South India Temple Tour

Tour Itinerary

Day 01: Arrival Chennai

Meeting and assistance on arrival and transfer to hotel Room foreseen at 1400 hr Overnight at the hotel

Day 02: Chennai/ Tirupati / Thirumala by surface 160 km (05 hrs)

Breakfast at the hotel Check out the hotel drive to Tirupati (160 Kms. / 3.5 Hrs) and check into hotel. Tirupati - In the extreme south of Andhra Pradesh lies the temple town of Tirupati, the abode of the “Lord of the Seven Hills” and home of one of the richest temples in southern India. Its Tirumalal Hill Temple is picturesquely situated amid sacred waterfalls and tanks, and beyond it lies fine mountain scenery. This shrine is an “essential” pilgrimage and a fine example of early Dravidian art. Several gopurams (monumental gates) are visible from below during the ascent. On a 2,500 ft. peak of the rather even range, is the temple, surrounded by mango and sandal trees. In front of it is the Hall of Pillars, from where an attractive stepped way leads to the temple gate. Foreign visitors are allowed to see the temple from the outside. The worship inside, which the non-Hindu will not see is regulated by an elaborate ritual. Afternoon proceed to Thirumala hills (22 Kms) Visit Lord Shri Balaji Darshan & Tiruchanoor Sri Padmavathy Temple. Richest God in the world visited by millions of devotees every year. Overnight at the hotel

Day 03: Drive Tirupati to Kanchipuram by surface 120 km (03 hrs)

Breakfast at the hotel Post breakfast drive to Kanchipuram (120 Kms / 3 Hrs). En-rourte visit Sri Kalahasti temple. On arrival check-in at hotel. Afternoon visit Kanchipuram -“The Golden City” has about 125 shrines, all of them centuries old, dating back to the early Cholas of 200 B.C. It was successively capital of the Cholas, the Pallavas and the Rayas of Vijayanagara. The height of Kanchi’s glory was when it was capital of the far-flung empire of the Pallavas from the 6th to the 8th centuries when Mahabalipuram and Mylapore were its great ports. All that is left are its magnificent temples. Kanchipuram’s other claim to fame is its silk, renowned for more than four centuries. A unique system of weavers makes and sells Kanchi saris which are the richest saris in India and certainly the most sought after. Overnight at the hotel

Day 04: Drive Kanchipuram/ Chidambaram by surface 180 km (05 hrs)

Breakfast at the hotel Morning proceed by surface for Chidamabaram- Chidambaram Renowned for its Nataraja Temple, the small municipal town of Chidambaram is situated at a distance of two hundred and thirty-five kilometres south of Chennai, on the Chennai-Thanjavur National highway. One of the holiest cities in India, Chidambaram is visited by thousands of Shaivite and Vaishnavite pilgrims who flock to the sacred Nataraja temple every year. Chidambaram was once a tillai (Excoecaria agallocha) forest. Legend has it that the two famous saints of South India, Vyagrapada and Patanjali worshipped Lord Shiva here. Their collective penance bore fruit in the form of Shiva’s cosmic dance, which was revealed to them on the propitious Thai Poosam day. Lord Shiva descended from the divine firmament as Nataraja—the King of Dance—and performed the ananda tandavam (cosmic dance). The place where Nataraja danced became a sacred ground. In course of time, a town took shape on this hallowed site and was called Chit Ambaram (wisdom-suffused sky). In AD 907, the Cholas made Chidambaram their capital. They built the grand Nataraja temple, which was later enlarged and embellished by them. Chidambaram has a tropical climate. Temperatures in the summers can rise up to 37°C. The best time to visit Chidambaram is during winter when it’s neither too hot nor cold. On arrival check-in at hotel. Rest of the day at leisure Overnight at the hotel

Day 05: In Chidambaram

Breakfast at the hotel Morning visit Natraja Temple, it is a sprawling ancient temple renowned for its architecture encompassing the complete pose sequences of the classical South Indian Bharat Natyam dance from which originated the revived dance in its present popular form. Rest of day free to visit city. Overnight at the hotel.

Day 06: Chidambaram / Chennai by surface 270 km( 06/07 hrs)

Breakfast at the hotel Post breakfast visit Fort St. George, completed in 1653 and today filled with reminders of the past, including St. Mary’s, the first church consecrated on Indian soil. The National Art Gallery has many excellent bronzes including the famous Chola period bronze Nataraja, the God Shiva, in the cosmic dance pose. The Government Museum (closed on Fridays) which contains sculpture and architecture produced by the Dravidian dynasties. Drive along the Marina, an elegant promenade and proceed to the old Indian section of Mylapore. Visit San Thome Basilica- the culmination of the enduring legend of Thomas Didymus, the apostle who doubted and who is believed to have lived and preached on Mylapore’s shores. Visit Mylapore Temple from outside Overnight at the hotel. Overnight at the hotel

Day 07: Drive Chennai- Mahabalipuram - Chennai by surface 70 km

Breakfast at the hotel Post breakfast proceed for Mahabalipuram and on arrival check in at the hotel- 70 Kms/ 1½-2 Hours per way. Afternoon city tour- Mahabalipuram is a beautiful beach resort which consists of a the tiny village by the sea in which all else is dwarfed by a dream world of awesome Tamil art, an open air museum of sculpture in living rock. The piece de resistance is Arjuna’s Penance or the Descent of the Ganga, the world’s largest bas-relief, 764 ft. by 288 ft. (27m by 9m). It is a beautiful composition of hundreds of celestial beings, human and animals all hurrying to a natural rock cleft that divides the giant stone. The best known landmark of Mahabalipuram, is the Shore Temple which has stood by the sea for 12 centuries. Its twin spires are pure poetry in granite Overnight at the hotel

Day 08: In Chennai

Breakfast at the hotel Rooms foreseen till 12 Noon on this day Afternoon transfer to airport to board the flight for onward journey