Day 01: Abroad
- Chennai Arrive Chennai International airport. On arrival,
the guest will be met by our representative and transferred to hotel.
Overnight at hotel.
Day 02: Chennai
Morning city tour of Chennai - is the fourth largest city in India. The
sprawling city which is divided in two by the cooum River, has few tall
buildings to mark the impression of an easygoing market town. The
gracefulness is present in Madras in such liberal quantities is propriate.
Visit the Fort St. George -
Still surrounded by cannon-proofwalls the fort was rebuilt several times
between 1642 when its original bastions were completed and 1749 when the
French left, it remains - moats and all - pretty much today as when first
made the seat of empire. Declared a national monument in 1948, most of its
buildings have been converted into government offices, notably the
Legislature and Secretariat. At various times the fort was home of Robert
Clive, Elihu Yale and Sir Arthur Wellesley. Within the fort, visit the
little St Mary's Church the oldest Protestant church east of the Suez and
the first Anglican one in India.
Overnight at hotel. Day 03 Chennai 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 7th-century Shore
Temple, a lovely beach and some of the most beautiful rock-cut temples in
the world. Situated on the shore of the Bay 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 630-68). End the visit by photography of the beautiful
Shore temples at sunset. Overnight at hotel.
Day 03:
Chennai - Tirupati Full day trip to Tirupati (154 kms each way)
The "holy hill" of Tirumala in the extreme south of
Andhra Pradesh is one the most important pilgrimage centres in India, and is
claimed to be the busiest in the world - eclipsing Jerusalem, Rome and Mecca
in its sheer number of pilgrims.
Tirumala is an engrossing place
where you can spend the whole day just wandering around. It's one of the few
temples in India which allows non-hindus into the sanctum but, despite this,
the place sees few foreign visitors.
Venkateshwara
Temple - Pilgrims flock to Tirumala to visit the ancient
temple of Venkateshwara, an avtar of Vishnu. This is the god whose pictures
graces the reception areas of most lodges and restaurants in Southern India
and garlanded in so many flowers that only his feet are visible.
Among the powers attributed to Venkateshwara is the granting of any wish
that is made in front of the idol at Tirumala; and so the millions come.
There are never less than 5000 pilgrims here at any one time and, in single
day, the total is often as high as 100,000. The temple staff alone number
nearly 6000. Overnight at a hotel. Day 04: Tirupati - Chennai - Madurai Morning drive to Chennai
airport (154 kms) to connect flight Chennai - Madurai ( 1145 / 1240 hrs. )
Upon arrival met and transferred to hotel.
Madurai - It's one of the
most pleasant Indian cities, and has a charming situation on the River
Vaigai, fringed by lush paddy fields and coconut groves.
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 file 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.
You will drive (walk is recommended ) through the fascinating
bazaar that is bustling from dawn to nightfall. If time permits you may 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.
Overnight at hotel
Day 05: Madurai - Kanyakumari
Morning, drive to Kanyakumari ( 240 kms / 5 hours).
Kanyakumari - meeting point
of three oceans, the Bay of Bengal meets the Indian Ocean and the Arabian
Sea. Kanyakumari is famous for its beautiful views of sunrise, sunset and
moonrise over the waters. Kanyakumari is also a popular pilgrimage
destination and of great significance to Hindus Overnight at hotel
Day 06: Kanyakumari - Kovallam Early morning view the rising
sun.
Return to the hotel for breakfast
Thereafter
drive to Kovallam (70 kms / 1 ½ hours). Upon arrival check in at
hotel.
Kovallam -
Kovallam is one of India's most spectacular beach with the boundless blue of
the Arabian Sea and the unwinding miles of fine - sanded beaches washed by
the surf which roars and hisses at the feet of the stalwart palms. Located
in idyllic surroundings, it's a beautiful getaway for relaxation &
recuperation.
Rest of the day at leisure for own activities and
enjoy the facilities of the hotel or at the beach. Overnight at hotel
Day 07 Kovallam - Cochin - Bangalore - Puttaparthi
Morning drive to Cochin airport to connect flight Cochin / Bangalore ( 1450
/ 1545 hrs. )
Upon arrival in Bangalore - drive to Puttparthi
(170 kms / 3 ½ hours).
Ovenright at Ashram / hotel.
Day 08: Puttaparthi Day at Puttaparthi. Ovenright
at Ashram / hotel.
Day 09: Puttaparthi - Bombay
Transfer to the airport for flight Puttparthi - Bombay ( 1450 / 1610 hrs. )
Upon arrival met and transferred to the international airport for
flight back home.