Arrive Chennai International airport. On arrival, the guest will be met by our representative and transferred to hotel. Overnight at hotel.
Morning 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.
Full day sightseeing tour of Mahabalipuram and Kanchipuram 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.
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.
Morning drive to Chennai airport (154 kms) to connect flight Chennai - Madurai ( 1145 / 1240 hrs. )Upon arrival met and transferred to hotel. Madurai - Madurai is an animated city packed with pilgrims, beggars, businesspeople, bullock carts and legions of underemployed rickshaw- wallahs. It is one of southern India’s oldest cities, and has been a centre of learning and pilgrimage for centuries. Madurai’s main attraction is the famous Sri Meenakshi Temple in the heart of the old town, a riotously baroque example of Dravidian architecture with gopurams covered from top to bottom in a breathless profusion of multicoloured images of gods, goddesses, animals and mythical figures. The temple seethes with activity from dawn till dusk, its many shrines attracting pilgrims from every part of India and tourists from all over the world. It’s been estimated that there are 10,000 visitors here on and one day! Madurai resembles a huge, continuous bazaar crammed with shops, street markets, temples, pilgrims, choultries, hotels, restaurants and small industries. Although one of the liveliest cities in the south, it’s small enough not to be overwhelming and is very popular with travelers. 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 virtual 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
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 HindusOvernight at hotel
Early morning view the rising sun. 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
Morning drive to Cochin airport to connect flight Cochin / Bangalore ( 1450 / 1545 hrs. ) Upon arrival in Bangalore - drive to Puttparthi (170 kms / 3 ½ hours). Ovenright at Ashram / hotel.
Day at Puttaparthi. Ovenright at Ashram / hotel.
Transfer to the airport for flight Puttparthi - Bombay ( 1450 / 1610 hrs. ) Upon arrival met and transferred to the international airport for flight back home.
Depart Bombay
