|
|
Taj Mahal, a dream etched in milky white
pristine marble is the peerless monument portraying the beauty of
eternal love! A commemoration of the memory of Shahjahan's beloved wife,
Mumtaz. Taj Mahal is indeed India's rich tribute to womanhood. Renowned
for its aesthetic beauty, this extravagant building of timeless beauty
is the outcome of a unique combination of passion and architectural
exuberance.
|
Duration |
18 Days |
|
Destination |
Chennai- Kanchipuram
- Trichy - Madurai - Periyar - Cochin - Bangalore - Mysore - Belur-
Halebid- Hospet - Hampi - Badami - Goa |
|
Travel Theme |
Beach Tour |
Day - 1 » Departure from
Country
Departure from your own Country.
Day - 2
» Arrive Madras ( Chennai )
Arrive Madras. Transfer to Hotel. Overnight Chennai (Madras).
Day - 3
» Mahabalipuram & Kanchipuram
Full day tour of Mahabalipuram & Kanchipuram. Check-out at 1200 hrs.
Kanchipuram (64 kms from Chennai (Madras)) is the ancient capital of the
Pallavas famous as a city of 1000 Temples and still has 124 shrines. The
first temple dedicated to Shiva was built in the 7th and 8th century &
has paintings on the walls. Temples of Ekambaswara, Kailasanatha, Sri
Kamakshi and Varadarajaswamy are of interest. Kanchipuram is also famous
for its silks. The city of Mahabalipuram is famous for the seven
pagodas. Here on the seashore is an interesting group of ancient rock
hewn temples which are the examples of Dravidian style of Architecture.
Evening transfer to rail-station for Trichy night train. Night on board.
Day - 4
» Arrive Trichy
Morning arrive Trichy and transfer to hotel. Afternoon city tour. Trichy
was the citadel of the Chola dynasty in the medieval period. In the 18th
century it witnessed the Carnatic wars fought between the French and the
English. Lord Robert Clive's house is still there to see and so is the
Danish Church. The Rock-Fort is the landmark of Trichy. A climb of 434
steps leads to the ancient temple of Ganapati on top and a further climb
to a Shiva temple. Overnight Trichy.
Day - 5
» Madurai
Drive to Madurai visiting Tanjore enroute. At Tanjore, the beautiful
Chola Temple of Brihadeeshwara is capped by a monolithic cupola made of
a single granite block weighing 80 tons which was taken to the top with
the help of a 6 km long ramp, an old technique used by the Egyptians for
building pyramids. Its bronzes and handicrafts make Tanjore one of the
highlights of a visit to South India. Overnight Madurai.
Day - 6
» Madurai
Morning visit the great Meenakshi Temple dedicated to the consort of
Lord Shiva with its towering gopurams (rising high above the surrounding
country side). 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. Afternoon free. Overnight Madurai.
Day - 7
» Periyar
Morning drive to Periyar. The earliest sanctuary to be set up in 1934,
it extends to 777 square kms & forms part of the high mountain ranges,
the Western Ghats. Wild life can be seen while cruising on Periyar Lake
in a motor boat. Amongst the animals which can be seen are elephants,
wild boar, sambar, tiger, leopard, wild dog, langur monkeys, etc.
Overnight Periyar.
Day - 8
» Cochin
Morning drive to Cochin. Overnight Cochin.
Day - 9
» Cochin
Morning tour of Cochin. Cochin is the natural harbour created by the
famed underwater Malabar mud-banks whose quality ensures that the
rougher the seas are outside the calmer the waters are within the
Harbour. Vasco-de-Gama placed it on the world map. It has a Jewish
synagogue, Portuguese churches, mosques & Hindu temples. Watch the
Chinese Fishing Nets. Afternoon free. Overnight Cochin.
Day -
10 » Bangalore
Morning transfer to airport for Bangalore flight. Arrive & drive
directly to Mysore. Overnight Mysore.
Day -
11 » Mysore
Morning tour of Mysore. Visit the palace of the Maharaja built in
1911-12. The palace is of harmonious syntheses of the hindu and
saracenic styles of architecture with archways, domes, turrets,
colonnades and sculptures which are magnificent. Visit the Art Gallery;
drive upto Chamundi hill to see Chamundeshwari Temple & a panoramic view
of Mysore. On the way back, see the Nandi Bull. Afternoon free.
Overnight Mysore.
Day -
12 » Belur - Halebid
Full day tour of Belur and Halebid. The Chenna Kesava temple of Belur
built 900 years ago is an exquisite example of Hoysala art. Halebid's
12th century Hoysaleswara and Kedareswara temples are master pieces of
Hindu art. On the way also visit Sravanbelgola. At Sravanbelgola, hewn
out of a single rock and visible from a distance of 25 kms is the statue
of Lord Gomteshwara which is bathed with milk and honey once every 12
years.
Day -
13 » Hospet - Hampi
Morning drive to Hospet. Visit Hampi. The once beautiful capital city of
Vijayanagar Empire - greater than Rome, had palaces, temples &
sculptures, spread all over. The city was razed to the ground by the
Sultanates of South in 1565. Some of the interesting ruins remaining are
the Virupaksha, Vittala and Hazara Rama temples huge Ganesha and
Narasimha images, the elephant stables, the Queen's Bath, carvings on
the Ramachandra temple & Lotus Mahal.
Day -
14 » Badami
Morning drive to Badami stopping at Aihole & Pattadakal on the way.
Aihole is the cradle of stone temple architecture of the southern
Dravida School. The oldest temple, Lad Khan goes back to the 5th century
A.D. There are 70 temples in this group. The Durga temple is noted for
its sculptures. The Meguti temple is built of 630 small stone blocks.
The Ravanaphadi Cave has some beautiful carvings. Pattadakal, referred
to as Petrigal, reached its pinnacle of glory under the Chalukya kings
from 7th to 9th centuries. The oldest in this group is the Sanghameswara
Temple. The Mallikarjuna Temple has pillars depicting life of Krishna.
Virupaksha temple has sculptures and panel scenes from the epics, the
Ramayana & Mahabharata. The Papanatha Temple has impressive carvings on
pillars and ceiling.
Day -
15 » Badami
Morning tour of Badami. Badami also known as Vatapi is rich with Hindu
and Jain temples carved out of sand stone hills. The carved temples date
back to the 6th century. Of these, three are Hindu and one Jain.
Sculptured out of solid rock they are adorned with carvings. The Fort,
on top of a hill encloses large granaries, treasury & a watch tower. The
Malegitti Shivalaya temple set on the summit of a hill is built of
stones without mortar.
Day -
16 » Goa
Morning drive to Goa. Goa hotels are not included in the cost has a
seasonal rates which vary. Please choose the type/budget of hotels you
need and we will quote accordingly.
Day -
17 » Goa
In Goa. Please inform us the number of days you wish to stay in Goa.
Day -
18 » Flight for Bombay
Transfer to airport for Bombay flight. Arrive at the domestic airport.
Transfer to the city centre. Later in the evening transfer to
international airport.
Includes
Accommodation for 17 nights / 18 days in the above mentioned hotels.
All the transfers and sightseeing by AC Car.
Daily breakfast at the hotel.
English speaking guide as per the itinerary.
All current applicable taxes.
Excludes
Expenses of personal nature such as meals other then specified,
soft/hard drinks, mineral water, camera/video fee, film rolls.
Any air/train fare (as per actual).
Entrance fees of monuments.
Any tips, travel insurance fee.
Any other item not specifically mentioned above. |
You
must have a passport with you all the time. It's the most basic
travel document. Also ensure that your passport will be valid for
the entire period you intend to remain overseas, if your passport is
lost or stolen, immediately contact your country's embassy or
consulate in Delhi and also to nearest police station 
We
highly recommend you use our airport meet and greet service in India
on arriving at the airport, especially if it is your first
trip to India. 
India
will sideswipe you with its size, clamour and diversity but if
you enjoy delving in to convoluted cosmologies and thrive on sensual
overload, then it is one of the most intricate and rewarding dramas
unfolding on earth, and you'll quickly develop an abiding passion
for it.
"If
there is one place on the face of earth where all the dreams of
living men have found a home from the very earliest days when man
began the dream of existence,