Day 01 Arrive Chennai
Arrive at Chennai International Airport. As a part of
your South India tour you will first visit Chennai or
Madras as it was known as is the capital of Tamilnadu.
It is a teeming, sprawling, bustling industrial metro
established on the site of a fishing village in 1639 as
a first British settlement in India by the English
merchant, Francis Day. Later, The East India Company
developed Chennai as one of the major trading centres in
India. Chennai has a blend of Dravidian and Gothic
architecture in its buildings. The city might have grown
but it has never lost its traditional grace and charm.
Upon clearing Customs and Immigration, you are met by
our representative who will present you with a welcome
pack including all necessary documentation for your
South India tour and arrange for your transfer to your
hotel for check-in. No activity is scheduled today,
since most of the International flights arrive into
India close to midnight only. Overnight at hotel.
Day 02 In Chennai
This morning embark from your hotel for a half day tour
of Chennai.
This tour includes a visit to The Santhome Cathedral
Church - built in 1504, then rebuilt in neo-Gothic style
in 1893, this Roman Catholic Church near Kapaleeshwarar
temple is said to house the remains of St. Thomas the
Apostle.
St Thomas Mount - is the place where the apostle is said
to have been killed.
Little Mount Shrine - St. Thomas is believed to have
lived in Little Mount Shrine (a tiny cave) when he came
to India around 58 A.D. Known locally as Chinnamalai,
the cave is entered via the Portuguese Church that was
built in 1551.
Fort St George -built in the 1640 A.D., the first
bastion of British power of India, the fort has
undergone much alteration. The fort is now used by the
Tamilnadu Legislative Assembly and the Secretariat
office. The 46m high flagstaff at the front is actually
a mast salvaged from a 17th century shipwreck.
St Mary's Church – built in 1678-80, was the first
English Church in Chennai, and is the oldest surviving
British Church in India. There are reminders in the
Church of Clive, who was married here in 1753, and of
Elihu Yale, the early Governor of Chennai who later
founded the famous American University bearing his name.
The Fort Museum - It has a collection of objects from
the tenure of the East India Company in Chennai
including letters from Robert Clive.
Rest of the day at leisure to explore the city on your
own. Overnight at hotel.
Day 03 Chennai –
Mahabalipuram By Road ( Approx 60 Kms / 01 Hour )
This morning you drive to Mahabalipuram.
Mahabalipuram - Mahabalipuram is a sleepy coastal town
60 kms south of Chennai. This tiny sea side village set
in a boulder strewn landscape is a site of many ancient
sculptural marvels. It was the port city of the Pallavas
who had mastered the art of construction without using
bricks or mortar, carving out exquisite sculptures from
rocks. The best examples of the ir art here are the five
monolith chariots, the pride of Mahabalipuram. The
various panels on the walls depict scenes from Hindu
mythology and fables from the Panchtantra. The
Mahabalipuram ruins, date to the seventh century and
consist of a cave temple, shore temple, monolithic
rathas (rock-carved temple chariots) and bas-reliefs
(among the world's finest.). It is the ideal place to
purchase intricately shaped and skilfully carved
statues.
Mahabalipuram , is one of the Indian towns that was
devastated by the recent Tsunami waves in December 2004
, but in true Indian style , the city’s inhabitants
showed tremendous grit and courage and had the city back
to normal very quickly.
Upon arrival check-in to the hotel. Rest of the day at
leisure to explore the city on your own or perhaps just
relax on the beach. Overnight at hotel.
Day 04 Mahabalipuram –
Pondicherry By Road ( Approx 100 Kms / 02 Hours )
This morning you drive to Pondicherry.
Pondicherry - Pondicherry a former French colony settled
in the 18th century is now a Union territory and a
beautiful seaside town with traces of French culture
still intact .Apart from the charming atmosphere,
excellent restaurants, and cheap beer, what attracts
most travelers to Pondicherry is the Sri Aurobindo
Ashram. The ashram, founded by Sri Aurobindo in the year
1926, has brought international reputation to this
coastal town.
Upon arrival check-in to the hotel. Afternoon you embark
from your hotel for a half day tour of Pondicherry.
This tour includes visits to the Sri Aurobindo Ashram -
Founded in 1926, the Sri Aurobindo Ashram has grown,
under the Mother’s guidance, from a small group of two
dozen disciples into a large diversified community. The
Ashram is not a quiet place of retreat secluded from the
world but a vibrant centre of life in a modern urban
setting.
Aurobindo hand made paper factory - one of the Ashram’s
most successful commercial enterprises, with the paper
produced here being exported to other countries. You can
actually watch the process of manufacturing quality hand
made paper as you wander through the factory. The
Pondicherry Museum with its various stone statues and a
fossilized tree trunk is also worth a visit.
Evening at leisure. Overnight at hotel.
Day 05 Pondicherry – Trichy
By Road ( Approx 255 Kms / 06 Hours )
This morning you drive to Trichy, enroute visiting
Tanjore – Famous as a “Rice bowl of Tamil Nadu”,
Thanjavur was the royal city of the Chola Empire which
ruled from 850 to 1270. It is the home of Carnatic
music, musical instruments, dance and traditional
hadicrafts. It is famous for the Brahadeeswarar Temple,
built by the greatest of the Chola emperors. It is also
regarded as the Chola dynasty's finest contribution to
the Dravidian temple architecture. Listed as a World
Heritage site, the temple is visited by a large number
of people for regular worship.
Later continue your drive to Trichy.
Trichy - Trichy is a fine blend of tradition and
modernity built around the Rock Fort. It was one of the
main centers around which the wars of the Carnatic were
fought in the 18th century during the British-French
struggle for supremacy in India. It was a citadel of the
early Cholas kings which later fell to the Pallavas
kings. This city is a thriving commercial centre in
Tamilnadu, and is famous for artificial diamonds,
cigars, handloom cloth, glass bangles and wooden and
clay toys. This city has given great Tamil scholars
whose contributions to the Tamil literature have been
very significant.
Upon arrival check-in to the hotel. Rest of the day at
leisure. Overnight at hotel.
Day 06 In Trichy
This morning embark from your hotel for a half day tour
of Trichy.
This tour includes a visit to Rock Fort Temple -which
stands on a 84 m high rock in the centre of the town. In
the eighteenth century, the British fought and defeated
the French at Trichy for possession of the fort.
Cave-shrines and temples are built on the rock - look
out for the Hall of a Thousand Pillars and the shrine of
Shiva. At the top we can relax and enjoy the panoramic
views of Trichy. Our next stop is the enormous
Ranganathswamy Temple. Dedicated to the Hindu god
Vishnu, the temple was known as a theological seat of
learning as far back as the 11th century and as a sacred
site it dates back two thousand years. As it is today,
the temple comprises of a series of walled courts with
21 towers – the tallest of which reaches up 72 meters.
It is a busy place with street sellers offering sweets,
garlands and holy images to worshippers and tourists
alike. Afternoon at leisure. Overnight at hotel.
Day 07 Trichy – Madurai By
Road ( Approx 200 Kms /05 Hours )
This morning you drive to Madurai
Madurai - Madurai or the "city of nectar" nestled down
near the southern tip of India. This 2,500-year-old city
is famous for its Hindu and Tamil cultural attractions.
The ancient Kingdom of Maurya on the banks of the Vaigai
River is one of India’s most sacred pilgrimage centres.
Originally designed in the shape of a lotus motif, the
city has since spread into a colourful patchwork of
temples, bazaars and narrow roads packed with shops,
stalls, pilgrims and cows. A must-see is the impressive
multitowered Sri Meenakshi Temple built in 1560.
Menakshi Temple, a vast complex of chambers is renowned
as the finest example of Dravidian architecture in
southern India.
Upon arrival check-in to the hotel. Rest of the day at
leisure. Overnight at hotel.
Day 08 In Madurai
This morning embark from your hotel for a half-day tour
of Madurai.
This tour includes a visit to the great Meenakshi Temple
-a splendid example of Dravidian architecture. The
present temple was
 designed in 1560 by Vishwanatha Nayak
and subsequently built during the reign of Tirumalai
Nayak. There are four entrances to the temple with an
area of six hectares. Each of its 12 towers has the
height of 45 to 50 meters. Later, visit the Tirumala
Nayak Palace - A gracious building in the Indo saracenic
style, famous for the Stucco work on its domes & arches.
Also visit the Alagar Hills and Tirupara Kundran Rock
temple.
Evening witness Temple ceremony at Meenakshi Temple.
Overnight at hotel.
Day 09 Madurai- Chennai (
Flight )
Chennai - Overseas
This morning met by our representative and escorted from
hotel to the airport in time to connect with the flight
for Chennai. On arrival in Chennai received at the
domestic airport and provided departure transfer to
International airport to connect flight back home.
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