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Temple Tour by Train
South India
Temple Tour by Train
Duration: 13 Nights & 14 Days
Places Covered: Madras - Trichy - Madurai - Trivandrum - Cochin - Bangalore - Mysore -
Madras
Day 1: Chennai
Arrive Chennai. Transfer to
Hotel. Overnight Chennai.
Day 2: Mahabalipuram - Kanchipuram
Full
day tour of Mahabalipuram & Kanchipuram.
Kanchipuram (64 kms
from 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 and 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.
Day 3: Chennai - Madurai
Morning city
tour. Visit the Museum to see the Art and Bronze Gallery (Closed on Fridays
and Public holidays). Drive through the Flower and Fruit market, High court,
Fort museum, Marina Beach, Santhome Cathedral and snake park. Check-out at
1200 hrs from the hotel. Late evening transfer to rail-station for Madurai
night train. Night on board train.
Day 4: Madurai
Morning
arrive Madurai and transfer to hotel.
Afternoon 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
5: Madurai - Periyar
Morning drive to Periyar National Park. 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
6: Periyar - Trivandrum
Drive to Trivandrum viewing the scenic
beauty enroute. Kerala is lush green and is full of lakes and water.
Overnight Trivandrum.
Day 7: Trivandrum
Day free in
Trivandrum or optional tours to Cape Comorin (Kanya Kumari - the southern
most part of India) or nearby places like Kovalam beach, etc.
Day
8: Trivandrum - Cochin
Morning drive to Cochin visiting the Kerala
villages enroute.
Day 9: Cochin - Bangalore
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. Checkout at
1200 hrs. Transfer to rail-station for Bangalore night train. Night on
board.
Day 10: Bangalore
Morning arrive Bangalore and
transfer to hotel. Afternoon city tour. In this Garden City - visit the Lal
Bagh with a variety of old trees, fountains, lotus pools, terraces & an
assortment of tropical and sub-tropical herbs. Also see the Maharaja's
Palace & Government Buildings. Overnight Bangalore.
Day 11:
Bangalore - Mysore
Morning drive to Mysore. Afternoon free.
Overnight Mysore.
Day
12: Mysore
Morning visit the palace of the Maharaja built in 1911 -
1912. 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 and a panoramic view of Mysore. On the way
back, see the Nandi Bull. Afternoon free. Overnight Mysore.
Day
13: Mysore - Chennai
Morning free. Transfer to rail-station for
Chennai train. Arrive Madras & transfer to hotel.
Day 14:
Transfer to airport. End of our services.