Southern Symphony
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Southern Symphony
Day 1 / Arrive Chennai
Arrive Chennai. Pick up at
airport by tour executive and transfer.
Overnight at hotel.
Day 2 / Chennai
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-proof
walls. Within the fort, visit St. Thomas Mount, San Thome
Cathedral, Kapaleeswar Temple and the National Art Gallery.
Overnight in Chennai.
Day 3 / Chennai - Kanchipuram - Mahabalipuram
Drive Chennai to Kanchipuram, which is 76 kms. & 2 hrs.
drive.
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.
Afternoon drive to Mahabalipuram, which is 65 kms. and
approx. 1½ hrs. drive. Transfer to hotel Overnight stay in
Mahabalipuram.
Day 4 / Mahabalipuram - Pondicherry
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.
Afternoon drive to Pondicherry, which is 132 kms. & approx
04 hrs. drive. Transfer to hotel. Overnight in Pondicherry.
Day 5 / Pondicherry - Thanjavur
Sightseeing tour of Pondicherry which includes visit to the
Vardaraja Perumal Temple, Vedapureeswarar Temple & Manakula
Vinayagar Temple. Afternoon drive to Thanjavur, which is 177
kms. & approx. 06 hrs. drive. Transfer to Hotel.Overnight in
Thanjavur.
Day 6 / Thanjavur - Thiruchirapalli
Sightseeing tour of Thanjavur which includes visit to the
famous Thanjavur temples, the Brahadeeswarar Temple.
Afternoon drive to Thiruchirapalli, which is 55 kms & approx
1½ hrs. drive. Transfer to hotel. Overnight in
Tiruchirapalli.
Day 7 / Thiruchirapalli - Madurai
Sightseeing tour of Thiruchirapalli including visit to the
Ranganathan Temple at Srirangam, 10 kms away from Trichy.
Afternoon drive to Madurai, which is 142 kms & 05 hrs.
drive. Transfer to hotel. Overnight in Madurai.
Day 8 / Madurai - Chennai
Sightseeing tour of Madurai visiting the Meenakshi
Sundareswara Temple, Tirumalai Nayak Palace & the Vandiyur
Mariamman Tank. Afternoon fly Madurai to Chennai. On arrival
in Chennai connect flight for onward destination.