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Southern Sojourn |
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Day
- 01
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Chennai :- On arrival transfer
the hotel by our representative.
Over night at hotel. . Room
protected for immediate
check in. Check-in &
Check-out 1200 hrs.
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Day
- 02
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| Chennai
- DakshinaChitra :- Breakfast.
Full day excursion to visit
"Dakshina Chitra",
is an exciting cross cultural
living museum of art, architecture,
lifestyles, crafts and performing
arts of South India. You
can explore 17 heritage
houses, amble along recreated
streetscapes, explore contextual
exhibitions, interact with
typical village artisans
and witness folk performances
set in an authentic ambience.
Return to Chennai.Pm sightseeing. |
| Chennai
: A typical Indian city,
it's the capital of Tamilnadu.
Though it was the oldest
settlement of the British.
Chennai/Madras remained
unaffected in spirit. only
the cathedral and the fort
of St.George are a reminder
of its British past. Visit
the Marina Beach, second
longest beach in the world,
its an elegant promenade;
Fort St.George-the first
foothold of British from
where Robert Clive started
the expansion of British
rule. On returning over
night at hotel. Chennai. |
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Day
- 03
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Chennai
- Kanchipuram - Mahabalipuram
:- Breakfast. Drive to Mahabaliuram
en route visit Kanchipuram.
Kancheepuram : Known
as the Golden City of a
Thousand Temples. This is
one of India's Sacred Cities.
Many early styles of Temple
Architecture may be seen
here. Visit Ekambaresh was
Temple, Kailashnath Temple,
Kamakshi Temple, the Vaikunthaperumal
Temple.Later drive to Mahabalipuram |
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Mahabalipuram : An
Ancient Coastal Port South
of Madras, here you will
see many sculptures and
temples of typical South
India architectural design;
the Five Radhas - a group
of Monolithic Monuments
and Animal Figures carved
out of Solid Rock; the Shore
Temple, Lashed by the Waves
of the Sea; and the huge
Frescoe; "The Penance
of Bhagirath" |
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Day
- 04
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| Mahabalipuram
- Pondicherry :- Breakfast.
Drvie to Pondicherry. On
arrival transfer to the
hotel. PM. visit Pondicherry
city. Formerly a French
colony settled early in
the 18th century, Pondicherry
became part of the Indian
Union in the early '50s
when the French voluntarily
relinquished control. Today,
several areas in Pondicherry
are visibly French such
as the Hotel de Ville, the
French Consulate, the uniform
of the city police. Many
houses and institutions
and still very French with
gardens ablaze with flowering
trees and bougainvilea and
their entrances adorned
with shiny brass plates.
The overall impression is
one of gleaming whitewashed
residences. Yet, Pondicherry
is an Indian as anywhere
else in India.Over night
at hotel |
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Day
- 05
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Pondicherry - Chidambaram
- Thanjavur :-Breakfast.
Drive to Thanjavur en
route visit Chidambaram
& Gangai Kondacholapuram.
Chidambaram : Houses
another of Tamil Nadu's
Dravidian architectural
highlights - the temple
complex of Chidambaram
with the great temple
of Nataraja , the dancing
Shiva. Chidambaram was
a Chola capital from 907
to 1310 and the Nataraja
Temple was erected during
the reign of Vira Chola
Raja ( 927 - 997 ). The
complex is said to be
the oldest in southern
India.It covers 13 hectares
and has four gopurams,
the north and south ones
towering 49 meters high.
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Two of the gopurams are
carved with the 108 classical
postures of Nataraja , Shiva
in his role as the cosmic
dancer. Other notable features
of the temple are the 1000-pillared
hall , the Nritta Sabha
court carved out like a
gigantic chariot , and the
image of Nataraja himself
in the central sanctum.
Arrived at Tanjore and cheakin
at the Hotel.Afternoon city
tour of Tanjore.
Tanjore : Tanjore
famous for the classic Dravidian
style temple of Brihadishwara
(Shiva in his fearsome aspect),
also noted for its art and
crafts; pottery, silk, jewellery,
beaten copper, bronzes &
silver statuettes. The temples
of Ganga Kondacholapuram,
Darasuram and Tribhuvanam
also deserve a visit. |
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Day
- 06
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Thanjavur - Thrichy :- Breakfast.
Drive to Thricy. On arrival
transfer to the hotel. PM.
visit Thrichy.
Tiruchirappalli :
situated on the banks of
the river Cauvery is the
fourth largest city in Tamil
Nadu. It was a citadel of
the early Cholas which later
fell to the Pallavas. Trichy
is a fine blend of tradition
and modernity built around
the Rock Fort.The most famous
land mark of this bustling
town is the Rockfort Temple,
a spectacular monument perched
on a massive rocky out crop
which rises abruptly from
the plain to tower over
the old city. |
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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.
The city is a thriving commercial
centre in Tamil Nadu and
is famous for artificial
diamonds, cigars, handloom
cloth, glass bangles and
wooden and clay toys. Overnight
at hotel. |
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Day
- 07
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Thrichy
- Karaikudi :- Just being
discovered by the world,
Chettinad is a rural area
certain to surprise even
the most discerning visitors.
Apart from the houses, Karaikudi
offers extensive antique
shopping, weekly shandy
[village market], a number
of temples, visits to Craftsmen
working with wood and metal,
silversmiths and goldsmiths,
attractive Textiles and
most important the exciting
Chettinad Cuisine.Overnight
at hotel.
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Day
- 08
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Karaikudi - Madurai :- Breakfast.
Drive to Madurai ,One of
South India's great temple
towns, Madurai is synonymous
with the celebrated Meenakshi
Temple. Situated on the
banks of river Vaigai, Madurai
has a rich cultural heritage
passed on from the great
Tamil era more than 2500
years old. Madurai was an
important cultural and commercial
centre even as early as
550 AD. It was the capital
city for the great Pandya
kings.The Pandyan King Kulasekarar
built a great temple and
created a lotus shaped city
around the temple. On the
day the city was to be named,
as Lord shiva blessed the
land and its people, divine
nectar (Madhu) was showered
on the city from his matted
locks. This city was henceforth
known as Madhurapuri. Pm
visits. |
| Madurai
: Visit Minakshi Temple
- built in the 17th century
the iconography makes much
use of the lotus, which
in Indian symbolism is a
representation of the female
sex and at the same time
an emblem of bliss and of
the abode of the gods; palace
of Nayak Tirumalai - depicting
influence of mughal art
on traditional hindu art
- the beginning of the indo-saracenic
or indo mauresque |
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Day
- 09
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Madurai- Periyar :- Breakfast.
Drive to Periyar (143 kms
/ 4 ½ hrs). On arrival
transfer to the hotel. PM.
boat ride at Lake Periyar.Periyar
Wildlife Sanctuary has very
picturesque surroundings.
The reservoir and the surrounding
forests provide protection
and a constant supply of
water to the animals.
Periyar or Thekkady
: Located in central Kerala,
is a popular hill station
and a wildlife centre. This
town, which is an important
plantation centre, conjures
up images of elephants,
unending chains of hills
and spice scented plantations
. Overnight stay at hotel.
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Day
- 10
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Periyar - Munnar :- Breakfast.
Drive to Munnar. On arrival
transfer to the hotel. PM.
visit Munnar. Over night
at hotel.
Munnar : breathtakingly
beautiful - a haven of peace
and tranquility - the idyllic
tourist destination in God's
own country.Set at an altitude
of 6000 ft in Idukki district,
Munnar was the favored summer
resort of the erstwhile
British rulers in the colonial
days. Unending expanse of
tea plantations - pristine
valleys and mountains- exotic
species of flora and fauna
in its wild sanctuaries
and forests - aroma of spice
scented cool air - yes!
Munnar has all these and
more. It's the place you
would love to visit - it's
the place you would wish
never to leave |
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Day
- 11
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Munnar :- Breakfast. Tour
of Munnar includs visit
to Tea Museum,Eravikulam
national park and market
visit. |
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Day
- 12
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Munnar - Kumarokam :- Breakfast.
Drive to Kumarokam . On
arrival transfer to the
hotel. PM. enjoy back water
cruise. Over night at hotel.Kumarakom
is undoubtedly the most
invigorating, fascinating
paradise in Kerala, God's
own country. The slender
coconut palms standing here,
there and everywhere, its
never ending paddy fields,
meandering lagoons and backwaters,
mangroves nesting birds
of a hundred varieties can
peacefully calm and invigorate
your mind with renewed inspiration
for your vocation and life.
That is the pristine beauty
of Kumarakom. |
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Day
- 13
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Kumarokam :- Houseboat.
1200 hrs: We board our houseboat
at the jetty of our hotel
as we set sail.
The backwaters of Kerala
offer an enchanting experience
of fun and relaxation and
a chance to see authentic
local life; a world of coconut
trees, shallow lakes, deep
canals and long boats….
No traffic jams, no noise;
only nature's marvels on
display. In earlier times,
the canals provided the
easiest and cheapest means
of communication when road
travel was almost non -
existent. |
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today, much of the travel
in Kerala is via the backwaters.
Sailing down a maze of canals
one sees different scenes
of the village life during
the cruise. Lunch is onboard
the houseboat prepared for
us by our personal crew.Enjoy
dinner under the star lit
night on board the houseboat.Overnight
is on board the Houseboat.
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Day
- 14
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Houseboat(Kumarokam) - Alleppy
- Cochin :- Breakfast is
on the houseboat. We disembark
at Alleppy jetty & drive
to Cochin.Pm-City tour of
Cochin.Cochin also known
as "Queen of Arabian
Sea" due to its natural
harbour being one of the
finest. The Chinese fishing
nets swaying in the breeze
over the back waters, the
Jewish Synagogue, Dutch
Palace, Portugese Architecture
and British Incluences,
all blending harmoniously
with the basic Kerala heritage
testify that the rulers
of cochin traded goods as
well as knowledge with the
visitors from far off lands.
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| Kochi
( Cochin ) : With its
wealth of historical associations
and its beautiful setting
on a cluster of islands
and narrow peninsulas ,
the interesting city of
Kochi reflects the eclecticism
of Kerala perfectly. Here
, you can see the oldest
churches in India, winding
streets crammed with 500
years-old Portuguese houses
, cantilevered Chinese fishing
nets, a Jewish community
whose roots go back to the
Diaspora, 1 16th century
synagogue , a palace built
by the Portuguese, (later
renovated by the Dutch).The
older parts of Fort Cochin
and Mattancherry are an
unlikely blend of medieval
Portugal , Holland and an
English country village
grafted onto the tropical
malabar Coast . Kochi is
also one of India's largest
ports. |
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Day
- 15
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| Cochin
- Calicut :- Breakfast.
Drive to Calicut. On arrival
transfer to the hotel. Pm.
visit Thrissur. Over night
at hotel.Drive to River
Retreat enroute visit elephant
cradle at Guruvayoor. |
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Day
- 16
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Calicut - Wayanad :- Breakfast.
Drive to Wayanad. On arrival
transfer to the hotel. PM.
free for your personal activities.
Over night at hotel.
There is a land not far
from Calicut, the city of
Zamorins, yet a world apart
from Kerala's agricultural
and industrial epicentres.
It is a quiet place where
scenic beauty wild life
and traditional matter,
simplicity is a virtue and
beauty still blossoms from
the mountainous horizon
and from the green glaze
of alluring vegetation.
This is Wayanad - the green
paradise - the border world
of greener part of Kerala. |
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and pristine, enchanting
and hypnotising this land
has a history and mystery,
culture and social epistemology
yet to be discovered. Located
at a distance about 76 km.
from the sea shores of Calicut
in the Western Ghats, this
station is full of plantations,
forests and wildlife. Wayanad
hills are contiguous to
Mudumala in Tamil Nadu and
Bandhipur in Karnataka,
thus forming a vast land
mass for the wild life to
move about in its most natural
abode |
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Day
- 17
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Wayanand :- Breakfast.
Full day visit Wild life
sanctuary of WayanandOver
night at hotel.Places
of ineterets
Kuruva Dweep : 950 acres
of evergreen forest surrounded
by east flowing river,
Kabani. Rare species of
birds, orchids and herbs
are sovereigns of this
supernatural kingdom.
It is 17kms. east of Mananthavady
and 45 kms. north-west
of Sulthan Bathery.
Edakkal Caves : It is
a pre-historic rock shelter
formed naturally out of
a strange disposition
of three huge boulders
making one to rest on
the other two with its
bottom jutting out in
between and serving as
the roof. Edakkal literally
means a stone in between
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Historically
and culturally the importance
of Wayanad lies very closely
linked with its temples.
Thirunelly temple, Jain
temples at Sulthan Bahery
and Panamaram and Valliyoorkav
at Mananthavady historically
date back from 12th to 16th
centuries and the temples
show that Wayanad was a
habitat of mankind and place
of civilization
Thirunelly Temple : It is
known as 'Thekkan Kasi',
of Kerala. It is believed,
that a dip in the river
Papanasini, running crystal
clear down hill, wipes one
off all sins. Thirunelly
is 30 kms. north-east of
Manathavady. |
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Day
- 18
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Wayanand - Mysore :- Breakfast.
Drive to Mysore en rotue
visit Nanjangud temple.
On arrival transfer to the
hotel. Evening you can visit
Palace. Over night at hotel.
Mysore was the political
capital of the Wodeyar dynasty
which ruled the state of
Karnataka for some 150 years
till the independence of
the country from the British.
These kings were great patrons
of art and culture and Mysore
was the cultural capital
of the south under the rule
of the Wodeyars The Wodeyars
made the Dasara festival
an event.Places of Interests
include Mysore Palace, Srirangapattanam,
Somanthpur etc
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Day
- 19
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Mysore :- Breakfast. Full
day visit Mysore . Over
night at hotel.Places of
interes as under
Once the residence of the
Wodeyars, this structure
is one of the largest of
its kind in India. Built
in 1912 in the Indo Saracenic
style, this place excludes
a grandeur that is unmatched.
The Golden Royal Elephant
Throne, the Durbar Hall,
the Kalyana Mantap and the
Gallery are the main attractions
here
Srirangapatna : 14
Kms north east on the Bangalore
Mysore highway, this island
fortress was once the capital
of the warrior king Hyder
Ali and his son Tipu Sultan.
There are beautiful monuments
that are well worth a visit
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Day
- 20
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Mysore - Sravenabelogola
- Hassan :- Breakfast. Drive
to Hassan en route visit
sravanabelogola. On arrival
transfer to the hotel. Later
visit Hassan. Over night
at hotel.
Shravanabelagola
: this is one of the most
important Jain pilgrim centers.
Here is the 17 m high monolith
of Lord Bahubali - the world's
tallest monolithic statue.
Thousands of devotees congregate
here to perform the Mahamastakabhisheka
-a spectacular ceremony
held once in 12 years, when
the 1000 -year- old statue
is anointed with milk, curds,
ghee, saffron and gold coins. |
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Day
- 21
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Hassan
- Belur - Halebid - Hassan
:- Breakfast. Full day excursion
to visit Belur & Halebid.
Over night at hotel.
Belur : This quaint
hamlet - 38 kms from Hassan
- is located on the banks
of the river Yagachi. It
was once the capital of
the Hoysala Empire, today
made unforgettable for its
exquisite temples. The Chennakeshava
Temple is one of the finest
examples of Hoysala architecture.
It took 103 years to complete
and you can see why. |
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The facade of the temple
is filled with intricate
sculptures and friezes
with no portion left blank.
Elephants, episodes from
the epics, sensuous dancers.
they are all there - awe-inspiring
in their intricate workmanship.
Inside are hand-lathe-turned
filigreed pillars. The
Veeranarayana Temple and
the smaller shrines are
well worth a visit.
Halebid
: It is 27 kms north-west
of Hassan and 17 kms east
of Belur. The temples
of Halebid - like those
of Belur - bear mute testimony
to the rich, cultural
heritage of Karnataka.
The Hoysaleswara Temple,
dating back to the 12th
century, is astounding
for its wealth of sculptural
details. The walls of
the temple are covered
with an endless variety
of gods and goddesses,
animals, birds and dancing
girls. Yet no two facets
of the temple are the
same. This magnificent
temple - guarded by a
Nandi Bull - was never
completed, despite 86
years of labor. The Jain
basadis nearby are equally
rich in sculptural detail.
Belur and Halebid are
222 and 216 kms from Bangalore,
respectively. Channarayapatna,
Ramanathpur, Gorur and
Manjarabad are the other
places of interest around
Hassan.
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Day
- 22
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Hassan - Bangalore :- Breakfast.
Drive to Bangalore On arrival
tranfer to the hotel. Over
night at hotel. |
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Day
- 23
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Bangalore :- Breakfast.
Full day visit of Bangalore.
Later transfer to the airport
to catch flight for your
onwards
Bangalore : Often
termed as a garden city,one
of the factors that has
gone in to make Bangalore
the fifth largest city in
India today is its mild
and healthy climate. A large
number of people, many from
outside the region have
thus made the city their
permanent home. Thus the
city has a fairly large
number of people who are
retired from active life
and others who are here
for exclusive pleasure seeking.
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| For
more details mail us at
gopucok@marveltour.net
or jacobcok@marveltour.net
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