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10 days
Chennai/Vellore/Pondicherry/Auroville/Tiruvannamalai/Sathanur/Gingee/Kumbakonam/Thanjavur/
Trichy/Madurai/Chennai
 This time we have come to prove that East definitely meets the West. Where on one hand we have the Indian culture depicted by the traditional Indian temples, on the other we have the western influence that can be starkly seen in the lanes & by-lanes of Pondicherry, depicting the glory of the yesteryears'. We shall hence embark you on a journey to see for yourself what we typically mean when we say, " East meets West".
The quaint old French town in India, Pondicherry is also the place where Sri Aurobindo, a well known philosopher, patriot and savant established his Ashram, which today is an important landmark added to the itinerary of every tourist visiting this town.
DAY 01 - ARRIVE CHENNAI
Today on your arrival our representative shall meet you at the airport to welcome you & transfer you to your hotel. After checking into the hotel we shall take you out for a city tour including visits to Fort St. George, Sri Parthasarthy Temple, Sri Kapaleeswarar Temple, San Thome Cathedral Basilica, Government Museum. To end the tour we shall leave you at the Marina Beach. Overnight stay at the hotel.
DAY 02 - CHENNAI - VELLORE - CHENNAI
Today we shall take you for a day excursion trip to Vellore, which is 145 km from Chennai & is a semi rural bazaar town. There we shall visit the Vijayanagar Fort and its temple, which are in an excellent state of preservation and are worth visiting. The famous rivers Palar and Ponnar flow through this City. The town also has a modern church built in an old British cemetery, which contains the tomb of a captain who died in 1799 during the glorious campaign, which ended in the defeat of Tipu Sultan. After touring the quaint town of Vellore, we shall head back to Chennai. Overnight stay at the hotel.
DAY 03 - CHENNAI - PONDICHERRY
 Today we shall drive you down to Pondicherry, the town well known as once a French colony, which is just 162 kms. from Chennai. History has it that, Francois Martin, a Frenchman, established the modern city of Pondicherry between 1673 and 1680 when most of the trade with France was through this port.
After checking into the hotel we shall take you out for visiting the Aurobindo Ashram. The main building comprises the houses of Shri Aurobindo and The Mother (Mirra Alfassa, a French woman who accepted Aurobindo as her spiritual mentor and guide and later became his most important disciple). In the courtyard are the samadhis of Aurobindo and The Mother where their mortal remains have been enshrined. We would then proceed on to visit The French Institute that has separate sections on science, technology, ecology, cartography, pedagogy, Indian languages and culture & is perhaps the only permanent link with France in Pondicherry. The visit would include the Botanical Garden, temples, churches & other places of tourist interest. Overnight stay at the hotel.
DAY 04 - PONDICHERRY - AUROVILLE - PONDICHERRY
Today we shall take you for a days' trip to Auroville that is at the outskirts of Pondicherry. This city of dawn was designed by the French architect Roger Arger and was started as an experimental commune where people of all nationalities irrespective of caste, creed or religion would live together in harmony.
About 550 people from different countries live in the 40 settlements of Auroville. It is advisable to hire bicycles to look around, as the village is too large to wander through on foot. Surrounded by lakes and gardens, the sphere shaped Matri Information Centre at Promesse the first stop is here, a 25-hectare farm and orchard where organic agriculture has been practiced successfully. The produce is used in the kitchens of Auroville as well as the Ashram in Pondicherry. We shall then drive back to Pondicherry. Overnight stay at the hotel.
DAY 05 - PONDICHERRY - TIRUVANNAMALAI - SATHANUR - GINGEE - PONDICHERRY
Today we the full day planned for you for visiting the nearby tourist destinations including Tiruvanamalai, Sathanur & Gingee.
Situated at the foot of a hill in Tiruvannamalai is one of the most important Shiva temples in the south. The Arunachaleswara temple is dedicated to Lingodbhava or Jyothy Lingam i.e. God incarnate as Fire. The tall imposing outer gopurams of the temple are a magnificent sight, conveying as they do, an impression of great dignity and majesty.
The beautiful thousand-pillared hall of the temple is noted for its intricate carvings. During the Karthigai Deepam festival celebrated in November-December, a huge flame is lit atop the hill and devotees flock to the temple and to the ashram of saint Sri Ramana Maharishi that is 3 kms from the temple.
In Sathanur, a dam is built on the River Pennar and is situated amidst forested hills. Apart from its scenic beauty and cool climate, other attractions here in Sathanur are a swimming pool and a crocodile park.
Next in the line is Gingee, which is one of the finest forts in South India. Its origin dates back to the 9th century when it was a stronghold of the Cholas but the fort as it looks today is the handiwork of the Vijaynagara kings who made it an impregnable citadel.
After paying a visit to the entire tourist site around we shall head back to Pondicherry. Overnight stay at the hotel.
DAY 06 - PONDICHERRY - KUMBAKONAM
Today we shall drive you to Kumbakonam, another famed South Indian religious city in Tamil Nadu. The name of this 2000 year-old town is derived from the holiday for which it is famous, the Kumbh Mela. Every 12 years, hundreds of thousands from across India descend upon the town's Mahamakham Tank, into which the waters of nine sacred rivers are believed to flow.
After checking into the hotel, we shall take you out for the Kumbeshwara Temple, which is the most important Shiva temple in this region. The Linga inside it is believed to have been shaped by the hands of Lord Shiva himself. We then proceed on to the Sarangapani Temple. It is one of the three most sacred Vishnu shrines in India, along with Srirangam near Trichy & Tirupati in Andhra Pradesh. Next on the line is Nageshwara Temple, built in the 10th century dedicated to Lord Shiva. This temple is thought to be the oldest temple in Kumbakonam region. Last but not the least we shall visit the Mahamakham Tank. The sacred nectar from Brahma's kumbh broken by Shiva was collected here. Overnight stay at the hotel.
DAY 07 - KUMBAKONAM - THANJAVUR
Today we shall drive you down to Thanjavur, the capital of the imperial Chola dynasty a thousand years ago. After checking into the hotel we shall take you for visiting the magnificent Brahadeeswarar temple dedicated to Lord Siva that bears witness to the glory of Chola architecture, sculpture and paintings. A museum in the temple courtyard has interesting Chola artifacts. We shall also take you to the Saraswathi Mahal Palace, the Palace Library instituted by Maharaja Serfoji that has a collection of 30,000 palm leaf manuscripts and many rare European books.
We shall also visit the Thanjavur Art Gallery that houses priceless collection of bronze icons and granite sculptures dating from the 9th century AD. Rest of the day would be free for shopping as Thanjavur is a good place to shop for Thanjavur Art Plates, handicrafts, handwoven silk, bronze icons, intricately inlaid brass work and bejeweled paintings. Overnight stay at the hotel.
DAY 08 - THANJAVUR - TRICHY
Today morning we shall drive down to Trichy, which is a fine blend of temples and monuments. After checking into the hotel we shall take you out for a city tour. To begin with we shall head for Srirangam the district's most important pilgrim centre is located in an island just 7 km from Trichy. Surrounded by the waters of river Kaveri on one side and its tributary Kollidan on the other, is a 600-acre island-town enclosed within the seven walls of the gigantic Sri Ranganathaswami Temple. Later we will visit the Rock Fort. This is one of the oldest lumps of rock anywhere in the world & this site was developed as a citadel long ago by the Pallavas & later by the Nayaks. Overnight stay at the hotel.
DAY 09 - TRICHY- MADURAI
Today we shall drive you down to Madurai. According to legends, Shiva himself once stood over Madurai to dry his matted hair; the nectar that fell from his holy locks soaked the city & gave it its name, derived from the Tamil word Madhuram [sweetness]. After checking into the hotel, shall you for a visit to Meenakshi Amman Temple, drawing more than 10,000 people every day. We shall also visit the other tourist sites in the city. Overnight stay at the hotel.
DAY 10 - DEPARTURE
Today we shall transfer you to the airport to catch the flight back to Chennai.
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