Chennai to Madurai 12N/13D

Post breakfast guided sightseeing of Chennai, visiting:

Fort St. George, built in the year 1640 AD by the British East India Company, under the direct supervision of Francis Day & Andrew Cogon. This bastion achieved its name from St. George. St. Mary's Church, built in the year 1680 & oldest Protestant Church in the East contains several antiquities, not the least being the oldest British tombstones in India. Fort Museum, with 10 rooms displaying the old uniforms, coins, padlocks, old prints & palanquins. Santhome Cathedral derives its name from St. Thomas, the apostle of Christ who is believed to have visited Madras sometime during 52 AD. He was killed on St. Thomas Mount just in 78 AD & was interned in Santhome beach, where church was built. Several years later, another church was built & his mortal remains were transferred to the new one. Museums, established in 1857, it is undoubtedly one of the country's finest museums. It has sections devoted to geology, archaeology, anthropology, botany, zoology, sculpture & numismatics. Its most prized possessions are the relics from 2nd century AD Buddhist site of Amaravathi & the prehistoric antiques of South India.

Kapaleeswarar temple is one of the prominent Shiva temples in India situated in Mylapore, Chennai. Here Lord Shiva is worshipped as Kapaleeswar [self-manifested] and Goddess Shakthi [Uma] as Karpagambal.

Evening is free to explore Marina Beach.

Overnight Hotel Taz Kamar – Chennai (B)

Post breakfast drive to Mahabalipuarm en-route visiting Kanchipuram, is one of the seven holy cities in the country. It was a city of learning for both Tamil & Sanskrit, & was believed to be visited by Hsuan Tsang. In ancient times it was called Kachi. Once had over a thousand temples & today there are more than a hundred extant. It is also known for its temples & silk sarees. In Kanchipuram We visit Kailasanatha Temple, built in 8th Century AD. It is built in the typical Pallava style, with a pyramidal tower, a pillared hall & vestibule, enclosed by a wall. The temple is famous for exquisite carvings & attracts devotees & tourists alike. There are 58 small shrines situated around the main shrine, as a compound wall. Fresco style paintings adorn the inner walls of the temple. Next we visit Ekambaranatha, ancient temple is dedicated to lord Shiva. The 57 metres high Raj Gopuram is one of the tallest towers in South India. The 3000 year old mango tree inside the temple has 4 branches each yielding different variety of mangoes. Before go to Mahabalipuram we visit Kamakshi Amman Temple, built in 12th century AD, as an important Shakthisthalam, known as Parabrahmaroonpini. The main deity is seated on Brahma, Vishnu, Rudra, Eswara & Sadasiva. Continue drive to Mahabalipuram, 7th century port city of the South Indian. It is believed to have been named after the Pallava king Mamalla. It has various historic monuments built largely between the 7th & the 9th century, & has been classified as a UNESCO World Heritage Site. The monuments are mostly rock-cut & monolithic, constitute the early stages of Dravidian architecture wherein Buddhist elements of design are prominently visible. On arrival check into your Hotel.

Rest of the day is at leisure.

Overnight Nirvana Boutique Hotel– Mahabalipuram (B)

Post breakfast proceed for sightseeing of Mahabalipuram visitting; Shore Temple; one of the oldest temples in South India. It belongs to the 7th Century AD & is a good example of the first phase of the structure of temples constructed in the Dravidian style. Designed to catch the first rays of the rising sun & to illuminate the waters after dark, the temple ended up with an unusual lay-out.

Arjuna's Penance; is the world's largest bas-relief. This huge whale-back shaped rock contains figures of gods, demigods, men, beasts, birds.

Rathas; monolithic temples fashioned as chariots. They remain an architectural mystery, for each is apparently a faithful reproduction of a structure built of wood. In fact, even the grain of the timber beams & rafters has been simulated in stone. Of the eight Rathas, five have been named for the Pandava brothers, the heroes of the epic Mahabharata.

Rest of the time is FREE for relax.

Overnight Nirvana Boutique Hotel– Mahabalipuram (B)

Post breakfast drive to Pondicherry; it a serene beach destination while others nicknamed it as the “French colony of the south”. However, Pondicherry in South India is an amalgamation of both, range of postcard like beaches bordered by French named roads and French architectural wonders. Attractions in Pondicherryreflect a unique harmony between Indian culture and French colonialism. Colonial buildings, churches and statues contribute to a wide range of Pondicherry attractions.

The beaches all across the small French style town are ideal places to relax, rejuvenate, practice yoga and cherish the soothing beauty of nature. They take you far away from the hustle bustle of city life and offer you miles to walk along. On arrival check into your Hotel.

Rest of the time is free for relax.

Overnight Hotel Annamalai International – Pondicherry (B)

Post breakfast proceed to visit The Sri Aurobindo Ashram is a spiritual community located in Pondicherry, in the Indian territory of Puducherry. The ashram grew out of a small community of disciples who had gathered around Sri Aurobindo after he retired from politics and settled in Pondicherry in 1910.

Also visit Aurovile Matrimandir, Manakula Vinayagar Temple, Museum, Pondicherry Beach, Chunnambar Back Water.

Rest of the time is free for relax.

Overnight hotel – Pondicherry (B)

Post breakfast day at leisure.

Overnight hotel – Pondicherry (B)

Post breakfast drive to drive to Tanjore, flourished during the rule of the Nayaks & Mahrattas. It has been the treasure house of art for centuries. It is called the Rice Bowl of Tamil Nadu. Thanjavur is well-known throughout the world for its exquisite handicrafts like the Art Plate, pithwork, bronze icons, Thanjavur paintings & the classical South Indian musical instruments.

Rest of the time is free for relax.

Post breakfast proceed for guided sightseeing of Tanjore visiting;

Brihadeshwara temple, also known as Big Temple, built by Rajaraja Chola I was completed around 1010 CE. This 10th century CE temple, one of UNESCO World Heritage Sites, is a brilliant example of the Dravidian style of temple architecture. The beautiful Chola Fresco paintings on the inner walls of the temple are no way less than Ajanta paintings.

Saraswathi Mahal Library, also called Thanjavur Maharaja Serfoji's Saraswathi Mahal Library is a library located in Thanjavur, Tamil Nadu, India. It is one of the oldest libraries in Asia established during 16th century by Nayakar kings of Thanjavur and has on display a rare collection of Palm leaf manuscripts and paper written in Tamil and Sanskrit and a few other indigenous languages of india. The collection comprises well over 49,000 volumes, though only a tiny fraction of these are on display.

The Thanjavur Nayak Palace Complex, known locally as Aranmanai, today is the official residence of the Bhonsle family that ruled Tanjore from 1674 to 1855.

Also visit Royal Palace Museum.

Rest of the time is free for relax.

Overnight Hotel – Tanjore (B)

Overnight Hotel Gnanam - Tanjore (B)

Post breakfast drive to Trichy, which has very historic temples, monuments & churches. It was an important town in the days of the later Cholas, Nayaks as well as during the early days of the British East India Company. On arrival check into your Hotel.

Rest of the day is free for relax.

Overnight Hotel Oxina Lygon– Trichy (B)

Post btreakfast proceed for guided sightseeing of Trichy visitng;

Srirangam Temple, surrounded by the waters of the River Kaveri on one side & its tributary Kollidam on the other is a 600-acre island-town enclosed within the seven walls of the gigantic

Sri Ranganathaswamy Temple. There are not less than 21 Gopuram here in this temple, one of which is the tallest in South India.

Rockfort most famed landmark is an 83 m high rock which is the only outcrop in the otherwise flat land of the city. The most amazing fact about the rock is that it is one of the oldest in the world approximately 3,800 million years, which makes it as old as the rocks of Greenland & older than the Himalayas. Ucchi Pillayar Temple is a 7th-century Hindu temple, one dedicated to Lord Ganesha located a top of Rockfort, Trichy, Tamil Nadu, India. According to legend, this rock is the place where Lord Ganesha ran from King Vibishana, after establishing the Ranganathaswamy deity in Srirangam. Tiruchirapalli Rock Fort is also fondly called as Malaikottai in Tamil

Rest of the time is free for relax.

Overnight Hotel Oxina Lygon– Trichy (B)

Post breakfast drive to Madurai, rich cultural heritage passed for more than 2500 years old & has been an important commercial centre as early as 550 AD. It is the oldest city in Tamil Nadu & was originally known as Kadambavanam or the forest of Kadamba. On arrival check into your Hotel.

Rest of the time is free for relax.

Overnight The Madurai Residency – Madurai (B)

Post breakfast proceed for guided sightseeing of Madurai visiting;

Meenakshi Sundareshwar was first built 2000 years ago & was substantially expanded between the years (1623-55 AD). Initially there was only the Shiva temple. A striking feature of the temple is the astonishing structure known as Ayiramkaal mandapam or the Hall of a thousand pillars in the outermost corridor.

Thirumalai Nayakkar Palace;was built by king Thirumalai Nayak in year 1636 (hence its name) in Indo-saracenic style with tall arches gracing the palace. Being erstwhile residence to the king, only one-fourth of the actual structure is intact. Efforts have been made in recent years for renovation of the palace.

Also visit the Algar Koyil Temple & Thirupparamkunram Murugan Temple.

Rest of the time is free for relax.

Overnight The Madurai Residency