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South India Panorama
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South India Panorama
Bombay - Madurai Periyar Kovolam Alleppey - Cochin - Mysore Hassan Hampi Aihole Pattadakal Badami Goa
(Duration: 20 days) |
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| Day 1- ARRIVE Mumbai |
| Assistance on arrival at the Bombay International airport at 0135 hrs, transfer to hotel. Relax and overnight at the hotel. |
| Day 2- Mumbai |
| After breakfast take a full day sight seeing tour of Bombay at 0800 hrs, drive to Gateway of India and cruise to Elephanta Caves by Catamaran. Visit the ancient caves of Elephanta known for its craftsmanship on the idols of Lord Shiva. Later cruise back to Gateway of India; one can have lunch at the Taj Mahal Hotel at Gateway of India. Later visit Prince of Whales Museum, Parliament House, Marine Drive, Hanging Gardens, Iskon Temple and Juhu Beach in the evening. Overnight at the hotel. |
| Day 3- Bombay Madurai (By air) |
| After early breakfast transfer to airport to board the flight for Madurai at 0950 hrs, assistance on arrival in Madurai at 1300 hrs, transfer to hotel. During the day visit Meenakshi Temple and Tirumalai Nayak Palace and Vandiyur Mariamman Teepakulam where annual float festival takes place. |
| Day 4- Madurai |
| After breakfast take an excursion tour to Rameshwaram 173 kms, visit the Shore Temple of Ramanathaswamy. The main eastern entrance stands a huge Gopura of nine storeys and 38.4m high. The outermost, or third, corridor, 196m long and 120.4 wide, is one of the achievements of the Hindu artist down the ages. There are about four thousand pillars, each 3.7m high. All are located on a platform 1.5m high. They look like an orderly, Petrified Forest. Early evening drive back to Madurai for overnight. |
| Day 5- Madurai Periyar 150 kms (3 to 4 hrs) |
| After breakfast checkout and drive to Periyar, on arrival transfer to hotel. Take a boat safari in Periyar Lake surrounded by Periyar Wild Life Sanctuary at 1700 hrs for 01 hour, evening free to visit the spice market. Overnight at the hotel. |
| Day 6- Periyar Kovolam 140 Kms (4 hrs) |
| Early morning take a boat safari to the lake again at 0600 hrs, after breakfast checkout and drive to Kovolam, on arrival in the afternoon transfer to hotel. Evening one can visit Kathakali Dance performance show. Overnight at the hotel. |
| Day 7- Kovolam |
| After breakfast take a sight seeing tour of Trivandrum City 14 kms, visit Padmanaswamy Temple, Napier Museum and Chaitra Art Gallery. Rest of the day free to relax at the beach. Overnight in Kovolam. |
| Day 8- Kovolam Kollam Alleppey 71 kms |
| After breakfast checkout and drive to Kollam 71 kms, on arrival, board the house boats to cruise to Alleppey, Kollam in situated on the Ashtamudi Lake and you will be cruising through this lake enroute visiting the villages on the bank of Ashtamudi Lake, Changanacherry and Vembanad Lake. Enjoy sunset from the sundeck of the houseboat. Overnight in the houseboat which has attached toilets & bathroom with sitting and dining area and a sun deck. |
| Day 9- Alleppey Cochin 60 kms (1 to 2 hrs) |
| Arriving Alleppey at 1000 hrs, on arrival visit Coir and Basket making industries, later drive to Cochin and transfer to hotel. Early evening take a sight seeing tour of Cochin visiting the famous Dutch Palace and Jewish Synagogue one of the oldest synagogues in the country. Also visit Vypeen & Gundu Islands to see the Chinese Fishing Nets, overnight at the hotel in Cochin. |
| Day 10- Cochin Bangalore Mysore 139 kms (3 hrs) |
| After breakfast transfer to Railway station to board the Bangalore Express Train for Bangalore at 0840 hrs, assistance on arrival in Bangalore at 1830 hrs, drive to Mysore for 3 hrs, on arrival transfer to hotel. Evening free to relax, overnight at the hotel. |
| Day 11- Mysore Hassan 115 kms (3 hrs) |
| After brekafast take a sight seeing tour of Mysore visiting Lalitha Mahal palace which has now converted to 5 star deluxe hotel, Mysore Palace & Museum, and visit Musical Gardens of Brindavan. Afternoon checkout and drive to Hassan enroute visiting Shravanbelgola Statue, This 17 meter high Jain statue was made in the 10th century. It is of prince Bahubali who stood in meditation for so long that plants grew up around him, later proceed to Hassan, on arrival transfer to hotel. Evening free to relax, overnight at the hotel. |
| Day 12- Hassan |
| After breakfast take a sight seeing tour of Halebid 27 kms visit The Hoyasaleswara Temple, dating back to the 21st century, is astounding for its wealth of sculpture details. The walls of the temple are covered with an endless variety of Gods and Goddesses, animals, birds and dancing girls. Yet no two facets of the temple are the same. This magnificent temple - guarded by a Nandi Bull - was never completed despite 86 years of labour. Later visit Belur 17 kms from Halebid, visit The Shennakeshava temple is one of the finest examples of Hoysala architecture. It took 103 years to complete this architectural marvel. The facade of the temple is filled with intricate sculptures and frescos, with no portion left blank. Viranarayana Temple and the smaller shrines are worth a visit. |
| Day 13- Hassan Hampi (380 kms 8 hrs) |
| After early breakfast checkout and drive to Hampi enroute visiting Chitradurga visit the famous fort and Ganesha Temple in Chitradurga. The city of Chitradurga itself is said to be named after the Fort of Seven Rounds (of walls). On arrival transfer to hotel early evening, rest of the day is kept for relaxing after this long drive, overnight at the hotel. |
| Day 14- Hampi |
| After breakfast visit Virupaksha temple this temple is located at the base of Hemakuta hill and has been a place of worship since the 7th century. It began as a small shrine but was enlarged by the Vijayanagara kings, Hemakuta hill temples, Bal Krishna temples, Narsimha statue, Zenana enclosures, elephant stables, stepped tanks and kings palace. Evening free for individual activities, overnight at the hotel. |
| Day 15- Hampi Badami (206 kms 5 hrs) |
| After breakfast checkout and drive to Badami, enroute visit Aihole is situated 51 kms before Badami on the banks of the Malapravha River and is the next phase of the Chalukyan temple architecture. It was the first capital of the Chalukyan Empire. On the road to Aihole, just outside this town, you see two temples dating to the 6th century; buried until recently, a French archaeologist uncovered them with the help of the local villagers. The remains of the city walls tell you of the importance this city once enjoyed. In 4 sq. kms. Both inside and outside the walls, there are approx. 100 temples, varying in size and style; this is truly where the Chalukyas began experimenting with temple architecture. The banks of the river have nagara styled temples of North India as well as Dravidian styled temples of the South. Some of the temples here also have a distinct flavour of Muslim architecture. Later proceed to Badami enroute visit Pattadakal also lies on the banks of the Malaprabha River, 19 kms before Badami. The original name for this place was Pattada Kisuvolal, Pattada meaning coronation of kings, which was conducted here. This second capital of the Chalukyan Empire is a World Heritage site known for its temples, which were constructed in the 7th and 8th centuries. There are ten temples here; some built in the northern nagara style and some in the Dravidian style of the south, though some of the temples incorporate both styles to a certain degree. A fine example of southern architecture is the Vijayeshwara temple, renamed Sangameshwara in honour of Lord Shiva. Though unfinished, this temple exhibits a nice parapet and multi-storey tower. Proceed to Badami, on arrival transfer to hotel in the evening. Overnight at the hotel. |
| Day 16- Badami Belgaum Goa (285 kms 6 hrs) |
| After breakfast visit Rock Temples a small climb from the Tonga stand are four caves hewn into the sandstone. Though plain looking from the exterior, the intricate carvings inside these caves are marvelous. The first cave, about 40 steps up, is dedicated to Lord Shiva. The most impressive sculpture in this cave is an eighteen-armed figure of Lord Shiva depicted as Nataraja, God of the Cosmic Dance. If you cover any eight arms on the left and any eight arms on the right, this sculpture strikes a classical dance pose; therefore, this sculpture depicts 81 different dance poses. Later visit Shivalaya Temples of 610 AD one of the best examples of Chalukaya Kings, later visit Malegutti Temples which resembles to Dravidian styles southern temples. Afternoon checkout and drive to Goa on arrival late evening transfer to hotel relax and overnight at the hotel. |
| Day 17 to 20- Goa |
| While your stay for 3 nights / 4 days visit the few famous beaches such as Baga, Calangute, Candolim, and Cavelossim and also visit Mandovi River. Also visit the famous churches in Goa such as Our Lady of Immaculate Conception, The Basilica of Bom Jesus which contains the remains of St Francis Xavier, St. Augustine church consisted of eight chapels, a convent and one of the best libraries in Goa. The Se Cathedral, dedicated to St Catherine, is the largest church in Goa. |
| Day 20- Goa Bombay back home. (By air) |
| Day free for individual activities, checkout at 1430 hrs and transfer to airport to board the flight for Bombay at 1630 hrs, assistance on arrival at 1730 hrs, We will provide the car in Bombay till your departure transfer to airport to board the flight back home. |
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