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• DRAVIDIAN SPIRITUALITY This compact tour enables you to witness the sacred and spiritual side of South India. You will travel off the beaten track to experience the most important places of pilgrimage, like Tirupathi and Rameshvaram, but you will also visit places more popular with Westerners like Thanjavur, Madurai and Mamallapuram. In Pondicherry a visit to Auroville shows you how Westerners are trying to create a spiritual community in India. Staying in villages like Swamimalai and Kanchipuram lets you see and feel how much religion is a vital part of daily village life. The days of travelling are relatively short, giving us maximum time to soak up the atmosphere. The best time to visit Tamil Nadu is September to March. In April and May it gets very hot and June, July and August see the monsoon rains. South India witnesses a second smaller monsoon for about 6 weeks in and around November. |
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THE ITINERARY BASICS 1. Chennai 2. Tirupathi / Tirumala 3. Tirupathi / Tirumala 4. Kanchipuram 5. Kanchipuram 6. Pondicherry (Auroville) 7. Swamimalai 8. Swamimalai 9. Rameshvaram via Karaikudi 10. Rameshvaram 11. Madurai 12. Madurai 13. Trichy 14. Mamallapuram (train) 15. Mamallapuram — End of Tour
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• A LOOK AT EACH OF OUR 15 DAYS:
1. Arrival in Chennai
2. Tirupathi / Tirumala The remainder of today you could wander around the pilgrimage town at the bottom of the hill or you could go up to the temple complex for a first impression.
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3. Tirupathi / Tirumala Today a local English speaking guide will accompany you up the hill and explain everything there is to know about this important pilgrimage centre. You will see the different temples, the “Place for Donation of Human Hair” and the temple kitchen where they prepare free food for the tens of thousands of pilgrims who come here every day. You will also visit the main temple where you can see the devotees queuing up for darshan and where, if you so wish, you can have special darshan with Sri Venkateshvar yourself! Which wish would you like to see granted?
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4. Kanchipuram
5. Kanchipuram Next you will visit the many shrines, mandapams, gopurams (entrance towers) and the tank that belongs to the huge Ekambaranathar Temple complex. The name of the temple is said to signify The Lord of the Mango Tree, and you can still see a large mango tree whose four branches represent the four vedas, the 3000 year old religious texts of Hinduism. Kanchipuram is also home to temples dedicated to Parvati (Kamakshi Amman Temple where marriages are held) and Vishnu (the very impressive Devarajaswami Temple and the very old Vaikunta Perumal Temple).
6. Pondicherry During the second part of this sightseeing tour you'll set out to see the sights of Pondy, as Pondicherry (new name Puducherry) is popularly known. You'll visit the Shri Aurobindo Ashram, the Ganesha Temple, the Church of our Lady of the Immaculate Conception and the Gandhi Statue on the boulevard. Pondicherry has some top quality restaurants serving both Indian and French cuisines for you to enjoy.
7. Swamimalai via Gangaikondacholapuram and Dharasuram After lunch at the resort you can spend the afternoon visiting the villages Swamimalai and Kumbakonam. Every village in the Cauvery Delta has at least a few temples, making this the beating heart of Hindu India.
8. Kumbakonam (sightseeing Thanjavur) Thanjavur also has a tradition of classic bronze working. Today you'll get a chance to see the bronze-casters at work and learn about the lost-wax method by which they make the artefacts.
9. Rameshvaram via Chettinad From Karaikudi it’s another 2 to 3 hours before you reach the important pilgrimage town of Rameshvaram (“Place of Lord Rama”). Perhaps the most popular mythological story of India is the Ramayana, in which Vishnu in his incarnation as Lord Rama saves the world and upholds dharma by defeating the 10-headed demon Ravana who had abducted Rama’s wife Sita to the island (Sri) Lanka. Rama’s army was joined by the monkey army of Hanuman and together they constructed a bridge from Rameshvaram to Sri Lanka. After having won the battle, Rama gave thanks to Shiva on the Indian shores. Rameshvaram is built on this exact location and thus is one of the most important pilgrimage towns for followers of Shiva and Vishnu alike.
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10. Rameshvaram The best time to visit the temple is early morning. In the afternoon you can go to Danushkodi where a long empty stretch of sand eventually delves into the Gulf of Mannar (Bay of Bengal), 33 kilometer short of Sri Lanka. Research has shown that there was probably a bridge once connecting the two countries. This is known as Adam’s Bridge. You can swim here but be careful of strong currents!
11. Madurai Madurai is also a haven of skilled tailors, especially in the Pudhu Mandapam, a bustling market in an old part of the temple. If you're interested in having clothing made just for you, this is the place to do it!
12. Madurai No visit to Madurai would be complete without the experience of friendly rickshaw wallahs cycling you through the suburbs of the city. You'll visit a vegetable market, small local industries, the Gandhi Museum, the dhobi ghats (where laundry is done at the river) and will traverse the labyrinthine narrow streets into areas where people hardly ever see any Westerners. It’s a truly unique and intimate way of seeing the other side of a big Indian city like Madurai.
13. Trichy In the afternoon you will visit the impressive Srirangam Temple complex. Construction on this monument started in the 10th century and the latest addition was only finalized in 1989. With 60 hectares this may well be the largest temple complex of the subcontinent. This popular temple is usually quite lively, and sees many colourfully dressed pilgrims coming to make offerings to Lord Vishnu.
14. Mamallapuram
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15. Mamallapuram The people of Mamallapuram still cut impressive statues from rocks. All through the easy going village you'll see the sculptors creating amazing images from pieces of stone, coaxing flowing images out of immutable rock. This afternoon you will have time to do some last shopping. If you prefer you can laze on the beach or at the comfortable hotel-pool instead.
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Please send us an e-mail if you would like to know more about the suggested accommodation. We are happy to change the itinerary to suit your personal wishes. The tour can be adjusted to fit your budget and to accommodate any specific needs you may have (e.g. add domestic flight(s), upgrades of hotels, changes in itinerary, include more excursions, etc). If you so wish, we can arrange for a knowledgeable and experienced Tour Leader to join you for the duration of the tour. If Micha is available you can request him to lead your tour. This will definitely be worthwhile in case your travel party consists of 6 or more people. The price will depend on your choice of accommodation, the number of people in your travel party, when you are travelling, which excursions you would like to see included, and how many train journeys and/or flights you would like us to book for you. We have earned a reputation for having the most competitive prices in the market combined with the best and most personalized service.
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