|
Home
>>Tour Programs >>South
India Tour with Kerala
South
India Tour With Kerala - Kerala
Duration:
20
Nights / 21 Days
Place
Covered:- Mumbai | Bangalore | Mysore | Hassan | Coorg | Calicut |
Kochi | Kottayam | Kovalam | Periyar | Maduraj Tanjore | Pondicherry |
Kanchipuram | Mahabalipuram | Chennai
Day
01: Arrival in Mumbai. Our
staff will be there to welcome and transfer you to the hotel (rooms on
immediate occupancy)
Day
02: Enjoy a free and relaxed morning. Later in day visit
the Gateway of India, a unique example of medieval architecture. This
beautiful landmark of Mumbai was built to welcome the prince of Wales
in 1905. From here board a ferry to Elephanta caves, carved in granite
rocks that date back to the 7th century .Your visit includes
the Mahadeva Trimurti and Ardhanarishvara sculptures, famous
iconographical representations of the Hindu Lord Shiva. Evening: Enjoy
a welcome cocktail dinner at the hotel.
Day
03: After breakfast feel the city of Mumbai as you take a
guided tour to Mani Bhawan– house where Mahatma Gandhi stayed and
started his Satyagraha movement, the Malabar Hills with its tower of
silence, Hanging Gardens and The Prince of Wales Museum– the largest
fine art Museum in India.
Day
04: Transfer to the airport and fly to Bangalore. On
arrival transfer to the hotel and check in. Afternoon visit the
Government Secretariat– a tribute to temple architecture; this
imposing edifice is built entirely of dressed Bangalore granite. Also
enjoy the Lal Bagh, a beautiful botanical garden sprawling over 240
acres of land. Overnight stay at the hotel.
Day
05: In the morning drive to the beautiful city of Mysore
(140 kms – 04 hrs). En route stop for a quick visit of the summer
palace of Tipu Sultan set amidst exquisite gardens in the town of Sri
Rangapatnam built in 1784 AD. On arriving in Mysore check in at the
hotel.
Day
06: After breakfast enjoy a guided tour of the magnificent
Mysore Palace. Built in 1911-12, at a cost of Rs. 4.2 million, the
palace replaced an earlier edifice destroyed by fire.
Evening:
Take an excursion to the Chamundi hills. Visit Sri Chamundeswari
temple, a huge structure with a seven storey Gopuram 40 mts high.
While driving through the hills visit the famous sculpture of Nandi
(Shiva’s Bull), carved out of solid rock at a height of about 5mts,
perhaps the largest sculpture of its kind.
Day
07: Drive to Hassan ( 170 kms – 04 hrs). En route visit
Shravanabelagola. The huge statue of Lord Bahubali (Goma-teshvara),
standing tall at 17 mts is carved out of a single rock and said to be
the world’s tallest monolithic statue. It stands atop a rocky hill
known as Indragiri, below which the small town of Sravanabelagola
nestles. Its simplicity is in complete contrast to the complexity of
the sculptural work at the temples of Belur and Halebid. Overnight at
Hassan.
Day
08: Morning visit Belur and Halebid temples. In their
decoration these temples rival the temples of Khajuraho and Konarak.
They also are a match to the best representation of gothic art to be
found anywhere in Europe.
The
sculptural detail found on the Hoysaleswara temple at Halebid make it
easily the most outstanding example of Hoysala art. The details are
such that no two specimens, inside or outside are the same.
All
aspects of life of the Hoysala rulers, Hindu deities and also the
sensuous are represented in their finest forms. The Hoysala temples
are squat and low, more human in scale than soaring temples found
elsewhere in India. They are carved from soapstone, which is
relatively soft and easy to cut when first quarried, but with age and
exposure gradually hardens. The Hoysaleswara Temple at Halebid was
constructed about 10 years after the temple at Belur, but despite 80
years labour it was never finally completed. Later drive to Coorg and
see, visit and smell the innumerable coffee and spice plantation. The
natives here are known to be descendents of Greek soldiers and one of
the most beautiful people in the world.
Day
09: After breakfast drive to Calicut (Kozhikode) (280 kms -
07 hrs), which literally means,“ cock crowing”. The town Calicut
played a major role in Kerala’s history when it was the capital of
the Zamorin rulers. Its name during the British period was given to
the Calico cloth, a block printed cotton exported round the world.
Today it is a major commercial centre. On arrival at Calicut check in
at the hotel. Evening is free to relax.
Day
10: After breakfast drive to Kochi (240 kms - 06 hrs) and
check in at the hotel. Evening: Experience an exciting boat ride of
the island.
Day
11: Visit the enthralling city of Kochi in the morning
which has a discernible Portuguese, Dutch and Jewish influence. Visit
St .Francis Church (1503 AD) where Vasco da Gama was buried for 14
years before his remains were transferred to Lisbon. His tombstone
still stands.
Nearby
is the Mattancherry coffee and spice plantations, exquisite boat
rides, Intricately Palace or “Dutch Palace” built in 1557 AD. The
central hall was the coronation hall of the rulers of Kochi. Other
rooms depict scenes from the epic Ramayana and Puranic legends
connected with Hindu gods. Interesting are the Chinese fishing nets
along Vypeen Island ( set up between 1305 - 1450 AD ).
Also
see the Jew city with the Jewish Synagogue ( 1568 AD ) with hand
printed, willow-pattern, floor tiles brought from Canton in the mid -
18th century. Evening: Watch kathakali , an ancient religious
pantomime dance drama handed down through generations for more than
300 years and performed by dedicated families of Kerala.
Day
12: Drive through the countryside to a jetty near Kottayam
to board the rice boat. These rice boats are made using the local
bamboo sticks and sailing on them is a unique experience. They will
take you through the backwater of Kerala, a dreamlike expanse of
waterways and channels shrouded by coconut palms, banana plantations,
lush forests and rice fields. A once in a lifetime experience to see
how people live on narrow strips of land only a few meters wide and
still manage to keep cows, pigs, chicken and ducks and cultivate small
vegetable gardens.
Day
13: After a laid back breakfast on the rice boat, drive to
Kovalam. On arrival check in at the hotel. Afternoon and evening are
at leisure to enjoy one of the best beaches in the country.
Day
14: Drive to Periyar (250 kms - 08 hrs), the most famous
wild life sanctuary in South India. Relax your eyes viewing the spice
and rubber plantations along the way.
Day
15: Early morning take a boat ride on Lake Periyar to see
the wildlife in its natural habitat. Often herds of wild elephant are
seen on the banks of the river blithely bathing or just lazing around.
In the afternoon take a walk among the spice plantations.
Evening
: Again take a boat ride on lake Periyar and soak in the beauty of it
till sunset.
Overnight
stay at Periyar.
Day
16: Drive to Madurai ( 160 kms - 04 hrs ) the famous temple
city. On arrival check in at the hotel. In the afternoon visit the
enthralling Sri Meenakshi Temple, a riotously baroque example of
Dravidian architecture with gopurams covered from top to bottom with a
profusion of multi-coloured images of gods, goddesses, animals and
mythical figures. Observe the temple activities, which last from dawn
till dusk and attended by thousands of pilgrims.
Afterwards
experience the splendour of the Nayyaka Palace ( 1636), a garden
museum. Evening : After an early dinner enjoy a slow paced ride on a
cycle rickshaw to the Meenakshi Temple again. Watch the night
ceremony, in which Lord Shiva is carried in a palanquin to the temple
of his consort Parvati. Musicians, temple singers and priests
accompany this lively procession. Overnight stay at Madurai.
Day
17: In the morning leave for Tanjore to see the famous
Brihadeshwara temple built by the Chola King Rajendra 1 in the 10th
century.
The
temple is the culmination of classic architecture in South India. The
State’s Bronze Museum has one of the finest collection of bronze
figures. Overnight stay at Tanjore.
Day
18: Drive to Pondicherry, the erstwhile French colony with
its distinct French aura still strongly pervading its life. On arrival
check in at hotel. Evening : Visit Aurobindo Ashram ( centre for mind
development - internal yoga) and Auroville, an international township
for harmony. Overnight at the hotel.
Day
19: After breakfast drive to Kancheepuram– capital of the
Pallavas and Cholas and one of the 7 holy cities of India. Today it
has about 150 active temples, dedicated to various gods and goddesses.
The most famous temple here are Kailashnatha ( 725 AD ) and
Vaikunthaperumal Vishnu Temple ( 750 AD ) You can see some of the most
elegant sculptures of Shiva, and remnants of mural paintings belonging
to the Pallava period in these temples. The 4 branches of the ancient
mango tree at the Vardaraja Temple is said to represent the 4 vedas,
each with a different taste. You must try for yourself to know the
truth. Later drive to Mahabalipuram. on arrival check in at the hotel.
Day
20: In the morning visit the 5 Rathas temples, rock-cut
monoliths named after the heroes of the Mahabharata epic. Some of
these are unfinished but you can see the carving technique used to
form temples out of living rock. Later visit the shore temple and
Arjuna’s penance– a relief representing the descent of the river
goddess Ganga to earth . Rest of the day is at leisure.
Day
21: In the afternoon drive to Chennai. Visit Fort St.
George, Bronze Museum, Kapaleeshwara Temple, and San Thomas Cathedral.
Later transfer to the International airport and fly back home.
Book
This Tour
|
