Spa & tour packages - Architectural marvels of South India

Architectural highlights: Famous shore temples of Mahabalipuram and Kanchipuram, Tanjore and Madurai Meenakshi temples, Chamundi Hills of Mysore.

Day 01 : Arrive Chennai
On arrival in Chennai, the fourth largest city in India and the capital of Tamil Nadu state. You will be met by our and transferred to Hotel.

Day 02 : Chennai - Mahabalipuram (By road 2 hours drive)
After breakfast drive to Mahabalipuram. On arrival check in to Hotel. Later proceed to visit world famous for its shore temples, Mahabalipuram was the second capital and sea port of the Pallava kings of Kanchipuram, the first Tamil dynasty of any real consequence to emerge after the fall of the Gupta dynasty. The shore temples in particular strike a very romantic theme and are some of the most photographed monuments in India. The sculpture here is particularly interesting because it shows scenes of day to day life. Rest of the day at leisure.

Day 03 : Mahabalipuram
Today proceed for excursion to Kanchipuram, sometimes known as Siva Vishnu Kanchi is one of the 7 holiest Hindu cities and famous for its spectacular temple. Many of the temples are the work of the later Cholas and of the Vijayanagar kings. They are spread out all across the city and you need whole day to see them. Kanchipuram is also famous for hand woven silk fabrics. This industry originated in Pallavas times, when weavers were employed to produce clothing and fabrics for kings.. Rest of the day at leisure.

Day 04 : Mahabalipuram - Pondicherry (By road 5 hours drive)
Drive about 5 hours to Pondicherry. On arrival check in to Hotel. Later visit the city, India's French connection is very visible in Pondicherry - It has a rich French heritage as seen in its colonial buildings and in its cuisine. Restaurants offer a variety of food ranging from French to Indian, Creole, Vietnamese and Continental. Pondicherry is a shoppers delight for leather good, pottery, handmade paper and aromatics. It is home of the Sri Aurobindo ashram and Auroville, envisioned as a "universal town," by The Mother (a Paris born painter, who became a disciple and companion of Sri Aurobindo, well known mystic philosopher). The ashram is situated 10 kms north of Pondicherry and attracts many people for short visits or longer stays. The Pondicherry Museum has a fine display of Chola bronzes and sculptures, glimpses of French heritage and others antiquities.

Chunnambar, known for its beaches and backwaters has a Water Sports center. The Botanical gardens were established in 1826 by C.S. Perrotet and are well worth a visit. Sir Gokilambal Thirukameswarar Temple is architecturally the best in town. May/June witnesses a rath yatra (temple car procession) around the town and is worth a visit at this time. To soak in the French ambience a visit to some fine specimens of Indo-French architecture is a must. These, among others, are the Mansion of Ananda Rangapillai (a courtier of Dupleix the Governor) Eglise de Sacre Coeur de Jesus (Church of Sacred Heart of Jesus) with excellent stained glass windows and the Anglo-French textile mills. This mill established over 100 years ago is still functioning and an ideal place to buy souvenirs and gifts.

The Church of the Capuchins was the first one built and the old only one to survive the destruction of the town in 1761. The Cathedral of the Immaculate Conception built in 1791 has interesting ornamental features. A statue of Joan of Arc still stands facing the Notre Dame des Anges church (1852), which faces the ocean.

Day 05 : Pondicherry - Tanjore (By road 5 hours drive)
Today drive to Tanjore with your car and driver. Very early morning you may wish to visit one of the earliest fishing settlements of Pondicherry. Walk through the small lanes of the village to the seashore. See fishermen repairing their nets, and women drying salted fish and selling or trading the fresh catch of the day. Drive about 2 hours to Chidambaram. Said to be the oldest temple complex in South India, the Nataraja Temple is renowned for the numerous sculptures of Shiva in his cosmic dance and the Nritta Sabha (Dancing Hall) carved out like a gigantic chariot. Continue to Thanjavur. This evening walk to the Rajarajeshwaram Temple for sunset where locals gather in this park like setting to relax, enjoy the comfortable night air see the 'Big Temple' silhouetted against the fading orange sky. At the Rajarajeshwaram Temple you will see how South Indian temple architecture reached its zenith here during the Later Chola period. In town, explore the workshops of a few traditional craftsmen before seeing the intricate sculptures at Darasuram Temple on your own. Here folk theatre is an important medium of communication in villages, you may wish to see a local performance on your own.

Day 06 : Tanjore - Madurai (By road 5 hours drive)
Drive about 5 hours with car and driver to Madurai, known as the Athens of the East. It is the second largest city in Tamil Nadu and is situated on the banks of the river Vaigai. This ancient city is said to be over 2,500 years old and was supposedly built by the Pandyan King Kulasekara in the 6th century BC. It is said to have got its name from the drops of nectar (Mathuram) that fell from Lord Shiva's locks when he came to bless its people for constructing a temple for him. Originally named Madhurapuri or the 'land of nectar', the name later got modified as Madurai. From such legendary beginnings, the actual history of Madurai emerges sometime during the 3rd century BC when it was the prosperous Pandya's capital which had trading contacts with Greece and Rome.

Apart from a brief period when it fell to the Cholas, Madurai remained with the Pandyas until the decline of the empire. The next major rulers of Madurai were the Vijayanagara kings who won over the territory in 1371. They appointed the Nayaks as governors who, in time, became powerful in their own right. The 200 - year old reign of the Nayaks marks the golden period of Madurai when art, architecture and learning, scaled new heights. In fact, the most beautiful buildings in the city including its most famous landmark, the Meenakshi temple, are Nayak contributions. On arrival check into the hotel.

Day 07 : Madurai
Today proceed for city tour visiting the Meenakshi Temple - Located at the heart of the city, the Meenakshi-Sundareswarar temple has long been the focus of both Indian and international tourist attraction as well as one of the most important places of Hindu pilgrimage. For the people of Madurai, the temple is the very center of their cultural and religious life.

This pre-Christian era temple was actually built by Kulasekara Pandya, but it was in ruins before it was rebuilt by Tirumalai Nayak, who brought back the glory to this magnificent structure. One of its 12 Gopurams, four of the tallest stand at the outer walls of the temple is 48.4 m high. The southern Gopuram is the most spectacular and has over 1500 sculptures. From its top, it is possible to get a panoramic view of the city. The Rajagopuram on the eastern side is an unfinished structure that has a 174 sq.ft base, and had this tower been completed, it would surely have been the largest of its kind in the country. The eight smaller Gopurams are within the compounds of the twin temples. There are few temples in India that share the grandeur of this twin-temple complex. Since the temples are so huge it is quite possible to lose one's bearings and it is advisable to get a guide. 5 km. east of the Meenakshi temple is a tank called Mariamman Teppakulam with an idol of Vinayaka installed on a platform in the center, Thirunmalai Nayak Mahal - The palace of Tirumalai Nayak is about 1 km away from the temple. This Indo-Saracenic building was constructed in 1523 and was originally four times its present size. There is no other building in Madurai that can better illustrate the architectural style of the Nayaks. The most remarkable part of this palace is the Swarga Vilasam that served as the audience hall. Its dome lies beyond a huge courtyard and is a magnificent example of the engineering skill of its builders, rising to a height of 20 m without any support!

Day 08 : Madurai - Chennai (By Flight Chennai - Bangalore - bangalore (flight)
Morning transfer to airport to fly to Chennai. To connect flight to Bangalore. Met upon arrival and check in to Hotel.

Day 09 : Bangalore - Mysore (By road 4 hours drive)
Morning, city tour of Bangalore including the Vidhana Soudha, built of granite in the neo-Dravidian style of architecture. The Fort, a mud brick structure built in 1537 by Kempegowda and other important sites. Afternoon drive to Mysore. On arrival check in to Hotel.

Day 10 : Mysore
Morning visit the Mysore Palace. The beautiful profile of this walled Indo-Saracenic palace, the seat of the maharajas of Mysore, graces the city skyline. An earlier palace was burnt down in 1897 and the present one, also know as the Amba Vilas Palace was completed in 1912 at a cost of Rs. 4.2 million. The former maharaja is still in residence at the rear of this palace. Inside is a Kaleidoscope of stained glass mirrors gilt and colors. The palace even has a selection of temples within its grounds. Later we drive on to Chamundi Hills - Over looking Mysore from the 1026 meter summit of the Chamundi Hill, the Sri Chamundeswari Temple. This temple is dominated by a towering seven storey, 40 meters high Gopuram (or tower). The goddess is the family deity of the Maharajas and the people of Mysore. Later on our descent, we visit the famous five meter tall Nandi (Shiva's Bull) carved out of solid rock in 1659. It is one of the largest in India and is visited by many pilgrims. After sightseeing, return to the hotel. B

Day 11: Mysore - Sravanabelagola - Halebid - Hassan ( 200 kms / Six Hours )
After breakfast at the hotel, excursion to Somnathpur (33 kms. east of Mysore). Built around 1260 AD during the heyday of the Hoysala kings, these are beautiful temples with superb sculptures in stone forming one part of the triangle at Belur & Halebid near Hassan. Also visit Srirangapatnam, from where Tipu Sultan ruled most of the south India in the 18th century. His defeat by the British marked the beginning of Raj era in South India. Later driev to Hassan. Later drive to Hassan. En-route visit Sravanabelagola (meaning monk of the white pond). This is one of the oldest and most important Jain pilgrimage centers in India, and the site of the huge 17 meters high naked statue of Bahubal, said to be the world's tallest monolithic statue. Continue drive on to Hassan. On arrival, check-in to the hotel.

Day 12: Hassan - Hospet ( 300 kms / Eight hours )
Afternoon, visit the Belur & Halebid temples. The Hoysala temples of Halebid and Belur along with the one at Somnathpur are the cream of one of the most artistically exuberant periods of Hindu cultural development. Their sculptural decoration rivals that of Khajuraho, and Konark. The construction of the Hoysaleswar Temples at Halebid began around 1121.

Day 13 :Hassan - Hospet ( 300 kms / Eight hours )
Morning, drive to Hospet. On arrival check-in to hotel.

Day 14: Hospet ( Vijaynagar - 40 kms )
After breakfast, visit Hampi, the capital of one of the largest Hindu empire during 14th century covering an area of about 30 sq kms. and had a population of about half a million. Hampi is a hill country with the river Tungabhadra flowing through it. Some of the interesting sights are Vittala Temple, famous for its stone chariot, musical pillars and exquisite sculptures.

Day 15 : Hospet - Aihole - Pattadkal - Badami ( 150 kms / Four hours )
Breakfast at the hotel. Later we drive to Badami. En-route visit Aihole, the regional capital between the 4th and 6th centuries, you can see Hindu temple architecture in its embryonic stage, from the earliest Ladkhan Temple to the later and more complex structures like the Kunligudi and Durgigudi. Also visit Pattadkal, situated in the left bank of the Malaprabha River. It has 10 major temples representing early Chalukyan architecture. The place reached its pinnacle of glory under the Chalukyas from the seventh to the ninth centuries functioning as the royal commemorative site. The biggest temple here, dedicated to Virupaksha, has a massive gateway and several inscriptions. On arrival check-in to the Hotel Badami Court.

Day 16 : Badami - Goa ( 300 kms / Eight hours )
Breakfast at the hotel. Later drive 8 hours to Goa. On arrival check in to Hotel.

Day 19 : Goa - Mumbai (By flight IC-164 : 1425 / 1525 hours)
Mumbai Departure (International flight)
After breakfast, transfer to the airport to fly to Mumbai. On arrival in Mumbai transfer to international airport to board flight for onward destination.