Active Large Temples of South India
Package price On Request
Product Code : AGORA409
Active Large Temples of South India, five days private tour will begin in Madurai, a gateway city with one of the largest active temple complexes in India. From here proceed to Rameshwaram a shore city with one of the most sacred sites of Hindu pilgrimage hosting Jyotirlinga & one of Four Dham. Then Proceed to Thanjavur via visiting Chettinad a region once occupied by wealthy merchants their mansions are now left abandoned. Visit the Great Living Chola Temple in Thanjavur then proceed to Trichy home to another active large temple complex. You can fly out either from Trichy or from Madurai.
Day 1: Arrive Madurai
On arrival at Madurai airport assistance & transfer to hotel check in at hotel.
Later Visit Meenakshi Temple one of the largest temple complexes in India built between the 16th to 18th centuries. Apart from the estimated 33 million sculptures there, the temple is absolutely absorbing with the endless rounds of ceremonies, prostration of countless devotees and glittering market stalls. Thirumalai Nayakar Palace built in 1636 AD by King Thirumalai Nayak, the palace depicts the perfect blend of Dravidian and Rajput styles. Also visit Alagar Koil, Tiruparankundram Murugan Temple & Palamuthirsolai Murugan Temple. Overnight at hotel.
Day 2: Madurai - Rameshwaram (170kms)
Breakfast at hotel. Drive to Rameshwaram check in at hotel.
Later visit Ramanathaswamy Temple one of the 12 Jyotirlinga temples with world longest corridor and immaculate carvings on pillars. The lingam in the Rameshwaram Temple was installed by Lord Rama but, the construction was led by several rulers over the centuries. Inside the temple, there are two lingams Ramalingam and Shivalingam (only Hindu can enter temple sanctum). Lakshmana Tirtham constructed in the loving memory of Lord Lakshman, brother of Lord Rama. Several wonderful sculptures of Lord Lakshmana have been carved out from marble and the temple has the statues of lord Rama and Goddess Sita too which signifies the spirit of unitedness that exisited between them.
Also visit to Adams Bridge the chain of reefs, sandbanks and islets that almost connects Sri Lanka with India. According to legend, this is the series of stepping stones used by the monkey army, lead by Hanuman to cross the ocean in a bid to rescue Sita from the clutch of Ravana. Overnight at hotel.
Day 3: Rameshwaram - Chettinad - Thanjavur (250kms)
Breakfast at hotel. Drive to Thanjavur via Chettinad, the region is known for its 19th-century mansions, whose wide courtyards and spacious rooms are embellished with marble and teak. Construction materials, decorative items, and furnishings were mostly imported from East Asian countries and Europe. The marble was brought from Italy, chandeliers and teak from Burma, crockery from Indonesia, crystals from Europe and wall-to-wall mirrors from Belgium. Many of these mansions were built using a type of limestone known as Karai. They were built by men who once traded in everything from salt to gems. But in the mid-20th century, most Chettiar families moved to cities. Their palatial homes were left in the custody of caretakers, who maintained them for those rare occasions, such as weddings or Pongal, the Tamil harvest festival, when the family came to visit.
Continue drive to Thanjavur check in at hotel. Overnight at hotel.
Day 4: Thanjavur - Trichy (60kms)
Breakfast at hotel. Visit Brihadeshwara Temple, built in the 10th century it is an outstanding example of Chola architecture and is listed in UNESCO world heritage site. The shrine is a 216 feet structure, the sanctum is dotted with paintings from the Chola and Nayak periods and the statue of Nandi the Bull welcomes at the entrance. Vijayanagar Fort built by Nayaks and partly by Maratha rulers during the early 1550 AD. Thanjavur Art Gallery, located in the Thanjavur Palace has an exquisite collection of ancient sculptures and coins. Saraswathi Mahal Library another section of the Palace where over 30, 000 palm leaf and paper manuscripts are preserved.
Later drive to Trichy check in at hotel. Visit Sri Ranganathaswamy Temple the largest functional temple in the world. The Rock Fort 83m high only outcrop in the flat land. The Rock fort Hillock is said to be the oldest rock in the world, even older than The Himalayan Mountains 230 crore years old. Overnight at hotel.
Day 5: Trichy - Departure
Breakfast at hotel. As per flight schedule transfer to airport to board flight for onward destination (Trichy or Madurai).
Assistance on arrival at airport.
4 Nights' accommodation in selected price category hotels.
Daily breakfast at hotels. Any other meal (lunch/ dinner) if clearly mentioned in the itinerary).
Private air-conditioned deluxe car for airport transfer, sightseeing and excursion as per program.
English speaking tour guide on sightseeing days (local guide in each city), as per program.
Monument entrances and activities charges mentioned in the itinerary.
Bottled drinking water in car.
Government taxes.
Hotels used or similar for 4 nights accommodation
Madurai x 1 night
3* - Astoria by Sparsa/ Madurai’s Residency
4* - GRT Regency/ Fortune Pandiyan Hotel
5* - Heritage Madurai/ The Gateway Hotel Pasumalai
Rameshwaram x 1 night
3* & 4*- Daiwik Hotel
5* - Hyatt Place Rameswaram
Thanjore x 1 night
3* - Grand Gardenia/ Oriental Towers
4* - Sangam Hotels/ Ideal River View Resort
5* - Svatma
Trichy x 1 night
3* - Red Fox Hotel/ Grand Gardenia
4 & 5* - Sangam Hotels
Any flight tickets.
Camera charges at monuments.
Meals other than mentioned in day plan.
Expenses of personal nature like liquor, laundry, tips, telephone, fax, internet etc.
Gratuities & optional activities.
Anything not mentioned in inclusions.