Duration : 14 Days Tour
Destination : Cochin - Alleppey - Kumarakom - Periyar - Madurai -
Karaikudi - Trichy - Tanjore - Pondicherry - Mahabalipuram - Chennai
Day 01 : Arrive Cochin
Day
02 : In Cochin
Cochin - the palmgreen commercial town of Kerala has one of the finest
natural harbours in the world. A town with a hoary past, Cochin is the
gateway to Kerala.
The Jewish Synagogue - built in 1568 AD contains Grand Scrolls of the Old
Testament and the copper plates containing the privileges granted to the
Jews by the Cochin rulers. The floor of the synagogue is paved with
exquisite Chinese hand painted tiles. The Dutch Palace was built by the
Portuguese and presented to the Cochin Raja in 1555 AD. 17th century murals
depicting scenes from the Indian epic, the Ramayana, can be seen here. St
Francis Church, built originally by the Portuguese in 1510 AD is believed to
be the first church built by Europeans in India. Vasco da Gama was
originally buried here. The Chinese fishing nets can be seen at the entrance
of the harbour. The Chinese through trade contact taught this technique of
catching fish . These nets along the back-waters are a fascinating sight.
Day 03 : Cochin/Alleppey - houseboat
Board the houseboat at Alleppey
Sail in the backwaters which takes you through paddy fields,villages where
you would see an unhurried pace of life.
Overnight on board the houseboat
Day 04 : Arrive Kumarakom and leave for Madurai enroute lunch at Periyar
Day 05 : In Madurai
Situated on the banks of the Vaigai river, Madurai, the ancient capital of
the Pandyan Kings, is a sacred place. Legend has it, that the divine nectar
falling from the Lord Shiva's locks gave the town its name.
Visit Tirumal Nayak Palace constructed in the Indo-Saracenic style in 1639
AD. The curved dome, standing without the support of a girder or rafter, is
an architectural feat, Pass by the Mariamman Teppakulam - the tank with a
mandapam in the center. Visit Tirumangalam ,19 kms from Madurai. Visit the
Meenakshi temple - a superb example of Dravidian architecture and sculpture,
the focal point around which the city has developed. The temple has two
sanctoras, one dedicated to Shiva and the other to Meenakshi. The splendidly
carved temple complex, with its immense gopurams towering over the city has
colourful stucco images of gods, goddesses and animals and tales from Hindu
mythology. See the beautifully carved "Hall of thousand Pillars"
which houses the Madurai museum .
Evening: Attend the night Ceremony at the temple. This is a ceremony that
takes place every evening at 9 PM, when the temple bronze of Lord Shiva is
carried to the bed chamber of Parvati. The procession is accompanied by
religious prayer and temple music.
Day 06 : Madurai/Karaikudi (Chettinadu)
Chettinadu or the Land of Nattukkottai Chettiars, is famous for its
fortress like homes and temples that are architectural marvels.
Day 07 : In Karaikudi
Day free at this quite village.Evening, visit the temple.
Day 08 : Karaikudi/Trichy/Tanjore
Trichy (Thiruchirapalli), an ancient town in the Cauvery delta, was a Chola
citadel in 2 BC. The Nayak kings of Madurai built in the present town and
the fort.
The magnificent Rock Fort, built on an immense rock formation over 84m
high. 437 steps cut into the rock lead up to the Vinayaka temple built at
its highest points. The view from the temple is superb. At a lower level
along the rock is the Tayumanaswamy temple dedicated to Shiva.
The fascinating temple town of Srirangam is on island in the Cauvery. Seven
concentric courtyards encircle the temple and town. Dedicated to the Lord
Ranganathaswamy, the temple has 21 magnificent gopurams and is adorned with
exquisite sculpture.
Day 09 : In Tanjore
Thanjavur was the capital of he powerful Chola dynasty. Today, it is a
little town set amidst the lush rice fields of the Cauvery delta.
Visit the magnificent temple of Brihadeeshwara built about 1000 years ago
by Raja Raja Chola. This temple is a living testimony to the sculptural and
architectural excellence of the Cholas. Also visit the Thanjavur Palace
partly built by the Nayaks in 1550 AD and partly by the Marathas. Visit the
Saraswathi Mahal Library which has an extensive collection of over 30,000
manuscripts, palm leaf inscriptions and books.
Day 10 : Tanjore/Pondicherry
Day 11 : In Pondicherry
Walk in the white town. Visit the Aurbindo ashram.
Day
12 : Pondicherry/Mahabalipuram
Drive to Mahabalipuram via Auroville which is a universal township in the
making for a population of more than 50000 people around the world.
Day 13 : In Mahabalipuram
Day free on the beach
Day 14 : Mahabalipuram/Chennai Depart
