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Day
1 Mumbai
Flight
to Bombay. Arrival in Bombay and transfer to the hotel. Check in time is
1200 hrs.
Day
2 Mumbai
India’s most
cosmopolitan city, an ancient port and trading centre. This palm- fringed
shore of the Arabian Sea was the British Empire’s entrance to its `Crown
Jewel’. Mumbai is also the centre for Hindi films. It is called
Bollywood, with a credit of almost 900 films a year.
Half day sightseeing of Mumbai
city, rich blend of East and West. The tour includes the 26 meter high
British-built Arch “Gateway of India”, Mumbai’s landmark built to honour the visit
of George V and Queen Mary in 1911. Marine
Drive dubbed as the Queen’s
Necklace is Mumbai’s most popular promenades and a favourite sunset
watching spot. The Kamla Nehru Park
from where you have a picturesque view of the city, Hanging Gardens are
so named since they are located on top of a series of tanks that supply
water to Mumbai. Pass by the `towers of silence’ the crematorium of the
Parsis. Also visit Mani Bhawan
a private house where Mahatma Gandhi used to stay when he visited Mumbai.
It is now a museum and research library with 20,000 volumes.
Overnight in hotel.
Day
3 Mumbai/Bangalore/Hassan
After
breakfast transfer to the airport to connect flight to Bangalore. On
arrival in Bangalore drive to Hassan. Check in at the hotel.
Afternoon proceed for a
guided sightseeing tour of Halebid the last capital of Hoysala rulers in
11th/12th century. The Hoysalas were a mighty martial race, but did not
let that interfere with their culture and fostering of some of the
greatest masterpieces of the world.
The
Hoysala rulers commissioned some of the most unique temples in the south as
beautiful prayers to their gods to assist them on the battlefield. Victory
imbibed art with an incredible intricacy. Hoysala temples
are not huge like the usual temples in the south, but smaller by
comparison and aptly perched on star-shaped foundations, every niche and
corner studded with genius.
The
Hoysalesvara Temple dedicated
to Lord Shiva at Halebid is perched on a star-shaped base. Outside there
is a Nandi Bull, the mount of Shiva, was never completed despite 86 years
of labour.. Every centimeter of the outside wall of this temple and much
of the interior is covered with an endless variety of Hindu deities,
sages, animals and birds. The infant Krishna frolics, battle rage, Shiva
and Parvati embrace, the demon king Ravana lifts Mount Kailasha and Shiva
dances. 800 year old statues flaunt hairstyles seen even today.
A
few kilometers further we reach Belur. The religious capital of Hoysala.
Visit the ornamental gopuram of the Chennakesava
Temple dedicate to Lord Vishnu, which appears unexpectedly around a
bend. It took 103 years to complete.
Overnight
at the hotel.
Day
4 Hassan/Mysore
After
breakfast drive to Mysore. Enroute visit of Shravanabelgola,
one of the oldest and most important Jain pilgrim centres in India with a
17m high monolithic statue (nearly 1000 years old). The nakedness is
symbolic of the renunciation from worldly possessions. A spectacular ceremony,
Mahamastakabhisheka is held once in 12 years when the statue is anointed
with milk, curd, ghee, saffron and gold coins.
Continue
drive to your hotel in Mysore. Mysore, the former capital of the princely
state is the second largest city in Karnataka. It is a beautiful city of
stately palaces, gardens, parks and museums. Sandalwood and a centre for
the manufacture of incense sticks.
The city is famous for the scent of jasmine in the spring.
On
arrival visit the Maharaja
Palace (1857):
that was once the residence of the Wodeyars, Built in Indo-Saracenic
style in grand proportions, with domes, arches and colonnades of carved
pillars and shiny marble floors. It is one of the largest palaces in the country
with some art treasures.
The
Chamundi Hill has the temple of
Durga (Chamundeswari) celebrating her victory over the buffalo god. She
became the guardian deity o the Wodeyars. On the road to the top is the
giant Nandi Monolith carved in 1659 (4,8m x 7,6m huge bull sculpture).
Overnight stay at hotel.
Day
5 Mysore
Morning
an excursion to Somnathpur East of Mysore. This tiny village has one of
the best preserved and the only complete magnificent Hoysala Temple (13th century) of approximately 80 Hoysala temples dedicated to God
Keshava.
Small but exquisite the temple has excellent ceilings which show the
distinctive features of the late Hoysala style.
Continue
excursion to Srirangapattnam, a
fortified Island site in the Kaveri river, it has been the home to
religious reformers and military conquerors. The fort was built under the
Vijaynagar kings in 1454. 150 years later the last king handed over
authority to the Hindu Wodeyars of Mysore. In the second half of the 18th
century it became the capital of Hyder Ali and his son Tipu Sultan from
where they ruled southern India before being finally defeated by the
British.
Return back Mysore.
Overnight
at the hotel.
Day 6 Mysore/Bandipur
(80 km)
Early
morning drive to Bandipur National Park. It is one of the 6
wildlife parks in Tamil Nadu which is spread over an area of 874 sq
km. It was set up in 1931 by the Mysore Maharajah. It has a mixture of
subtropical moist and dry deciduous forests (teak and anogeissus) and
shrub land in the Nilgiri foothills. The wetter areas support rosewood,
sandalwood, silk, cotton and jamun. It is the first park in South India to
be chosen for the Project Tiger scheme. You can easily spot gaur, chital
(spotted deer), elephant and sambar, tigers and leopards are difficult to
spot. A good variety of birdlife including crested hawk and serpent eagles
and tiny eared owl.
Afternoon
Wildlife tour to the National Park in the Resort's jeeps / vans. Return to
the Lodge. Dinner
and overnight at the hotel.
Day
7 Bandipur/Coorg
Drive
to the National Park for wildlife viewing. Return to the lodge. After some
time drive to Coorg.
Coorg is situated in the south western part of
Karnataka, the un-spoilt mountainous area of Coorg is the home to people
who still follow a life style full of traditions and culture. Coorg, the
epitome of nature haunts one with its pleasant temperate climate all the
year round. Temperature never exceeds 30 C and has abundance of lush green
environs. It is a land of coffee , Cardamom &
oranges.
Rest
of the day free. Overnight in
Coorg.
Overnight
in hotel.
Day
8 Coorg/Calicut
After breakfast drive to Calicut
(Kozhikode). Kozikode
is a major commercial center for northern Kerala with a strong Arab
connection. its main export today is not spices but workers to the Gulf.
It is also a center for Kerala's timber industry. Overnight
at the hotel.
Day
9 Calicut/Cochin
After
breakfast drive to Cochin. On your way you pass through tea, coffee,
pepper and cardamom plantations. En-route visit a spice garden. Evening arrival in Cochin, check-in to the hotel.
If
Kerala is India’s most beautiful state, which many tourists believe,
then the lovely port of Cochin is its jewel. It has been variously hailed
as Queen of the Arabian Sea, Venice of Orient, etc. Some choose to call it
simply a museum city for its rich past and colorful present. Cochin displays a
blend of peoples and architecture. It is one place where you can see a
Jewish synagogue, Portuguese churches, Dutch architecture, a couple of
mosques, Hindu temples and Chinese fishing nets all in one day.
Overnight
at the hotel.
Day
10 Cochin
After breakfast sightseeing of Cochin, a city till today influenced by
medieval Portugal, Holland and England. You visit St.
Francis Church, built in 1503 by Portuguese Franciscan friars where
Vasco da Gama was buried for 14 years before his remains were transferred
to Lisvon. His tombstone still stands. Nearby is the Mattancherry
Palace or “Dutch Palace”. The central hall on the Ist floor was
the coronation hall of the rajas of Cochin. Other rooms depict scenes from
the Ramayana and Puranic legends connected with Hindu gods. Amazing are
the Chinese fishing nets. These
cantilevered fishing nets line the entrance to the harbour mouth. They
were introduced by traders from the courts of Kublai Khan. You also see
the Jew City with the Jewish
Synagogue , constructed in 1568, with hand-painted, willow-pattern
floor tiles brought from Canton in the mid-18th century by a
Rabbi, who had trading interest in that city.
Evening
enthrall yourself with a special presentation of the colourfully costumed Kathakali
Dance Drama. This mask dance form is originally from Kerala and 1500
years old. This classical dance has 24 mudras expressing the nine emotions
of serenity, wonder, kindness, love, valor, fear, contempt, loathing and
anger.
Overnight in hotel.
Day
11 Cochin/Periyar
After
an early breakfast, drive to Alleppy, where you board boats and drift
through the backwaters of Kerala for a couple of hours to Kottayam. The back
waters of Cochin, is an idyllic experience. You pass through the lagoons
watching the waterside local activities of the villagers - coir-making,
toddy tapping, fishing, rice growing along the palm lined banks and narrow
strips of land that separate the water-ways, and the constant traffic are
typical. It also offers the opportunity to see tropical vegetation, bird
life and crops. At Kottayam you again board your transport and drive to the
Periyar.
Afternoon visit the Periyar
National Park. This unique wildlife sanctuary is about 780 sq. km
centered around an artificial lake fed by the Periyar River. This
afternoon game viewing is on board boats, which carry you through the
jungle along convoluted waterways and afford sightings of elephant, bison,
deer and occasionally, tiger. Small animals include black Nilgiri langur,
bonnet and lion tailed macaque, Giant and Flying squirrel. There are some
246 species of birds and 112 species of butterfly. There are trees more
than 100 years old and over 50 m high.
Overnight in the hotel at
Periyar.
Day
12 Periyar/Madurai
After
breakfast drive to Madurai. It is
the cultural capital of Tamilnadu. Here, the Dravidian culture reached its
zenith in art, architecture, palaces and temple buildings. Once the
capital of powerful Nayaka kings, a bustling city packed with pilgrims,
businessmen, bullock carts and legions of rickshaw pullers. Its narrow
overcrowded streets seem to be bursting at the seams with activity.
Southern India’s oldest center for pilgrimage and learning. Upon arrival
check-in to the hotel.
The
Meenakshi – Temple an
outstanding example of the Dravidian temple architecture from the
Vijaynagar kingdom. Meenakshi, the fish eyed goddess and the consort of
Shiva has a temple to the south and Sundareswarar (Shiva) a temple to the
west. One of the biggest temples of India. Its nine “Gopuram”-Temple
towers (23-30m ) have wonderful stucco images of gods, goddesses and
animals from the Hindu mythology.
In
the evening enjoy a rickshaw ride to Meenakshi temple to watch the
night ceremony. The temple is a hive of activity, colorfully decorated
temple elephant, flower sellers and performances by musicians. At 21:30
hours, the image of Shiva is carried in a procession accompanied by
musicians, temple singers and priests from his shrine. Enroute Shiva visits the other deities before entering Parvati’s
(Meenakshi)
temple to sleep with her for the night.
Overnight in hotel.
Day
13 Madurai/Trichy
After
breakfast visit the Thirumalai Nayak Palace,
a palace in Indo-Saracenic style built in 1636, with huge domes and 240
columns rising to 12 m, a beautiful garden and a attached museum. The
celestial Pavilion, an arcaded octagonal structure is curiously
constructed in brick and mortar without any supporting rafters.
After
sightseeing drive to Trichy. En-route visit Brihadisvara Temple in Tanjore.
This Jewel of South
India, was built in 9th century. The magnificent main temple
has a 62 meter high vimana ( the tallest in India), which is topped by
dome carved from an 80 ton lock of granite. A 6.5 km
long wooden ramp was built to climb it. This temple is dedicated to Lord
Shiva.
Proceed to
Trichy, check in at the hotel.
Day
14 Trichy/Mahabalipuram
After
breakfast drive to Mahabalipuram. En-route visit Srirangam, the big temple
city, which lies on an island on the Kaveri. The Ranganathasvami
Temple dedicated to Lord Vishnu, one of the largest temple in South
India, is famous for its superb sculpture – the 21 impressive gopurams
and its rich collection of temple jewellery. There is a huge statue of
Lord Vishnu. Not to forget the hall with 1000 pillars and horse
sculptures. Finally visit the Jambukeshwara-Temple dedicated to Lord Shiva, is one of the oldest
and largest temples of Tamil Nadu, has five walls and seven gopurams. Here
the unusual lingam under the Jambu tree always remains under water. After
sightseeing drive to Mahabalipuram.
On arrival in Mahabalipuram check in
at the hotel.
Day
15 Mahabalipuram
After breakfast
transport yourself to the yesteryears, the magnificent rock temples and
carvings. Five Rathas (chariots) ceremonial chariots, rock-cut monoliths,
named after the 5 Pandavas - heroes of the Mahabharata epic and Draupadi
their wife. The
Shore Temple by the sea surrounded by gardens designed according to
descriptions of the original layout from ancient times. Built in sandstone
in the 7th century. Bhagiratha’s
Penance is a bas- relief (27 to 9m) sculptured on the face of two
enormous adjacent rocks, depicts, the penance of Arjuna, myraid characters
from the Mahabharata, realistic life-size figures of animals, gods and
saints watching the descent of the river goddess Ganga to earth. After
sightseeing drive back to hotel.
Overnight
at the hotel.
Day
16-18 Mahabalipuram
Free
to relax
Day
19 Mahabalipuram/Madras-
Fly Home
Morning
free. Drive to Chennai (Madras).
Formerly Madras is now
Chennai. The city traces its origin to 1639 when Francis Day a trader with
the British East India Company, built a trading post – Fort St. George,
near the village of Madraspatnam. Today Chennai is the fourth largest city
of India with a population of 5,5 million people. Also called as
“Hollywood of India” it is the center for making South Indian films.
Enjoy a tour of
Chennai,
visit Kapaleshvara
Temple in Mylapore, dedicated to God Shiva and offers a good example
of South Indian colourful temple architecture. An opportunity to mingle
with the pilgrims. Fort St. George
– a British trading post and powerful bastion and entrance to South
India. The 16th century Portuguese old Cathedral of St.
Thomas Church in which the remnants of St. Thomas is buried who came
to India in 52 AD. Pass by the University built in Indo-Sarscenic style,
as well as 5 km long Marina Beach,
a lovely esplanade by the sea, and National
Museum with sculptures from Pallava, Pandava and Chola time which
houses archaeology, art, exceptionally beautiful bronzes statues, with
exhibits of stone and iron age.
Later
in the evening transfer to airport to connect flight back home.
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