DAY 01 : ARRIVE CHENNAI
Arrive Chennai International Airport. Upon arrival you will be met by our Representative & transfer to your hotel.
Chennai (formerly known as Madras) is the capital city of the state of Tamil Nadu, and the fourth largest city in India.
Afternoon, proceed for city tour of Chennai, visiting Kapaliswara temple a Hindu temple dedicated to lord Shiva located in Mylapore followed by Arulmigu Sri Parthasarathyswamy Temple, is an 6th-century Hindu Vaishnavite temple dedicated to Vishnu, located at Thiruvallikeni.
Later visit Fort St George, the first bastion of British power in India. This fort is now used by the Tamil Nadu legislative assembly and the secretariat office and St Mary’s Church, the oldest surviving British Church in India.
Overnight at the hotel.
DAY 02 : CHENNAI – KANCHIPURAM – MAHABALIPURAM (145 Km / 6.5 hours including sightseeing)
Morning post breakfast, transfer by road to Kanchipuram and visit Kamakshi Amman, dedicated to Goddess Parvati.
The Temple was most probably built by the Pallava kings, whose capital was Kanchipuram.
The Kailashanathar Temple dedicated to Lord Shiva, Pallava King Rajasimha started the work and Mahendravarman III completed it in the 8th century. It is made up of a Typical Pallava style of a Pyramidal Tower, pillared halls and a vestibule
The Ekambareswar Temple dedicated to Lord Shiva, the largest temple of the city.
Later continue your drive to Mahabalipuram. Mahabalipuram, is a port city of the Pallavas, who mastered the art of construction without using bricks or mortar, just carving out exquisite sculptors from rocks.
On arrival, check-in at your hotel.
Afternoon, visit the Shore Temple, one of the oldest temples of South India. The Shore Temple (built in 700–728 AD) is so named because it overlooks the shore of the Bay of Bengal.
It is a structural temple, built with blocks of granite, dating from the 8th century AD. At the time of its creation, the site was a busy port during the reign of Narasimhavarman II of the Pallava dynasty. As one of the Group of Monuments at Mahabalipuram, it has been classified as a UNESCO World Heritage Site since 1984.
Arjuna Penance, the world’s largest rock base relief. The legend depicted in the relief is the story of the descent of the sacred river Ganges to earth from the heavens led by Bhagiratha. The waters of the Ganges are believed to possess supernatural powers. The descent of the Ganges and Arjuna's Penance are portrayed in stone at the Pallava heritage site
AlsoSee the Five Rathas, a series of five monolithic pyramidical structure named after the five Pandava brothers.
Overnight at the hotel.
DAY 03 : MAHABALIPURAM – PONDICHERRY (260 Km / 6.5 hours including sightseeing)
Post early breakfast, transfer by road to Tiruvanamalai. The history of Tiruvannamalai revolves around the Annamalaiyar Temple.
Visit Annamalaiyar temple, this is believed to be the largest temple in the world dedicated to Shiva. The history of this Annamalayar temple dates back to thousand years
Later, continue your drive to Pondicherry. Pondicherry is a former French colony settled in the 18th century and is now a union territory and an attractive seaside town, still with a Anglo–French flavour.
On arrival, check-in at the hotel. Rest of the day at leisure to explore surroundings on your own.
Overnight at the hotel.
DAY 04 : PONDICHERRY
Morning after breakfast, proceed for city tour of Pondicherry. Discover the harmonious community of Auroville, inspired by The Mother as a place where people can come together – regardless of nationality, belief or colour – to live a meaningful life. Also visit Auroville Bamboo Research Centre was founded in 2009 to bring awareness of the many applications of bamboo to the people in the Auroville community and to the villages in the Auroville bioregion.
Then visit the Sri Aurobindo Ashram, where Sri Aurobindo and the Mother lived for most of their lives. The Puducherry Museum is home to some of the most exquisite architecture and sculpture. Puducherry also has a charming beach alongside apromenade and historical monuments.
Therafter enjoy pondicherry in the best way on foot or by cycle. The gorgeous yellow and purple buildings in the White Town make for great photographs as do the ornate windows and doors. But there’s more to these buildings, and this post is precisely about the hidden stories of Pondicherry.
Rest of the day is at leisure to enjoy the quiet beaches of Pondicherry.
Overnight at the hotel.
DAY 05 : PONDICHERRY – CHIDAMBARAM – DARASURAM – TANJORE (180 Km / 06 hours including sightseeing)
After early breakfast, transfer by road to Tanjore en-route visiting Temples of Chidambaram & Darasuram.
The name of the town of this shrine, Chidambaram comes from the Tamil word Chitrambalam (also spelled Chithambalam) meaning "wisdom atmosphere". The roots are cith or chitthu means consciousness or wisdom while and ambalam means "atmosphere".
Darasuram town is known for the Airavateswara temple constructed by the Rajaraja Chola II in the 12th century CE. The temple is a recognised UNESCO World Heritage monument.
Later continue your drive to Tanjore. Tanjore, the capital of the Chola from the 10th to the 12th centuries, is still the capital of music and dance, today a small town, in the economic shadow of Trichy.
Upon arrival, check-in at your hotel.
Afternoon expore Tanjore with a visit to the Brihadishwara temple dedicated to the god Shiva. This granite sanctuary soars to 70 meters in height and is topped by a monolithic dome weighing 80 tons. Visit of the very remarkable art gallery in the old Nayak Palace, dating from the 16th century. These sculptures date from the 9th to the 12th centuries. It presents a hundred bronzes which represent Shiva, Pârvatî, Vishnou, in different attitudes.
Overnight at the hotel.
DAY 06 : TANJORE – TRICHY – CHETTINAD (145 Km / 4.5 hours including sightseeing)
Post early breakfast, transfer by road to Chettinad en-route visiting Trichy.
Trichy situated on the banks of Kaveri River is a blend of history and tradition as well as pilgrim centre, it is famous for Ranganath temple at Srirangam.
Visit Rock Fort Temple and Ranganathswamy Temple.
The Rock Fort Temple stands on an 84 m tall rock in the center of the town. In the 18th century, for the possession of the Fort the British fought and defeated the French at Trichy.
The Ranganathswamy Temple is dedicated to Lord Vishnu and was well known as the religious seat of learning as far back as the 11th century.
After sightseeing continue your drive to Chettinad.
Chettinad region is well known for its 19th-century mansions, whose wide courtyards and spacious rooms are embellished with marble and teak. Construction materials, decorative items, and furnishings were mostly imported from East Asian countries and Europe. The marble was brought from Italy, chandeliers and teak from Burma, crockery from Indonesia, crystals from Europe and wall-to-wall mirrors from Belgium.
On arrival, check-in at the hotel. Later proceed to city tour including visit to Chettinad Palace, Chettinad Museum & Athmanathaswamy Temple.
Overnight at the hotel.
DAY 07 : CHETTINAD – RAMESHWARAM (155 Km / 3.5 hours)
Morning after breakfast, transfer by road to Rameshwaram.
Together with Varanasi, it is considered to be one of the holiest places in India to Hindus, and part of the Char Dham pilgrimage. The Hindu god Rama built a bridge from here across the sea to Lanka to rescue his wife Sita from her abductor Ravana. The Ramanathaswamy Temple, dedicated to the Hindu god Shiva, is at the centre of the town and is closely associated with Rama.
On arrival, check-in at your hotel.
Afternoon, Ram Setu or Adam’s Bridge and Dhanushkodi Beach, southernmost tip of India.
The Adam’s Bridge or Rama Setu is a historic bridge connecting the Rameshwaram island of India to the north-western coast of Sri Lanka
Overnight at the hotel.
DAY 08 : RAMESHWARAM – MADURI (175 Km / 3.5 hours)
Morning after breakfast, proceed to Temple tour of Rameshwaram including Srinathaswamy Temple, Kothandaramaswamy Temple, Five Faced Hanuman Temple
Srinath swamy Temple, It is also one of the twelve Jyotirlinga temples.
Kothandaramaswamy Temple, is a shrine dedicated to the Hindu deity Rama. The temple is surrounded by sea and remains a tourist attraction. It is easily accessible from Rameswaram.
Five Faced Hanuman Temple is a popular shrine in Rameswaram. It is dedicated to the Hindu deity Hanuman - the Monkey God. Legend has it that this is the place where Lord Hanuman revealed His five-faced avatar.
Afternoon, continue your drive to Madurai - one of the oldest cities in India which has been continuously inhabited since at least the 3rd century BCE and is located on the banks of the River Vaigai.
On arrival, check-in at your hotel.
In evening visit the Sri Meenakshi Temple to witness the Aarti ceremony.
Overnight at the hotel.
DAY 09 : MADURI – CHENNAI (By Flight)
Start your day with visit to Flower Market. A visit to Madurai is not complete without a visit to the flower market. It is South India's largest fresh flower trading centre, bustling with activity and filled with seasonal flowers, this market is part of Madurai's cultural heritage.
Return back to hotel for breakfast. Later continue your city tour of Madurai covering Meenakshi Temple, Triumaai Nayak Mahal, Vandiyur Mariamman Teppakulam & The Gandhi Museum.
The Meenakshi-Sundareswarar temple is located at the heart of the city and is a major Hindu pilgrim spot and an international tourist attraction. This temple reflects the cultural and religious life of the people of the city.
Tirumalai Nayakar Mahal: This palace is about 1 km away from the Meenakshi-Sundareshwar temple. This Indo-Saracenic building was constructed in 1523, and was initially four times larger than its present size.
Vandiyur Mariamman Teppakulam: Enshrining Lord Vigneshwara, Vandiyur Mariamman Teppakulam is a tank with a Mandapam (covered platform) at the center. Between January and February, the Float festival is conducted here.
Later in the evening transfer to Chennai airport to board flight for Chennai.
On arrival, transfer to your hotel.
Overnight at the hotel.
DAY 10 : DEPART CHENNAI
Morning in time transfer to Chennai Airport to board flight for onward destination.
