Day
1, Sunday: Arrive Chennai (formerly Madras). Met on arrival by a High
Points representative. Drive apx. 90 minutes to your beach resort near
Mahabalipuram. Rest of the day at leisure.
Day 2, Monday: Mahabalipuram: AM : At leisure on
the silver sands of the beach. PM: Sightseeing of the famous Mahabalipuram
temples: Mahabalipuram is a monument to the glory of the Pallava Emperors
who ruled this part of India in the 7th & 8th centuries. Five of the
famous "pagodas" here are actually meant to represent the chariots of the
gods. These temples have excellent bas-reliefs in stone depicting fascinating
scenes from Hindu mythology. Of the many temples that were built along
the sea-shore, only one has survived the ravages of the ever-pounding ocean.
It stands with its back to the sea, a lonely silhouette, symbol of Man's
greatness against the infinite canvass of his Universe.
Day 3, Tuesday: : Mahabalipuram - Kanchipuram - Chennai:
AM: Drive to Kanchipuram. Sightseeing of Kanchipuram temples. The "City
of a Thousand Temples" , Kanchipuram still has 124 of them. The most spectacular
of these is the Ekambeshwara Temple. The "gopurams" at its entrance stand
188 ft high, with 10 storeys of intricate sculpture. The Varaderajaswamy
Temple is famous for its Hall of 96 Pillars. Kanchipuram is also the home
of the famous "Conjeevaram" silks. PM: Drive to Chennai ( Madras):
Check-in at your hotel. PM: City tour. Chennai was the site of the first
settlement of the British East India Company. It was founded in 1639, on
a piece of land given by the Raja of Chandragiri, and is today a modern,
vibrant city with a distinct old - world charm. We shall visit the 17th
century Fort St.George and the St. Mary's Church, as well as the 8th century
Parathasarthy Temple.
Day 4, Wednesday: Chennai - Mysore: AM: Departure
tranfer to the railway station to board train to Mysore. On arrival transfer
to your hotel. PM: Half day guided tour of Mysore. Mysore is a city
of palaces, gardens and oriental splendor. The ochre-colored Maharajah's
palace is a massive edifice where the oriental decorative imagination runs
wild in a synthesis of Hindu and Muslim styles. A short distance outside
the city is a sparkling white, elegant palace, the Lalitha Mahal , where
we shall stay overnight.
Day 5, Thursday: Mysore-Hassan: AM: Transfer to
Hassan, apx. 4 hours drive. Check-in at your hotel. PM: From Hassan,
we will proceed to the fabulous temples at Belur and Halebid, celebrated
for "the artistic combination of horizontal with vertical, and the play
of outline and of light and shade..." The wealth of sculptured friezes
is simply unbelievable, since from the base to the projected eaves, every
inch of available wall surface is covered with the most exquisitely sculptured
images. Outside, the Hoysala sculptors have surpassed themselves - unending
rows of nearly 650 elephants, horses, lions, birds and warriors. The larger
panels on the walls depict scenes from the great epics - the Ramayana and
the Mahabharata.
Day
6, Friday: Hassan-Bangalore:
AM:
Drive
to Bangalore, apx. 4 hrs.
Bangalore-
Cochin:
Transfer to the Bangalore airport for your flight to Cochin.
Met on arrival in Cochin and transfer to hotel. PM: City tour: Set
on a cluster of islands and narrow peninsulas, the port city of Cochin
(Kochi) reflects the eclecticism of Kerala perfectly. With a rich past
and a bustling present, it has always been the business hub of the region
from the very early days. Cochin is a living blend of Peoples and Cultures.
We shall find Jewish synagogues, Dutch architecture, Hindu temples and
Chinese fishing nets. The air is heavy with the smell of exotic spices,
and the shouts of Dhoti clad men pushing overladen carts around
the harbour.
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Day
7, Saturday: Cochin-Kumarakom:
Drive
and then transfer by motor-launch to the lovely Coconut Lagoon in Kumarakom.
Sunset cruise on the backwaters. The Coconut Lagoon is one of southern
India’s most discreet holiday destinations, an exclusive haven with a unique
cultural heritage. The Resort can only be reached by boat and offers a
fascinating insight into the past. Guests stay in genuine “ tarawad” cottages:
traditional wooden family houses. In danger of being destroyed, each one
has been brought from different parts of Kerala and carefully reassembled
to include every modern luxury.
Day 8. Sunday: Kumarakom-Periyar:
AM:
Morning
backwater cruise at Kumarakom. Late morning drive to Periyar Wildlife Reserve.
PM: Excursion on the Periyar lake to view the wildlife from a motor-launch.
The surrounding terrain is basically hilly, and the only flat areas of
the sanctuary are the grasslands, at the edges of the lakes. Apart from
apx. 800 wild elephants, the other animals in the sanctuary are gaur
(Indian
wild buffalo), wild pigs, sambar
deer, barking deer, mouse deer,
dhole
( Indian wild dog), the lion-tailed macaque, the Nilgiri langur,
and an estimated 40 tigers. Monitor lizards, pythons, king cobras, flying
lizards, flying squirrels, flying snakes and even flying frogs (!) are
the other inhabitants of this amazing sanctuary.
Day 9, Monday: Periyar-Madurai:
AM:
drive
apx. 4-5 hours to Madurai . PM: Sightseeing of the famous Shree
Meenakshi Sundareswarar Temple: Every day, the Meenakshi Temple attracts
pilgrims in thousands, from all over India. The temple is an excellent
example of Dravidian architecture, with gopurams or multi pillared halls,
covered from top to bottom in a profusion of multicoloured images of gods,
goddesses, animals and mythical figures. The temple occupies an area of
around six hectares, and has four entrances to it.
Day 10, Tuesday: Madurai-Tanjore-Trichi
AM:
Morning
drive to Trichi, enroute visiting Tanjore. Sri Brihadisvara Temple: Built
by the great Chola king, Raja Raja I in the 10th century AD, this temple
is an outstanding example of the Chola architecture. Guarding the inner
shrine of the temple, is the gigantic statue of Nandi, the Bull, while
the walls of the sanctum are covered with the wall paintings of Chola and
Nayak periods, comparable to the famous Ajanta cave frescoes. .PM: Sightseeing
of Trichi: Srirangam (Sri Ranganathaswamy Temple). This temple, 3 miles
north of Trichy, is among the most revered shrines to Lord Vishnu in South
India, and is probably the largest temple complex in India. Enclosed by
seven rectangular walled courtyards, this 13th century temple has 21
gopurams.
The town, and the temple, are set on a 250-hectare island in the Cauvery
river, connected to the mainland by a bridge. The temple is very well preserved,
with excellent sculptures, and numerous shrines to various gods.
Day 11, Wednesday: Trichi-Madras :
AM:
Transfer
to the airport to connect with flight to Madras (Chennai). On arrival in
Chennai connect with your onward flights.
Take
your homeward flight, or join another High Points trip! |
