Tamilnadu North/East
In the morning leave for Mahabalipuram via. Kanchipuram. The major Kanchipuram tourist attractions include visits to the Kailasanthar Temple, Ekambareshwarar Temple, The Vardarajanperumal Temple and the Sakkiswarar Temple. Then resume with your drive to Mahabalipuram.
This 7th century former port city is famous for its rock-cut shore temples. On arrival, check-in at one our listed hotels.The rest of the day is to be spent at leisure. Overnight at the hotel.
Next morning after breakfast, move out on a sightseeing tour of Mahabalipuram. The major attractions to visit include the Shore and the Five Ratha temples, Arjuna’s Penance and the Tiger caves. After the visit leave for Pondicherry.
As on reaching Pondicherry, check-in at one our listed hotels. Rest and relax for the day.
In the evening you may take a leisurely walk to the local market of Pondicherry. Return to the hotel for overnight stay.
Post breakfast, set out to explore the Pondicherry for its diverse attractions like the coastline of 32 Kms, palm-fringed beaches, backwaters and fishing villages.
Later in the afternoon visit Aurbindo Ashram and Auroville. After visit drive to Swamimalai. Stop midway to visit Chidambaram, and Gangaikonda Cholapuram.
On reaching Swamimalai, transfer to one of our listed hotels. Later in the day visit the Swamimalai Murugan Temple. Overnight stay at the hotel.
After breakfast head straight to Tanjore. Tanjore is known as the city of temples as it has many famous temples in and around the city including the Navagraha temples. On reaching Tanjore, check-in at one of our listed hotels.
After resting for a while, set out on a guided city tour of Tanjore including major tourist destinations like the Vijayanagar Fort, Shiva Ganga Garden, Aalangudi temple, Brahadeshwara temple and the Chandra Bagawan Temple. In the evening return to the hotel for overnight stay.
Tamilnadu South
Partake in visiting and exploring the prime attractions of Trichy today. The first visit is to the Srirangam, located at a distance of around 5 km from Trichy.
Here you visit Sri Ranganathaswami temple, which is dedicated to Lord Vishnu and boasts of having one of India’s largest temple complexes. Your next visit is to the Tiruchirapalli Rock Fort, placed on the banks of the River Kaveri. Stay overnight.
On the 7th day leave by road for Madurai, also famed as the Athens of the East. As you arrive, check-into the hotel. The rest of the day is at leisure. You can partake in the activities of your interest. Visit the local market to indulge in shopping and relishing the local food, indulge in the facilities of the hotel, have an interaction with the locals and more. Overnight stay in Madurai.
The morning of the 8th day is for visiting the prime attractions of Madurai. Placed on the banks of Vidai River, this popular city of Southern India is around 2500 years old. Visit the splendid Meenakshi-Sundareswarar Temple or Meenakshi Amman Temple.
This magnificent temple is dedicated to Goddess Parvati, the consort of Lord Shiva. While the Goddess is known as Meenakshi in this part of the country, the Lord is known as Sundareswarar.
This magnificiebt temple has 14 gopurams. The afternoon is at leisure. Attend the wonderful evening prayer ceremony at the Meenakshi Temple. Stay overnight in Madurai.
Day 9 is scheduled for a day-trip to Rameshwaram for darshan at the Rameshwaram temple. If history is to be believed the island and the temple got their names from the event when Lord Rama worshipped Lord Shiva to gain penance when he was coming from Lanka, after killing Ravana. Back to Trichy hotel for an overnight stay.
After breakfast on the 10th day of the tour, leave for half-day city tour of Madurai that may include Thirumalai Nayakkar Mahal, Koodal Azhagar temple etc. Post lunch; hit the road to Kanyakumari, formerly known as Cape Comorin. Move to your pre-booked hotel for staying overnight.
After breakfast, indulge in sightseeing in Kanyakumari, including Vivekananda Memorial Rock, built in 1970 in the honor of the visit of Swami Vivekananda. Kanyakumari, deriving its name from Hindu Goddess Kanyakumari, is one of the well-known tourist destinations in the country. Your visits may also include the Padmanabhapuram Palace, Kumari Amman Temple, Gandhi Mandapam etc. Stay overnight.
Tamil West & Mysore
After breakfast on the 6th day, leave for an excursion to Coonoor to visit its tea gardens, Sim's Park- a 100-yr old garden housing a variety of trees, shrubs as well as creepers and Dolphin's Nose- a viewpoint situated over 1000 feet above sea level. Return to Ooty to visit popular film shooting locations. Overnight stay.
Have breakfast and hit the road to Kodaikanal. En-route visit Palani temples including Palani Murugan, Avinankudi temple, Edumban temple, Kurunji Andavar temple and Periya Nayagi Amman. On reaching Kodaikanal, complete the check -in formalities at your hotel. The rest of the day is at leisure-explore the surroundings on foot, interact with the locals etc. Stay overnight.
Lord Nadarajar
The great Saivite god Shiva has many guises and many representations in art, but perhaps the most familiar is as a dancing figure within a circle of fire, that is as Natarajar, Lord of the Dance. The symbolism of Natarajar is religion, art and science merged as one. In God's endless dance of creation, preservation, destruction and paired graces is hidden a deep understanding of our universe
The dance the smiling Shiva is performing is the Tandavam, the cosmic dance which both creates and destroys the universe. The energy and wildness of the dance is shown in his bent knees and the extravagant spreading of the god’s hair. Shiva’s locks also contain a skull, a datura blossom, and a crescent moon which represents the idea that Shiva is ever-present even if sometimes he is not always visible. Even more prominent is the figure of Ganga, the personification of the river Ganges, who, according to Saiva mythology, was brought gently from the heavens down to earth in the god’s hair. Sometimes the god’s hair is topped with a fan of kondrai leaves.
Shiva is providing his own music, as in his upper right hand he holds a small drum – the damaram which provides not only rhythm but also reminds that it was this drum which made the first sounds of the creation. The beat of the drum is also considered to provide the heartbeat of the cosmos, the maya. Conversely, in Shiva’s upper left hand he holds agni, the divine fire, which will destroy the universe.
