Day
01: Madras
Arrive Madras International airport. On arrival, the guest will be met by
our representative and directly proceed to Covelong. Upon arrival, check-in
at hotel.Overnight at hotel.
Day 02: Kanchipuram and Mahabalipuram
Covelong Full day sightseeing tour of Kanchipuram and Mahabalipuram
Kanchipuram known as the Golden City of a Thousand Temples, is one of the
oldest towns in India. It is famous for both its temples, many of them
remarkably well preserved and for its hand-woven silks. 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.
Mahabalipuram This is a small, quiet seaside resort with a unique
7thcentury Shore Temple, a lovely beach and some of the most beautiful rock
cut temples in the world.Situated on the shore of theBay 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 63068). End the visit by photography
of the beautiful Shore temples at sunset. Dinner and overnight at hotel
Day 03: Covelong - Pondicherry
After
breakfast drive to Pondicherry (162 kms/4 hrs) Pondicherry, which was up
until the 1950s, a far-flung outpost of the French maritime empire. It is so
different from the rest of Tamil Nadu that one feels that one has entered
another country! This busy coastal town is divided roughly into two: the old
White Town of elegant French houses, restaurants & administrative
buildings and the Black Town west of the canal where India takes over again.
Tour of Pondicherry - visiting Botanical garden, Eglise De Sacre Coeur De
Jesus and Sri Aurobindo Ashram. Later visit township of Auroville or the
city of Dawn. Designed by a French architect Roger Arger, it is an entirely
new concept in education and urban living. Overnight at hotel
Day 04: Pondicherry - Tanjore
After breakfast drive to Tanjore (177-kms/4-½ hrs) Upon arrival at
Tanjore – check into hotel Afternoon sightseeing tour of Tanjore was
the capital of the Chola Empire from the tenth to the fourteenth centuries.
A Chola king, Raja Raja Chola, who held the throne from 985 to 1016, built
the greatest of the empire's 74 temples, the Brahadeeswarar, with its
soaring tower over the inner sanctum. This tower rises more than 62 meters
(200 feet). On its dome rests a single block of granite weighing 80
tons.Overnight at hotel
Day 05: Tanjore - Trichy - Madurai
After
breakfast drive to Madurai (190-kms/5½-hrs) enroute visiting Trichy.
City tour of Trichy includes visit to the ‘Rock Fort Temple’ which
rises abruptly to a height of 273 ft. A steep staircase cut into the rock
leads upto the Fort. At the first level are the remnants of a huge hall
blasted into ruins in 1772. The next storey is the Mathrubhuteshwarer Shrine
dedicated to Shiva. Finally at the top of the hill, the 'Uchhi Pillayar
Koil' - a Ganesh Temple offering a commanding view of the city. Upon arrival
at Madurai – check into hotel Evening visit of the Meenakshi temple -
Leave the hotel for the temple by cycle rickshaws. At 9 PM, attend the night
ceremony at the temple. This is a ceremony that takes place every evening
when the temple bronze of Lord Shiva is carried to the bed chamber of
Parvati. The procession is accompanied by religious prayer and temple music.
Overnight at hotel
Day 06: Madurai
Morning, visit the Meenakshi temple one of the biggest temple complexes in
India 46 ft. long by 790 ft broad built in the 17th Century. It is a
rectangular twin shrine : the southern temple dedicated to Meenakshi (the
consort of Shiva) and the other to Shiva. It is Madurai's greatest landmark
a virtual city within a city: the complex includes a bazaar that bustles
from dawn to nightfall. The high point of the Meenakshi temple is Hall of a
"Thousand Pillars", built in the 16th C which is as great a work
of structural engineering as it is of art. Also visit the palace of Tirumala
Nayak which is an example of the architectural mastery of the Nayaks a blend
of Hindu and Saracen architecture. It's enormous roofed arcade supported by
48 foot high stoned pillar still stands. Day at leisure to explore on your
own.Overnight at hotel.
Day 07: Madurai-Periyar
Morning
after breakfast drive to Periyar (177 kms/5 hrs).Upon arrival at Periyar –
check into hotel Periyar- Sprawling across 777 sq. kms. of the Cardamom
Hills of the Western Ghats, Thekkady is the home to one of the largest
wildlife reserves in India. Alive with exotic flora and vibrant wildlife, it
is the perfect getaway tucked away among hills. Overnight at hotel
Day 08: Periyar – Kumarakom
Early morning boat cruise on the Lake of the famous Periyar wildlife
sanctuary to see wild life. Periyar an artificial lake or reservoir created
by a dam on Periyar River is the heart of the Wildlife Sanctuary wild
elephants, Asiatic Deer, Black Buck and even Tigers come to shores of the
lake for a drink.Return to hotel for breakfast Thereafter drive through the
winding "Ghats" lined with prosperous tea plantations & then
arrive the fascinating countryside of low-lying palms and paddy fields to
Kumarakom ( 150 kms/ 4 hrs) enroute visit the tea estates. Kumarakom-is a
beautiful backwater village on the shores of the enchanting Vembanad Lake,
criss crossed with meandering waterways and ancient cottages. Overnight at
hotel
Day 09: Kumarakom - Cochin
Morning at leisure Then take a speed boat to Alleppey & disembark at
Puthenagady Jetty.On arrival proceed directly to Cochin Cochin - Popularly
known as the Queen of the Arabian Sea, Cochin is the oldest European
settlement in India. Frilled with backwaters and rich with old world charm,
this city has lured many a great voyager to its shores. From time
immemorial, Arabs, Chinese, Dutch, British & Portuguese seafarers
followed the sea route to Kochi & left their impression on the town.
Modern Kochi is thus a splendid mosaic of these myriad influences. Arrive
Cochin & check into hotel. Overnight at hotel
Day 10: Cochin
Morning tour of Cochin or "Kochi" the palm green, commercial
captial of Kerala. Visit the Dutch Palace, the Jewish Synagogue, the Church
of St. Francis, the Bolghatty Palace & the famous Chinese fishing nets.
Evening witness the Kathakali dance performance + make up demonstration -
Kathkali is a unique dance which has a 2000 year old history with more than
100 different ‘mudras’ or gesture depicting deities, demons,
heroes, heroines and kings - each based on episodes from the Mahabharata and
Ramayana, the two epic Indian myths. Overnight at hotel
Day 11: Cochin - Madras
Departure Morning at leisure. Afternoon transfer from hotel to the airport
for onward flight via Madras
