SOUTH INDIA PILGRIM TOUR |
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Duration:
8 Nights - 9 Days |
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Day 1 : Abroad - Chennai St Mary Church,Chennai India Arrive Chennai International airport. On arrival, the guest will be met by our representative and transferred to hotel. Overnight at hotel.  Day 2 : ChennaiMorning city tour of Chennai - is the fourth largest city in India. The sprawling city which is divided in two by the cooum River, has few tall buildings to mark the impression of an easygoing market town. The gracefulness is present in Madras in such liberal quantities is propriate. Visit the Fort St. George - Still surrounded by cannon-proofwalls the fort was rebuilt several times between 1642 when its original bastions were completed and 1749 when the French left, it remains - moats and all - pretty much today as when first made the seat of empire. Declared a national monument in 1948, most of its buildings have been converted into government offices, notably the Legislature and Secretariat. At various times the fort was home of Robert Clive, Elihu Yale and Sir Arthur Wellesley. Within the fort, visit the little St Mary's Church the oldest Protestant church east of the Suez and the first Anglican one in India. Overnight at hotel. Day 3 : Chennai Full day sightseeing tour of Kanchipuram and Mahabalipuram Kanchipuram - known as the Golden City of a Thousand Temples, is one of the oldest towns in India. It is famous  for both its
temples, many of them remarkably well preserved and for its
hand-woven silks. Kanchipuram is one of the seven sacred cities
of India and it is the only one associated with both Shiva and
Vishnu. Visit Ekambareshwar Temple, Kailashnath Temple, Kamakshi
Temple, the Vaikunthaperumal Temple, all built in the 7th and
8th centuries. With a weaving tradition dating back to the
Pallava era (when silk was the royal cloth), Kanchipuram is
justly famous for its particularly fine silk saris, embellished
with stunning patterns. Visit the local homes of the weavers and
watch them create magic out of silk thread into saris.Mahabalipuram - This is a small, quiet seaside resort with a unique 7th-century Shore Temple, a lovely beach and some of the most beautiful rock-cut temples in the world. Situated on the shore of the Bay of Bengal, Mahabalipuram was already a famous seaport in the 1st century AD. This town was a workshop for temple building. Visit the seven pagoda-style Shore temples, lashed by the waves of the sea and the seven rathas or temple chariots, a group of monolithic monuments & animal figures carved out of solid rock, the earliest known examples of Dravidian architecture. They were constructed in a single century-long burst of creative enthusiasm, starting in the reign of Narasimhavarman 1 (AD 630-68). End the visit by photography of the beautiful Shore temples at sunset. Overnight at hotel.  Day 3 : Chennai - Tirupati Venkateshwara Temple,Tirupati-India Full day trip to Tirupati (154 kms each way) The "holy hill" of Tirumala in the extreme south of Andhra Pradesh is one the most important pilgrimage centres in India, and is claimed to be the busiest in the world - eclipsing Jerusalem, Rome and Mecca in its sheer number of pilgrims. Tirumala is an engrossing place where you can spend the whole day just wandering around. It's one of the few temples in India which allows non-hindus into the sanctum but, despite this, the place sees few foreign visitors. Venkateshwara Temple - Pilgrims flock to Tirumala to visit the ancient temple of Venkateshwara, an avtar of Vishnu. This is the god whose pictures graces the reception  areas of most lodges and
restaurants in Southern India and garlanded in so many flowers
that only his feet are visible.Among the powers attributed to Venkateshwara is the granting of any wish that is made in front of the idol at Tirumala; and so the millions come. There are never less than 5000 pilgrims here at any one time and, in single day, the total is often as high as 100,000. The temple staff alone number nearly 6000. Overnight at a hotel. Day 4 : Tirupati - Chennai - Madurai  Morning drive to Chennai airport (154 kms) to connect flight
Chennai - Madurai ( 1145 / 1240 hrs. )Upon arrival met and transferred to hotel. Madurai - It's one of the most pleasant Indian cities, and has a charming situation on the River Vaigai, fringed by lush paddy fields and coconut groves. Visit the Meenakshi temple one of the biggest temple complexes in India - 46 ft. long by 790 ft broad built in the 17th Century. It is a rectangular twin shrine - the southern temple dedicated to Meenakshi (the consort of Shiva) and the other to Shiva. It is Madurai's greatest landmark - a file city within a city. The complex includes a bazaar that bustles from dawn to nightfall. The high point of the Meenakshi temple is "Hall of a Thousand Pillars", built in the 16th C which is as great a work of structural engineering as it is of art. You will drive (walk is recommended ) through the fascinating bazaar that is bustling from dawn to nightfall. If time permits you may also visit the palace of Tirumala Nayak which is an example of the architectural mastery of the Nayaks - a blend of Hindu and Saracen architecture. It's enormous roofed arcade supported by 48 foot high stoned pillar still stands. Overnight at hotel  Day 5 : Madurai - KanyakumariOcean View,Kanyakumari India Morning, drive to Kanyakumari ( 240 kms / 5 hours). Kanyakumari - meeting point of three oceans, the Bay of Bengal meets the Indian Ocean and the Arabian Sea. Kanyakumari is famous for its beautiful views of sunrise, sunset and moonrise over the waters. Kanyakumari is also a popular pilgrimage destination and of great significance to Hindus Overnight at hotel Day 6 : Kanyakumari - Kovallam Early morning view the rising sun. Return to the hotel for breakfast Thereafter drive to Kovallam (70 kms / 1 ½ hours). Upon arrival check in at hotel. Kovallam - Kovallam is one of India's most spectacular beach with the boundless blue of the Arabian Sea and the unwinding miles of fine - sanded beaches washed by the surf which roars and hisses at the feet of the stalwart palms. Located in idyllic surroundings, it's a beautiful getaway for relaxation & recuperation. Rest of the day at leisure for own activities and enjoy the facilities of the hotel or at the beach. Overnight at hotel Day 7 : Kovallam - Cochin - Bangalore - Puttaparthi  Morning drive to Cochin airport to connect flight Cochin /
Bangalore.Upon arrival in Bangalore - drive to Puttparthi . Ovenright at Ashram / hotel. Day 8 : Puttaparthi Day at Puttaparthi. Ovenright at Ashram / hotel. Day 9 : Puttaparthi - Bombay Transfer to the airport for flight Puttparthi - Bombay . Upon arrival met and transferred to the international airport for flight back home. Day 10 : Bombay - Abroad Depart Bombay |
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Day 1 |
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Day 1
We move to
Palani. A well known pilgrim centre and one of the six abodes of
Lord Subramanya or Muruga. The shrine stands on top of the
Palani Hills consisting of 660 steps. There are rope ways too,
to take pilgrims to the top. The main deity is called
Dandayudapaani.
Day 4
A journey
to the southern tip of India, Kanyakumari.
We move
to Cochin. 
Cochin pickup
& proceed to Guruvayoor on the way Kodungallor & Triprayar
Temples
Over night
stay Mookambika