Ramanathaswamy temple facing the sea, Agni Tirtham, Shankaracharya Memorial, Rama temple, Gandhmadhana Parvatha, Dhanushkodi – the meeting place of the Bay of Bengal and the Indian Ocean, Kodandarama Swamy Temple, Tiruppullani, Kurusadai Islands, Ramanathapuram, Uttira Kosa Mangai, etc. Later on return back to the hotel for an overnight stay.

Day 10 Rameshwaram  – Kanyakumari:
Morning after breakfast, drive to Kanyakumari. The place got its name from the Virgin Deity. It is a place where the three great seas, the Bay of Bengal, the Indian Ocean and the Arabian Sea, leave an indelible impression. Thousands of visitors assemble on the tip of the sea shore to get the view of the sunset. Particularly on the Full moon day sunset and moon rise can be seen simultaneously. It is one of the best views of nature. The city is also famous for the temple Parashakti popularly known as Kanya Kumari Amman. On reaching Kanyakumari check in hotel and later on move out for the local tour. Visit the Kumari Amman Temple, Konerishwarar Temple – it is about thousand years old and is dedicated to Lord Shiva, Gandhi Memorial, Vivekananda Memorial, Tiruvalluvar Statue – a huge statue of Tamil Savant Poet has been instatlled on the minor rock adjacent to Vivekananda Memorial, St. Mary’s Church, Guganathaswamy Temple dedicated to Lord Shiva, Muttam, etc. Later on return back to the hotel for an overnight stay.

Day 11 Kanyakumari – Trivanduram:
Morning after breakfast, drive to Trivanduram also called as Thiruvananthapuram. It is the capital city of Kerala. The city got its name from Tiru Anantha Puram, which means the city of Anantha, referring to Vishnu as Padmanabhaswamy. The city also, known as the ‘Holy City of Anantha’. It is a beautiful sea-side city built on seven hills, which had past trading links with many countries outside India. On reaching Trivanduram check in hotel and later on move out for the local tour. Visit Sri Padmanabhaswamy Temple, Kavadiar Palace, Government Museum, Chacha Nehru Children’s Museum, Zoological Garden, Veli Tourist Village, Thiruvallam – a temple dedicated to Lord Parasurama, etc. Later on return back to the hotel for an overnight stay.

Day 12 Trivanduram:

Morning after breakfast, drive to Trivanduram airport/railway station to proceed towards your onwards destination.