January 19- February 13, 2002
Experience the highlights of South Indian art, culture, and natural beauty on this very extensive 3 week tour. Accommodations are five star, heritage or best available.
OUR GUIDES and ADDITIONAL GUEST PRESENTERS
Mr TS Ranjan’s specialty is architecture and he has led several museum tour groups.
He will travel with the group from Hyderabad until departure from Chennai. If, however, there are less than four people in the group, he will travel with the group from Hyderabad to Bangalore, which is all by road, and then meet the group again in Pondicherry remaining with the group until departure. He will either be at the airport with the rep when you arrive in Hyderabad or waiting for you at the hotel.
In Kerala , after departing the houseboat, we will meet Dr P.N Suresh, Executive Director of the School of Traditional Architecture andMural Painting Centre. He is also the convenor of the Indian National Trust for Art and Cultural heritage. He will give a special presentation on South Indian traditional architecture and give us a personal tour of the school which is small but very interesting.
The tour of Mahaballipuram will be enhanced by the expertise of Ganapati Shtapti, who hails from a family of temple builders and is the former principal of the Government College of Architecture.
We will have local experts to guide us in Bombay, Cochin, and Madurai.
The hotels on this trip are all deluxe, superior rooms in the main cities and best available in the segment between Hyderbad ad Bangalore which is not very touristed. These have all been pre-checked by our associates in India and will have nice architectural and cultural ambiance.
Your Itinerary
Day 1:
Depart home.
Day 2:
Enroute to India.
Day 3:
Jan 21 Arrival in Bombay. Transfer to Hotel Taj Mahal, Old Wing, sea-facing rooms
Day 4:
Jan 22 BOMBAY
Morning drive to Gateway of India to board a ferry to visit Elephanta Island. While you are here you will see this beautiful landmark of Bombay which was built to welcome the Prince of Wales in 1905 and is a unique example of Indo Saracenic architecture. At Elephanta you will visit the caves carved in Granite Rocks. They date from 450 to 750 AD. The visit includes Mahadeva Trimurti and the Ardhanarishvara sculptures, famous iconographical representations of Lord Shiva. Afternoon: a guided city tour which will take you to the Mani Bhawan, the house where Ghandi stayed and started his Satyagrah movement; the Malabar Hills with its tower of silence; Hanging Gardens and the Prince of Wales Museum, largest fine art museum in India.
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Day 5:
Jan 23 Fly BOMBAY/HYDERABAD Flt 9W457 dep 0800, arr 0915
Hyderabad is an important center of Islamic culture and central India’s counterpart to the Mughal splendors of the northern cities. After hotel check-in tour the old City and the Charminar, the oriental Arc de Triomphe built between 1591 and 1612, with a slender minaret and huge arches on either side. On the second floor is a beautiful mosque. Some of the other sites of note are the Mecca Masjid, the Grand Mosque; the Jama Masjid the second mosque built in the old city at the end of the 16th century; and the Lad Bazaar area where you see some interesting buildings with wood and stone carvings. At the end of the tour you stop at the fascinating Salar Jung Museum which houses the collection of Sir Yusuf Ali Salar Jung the Prime Minister to the Nizam of Hyderabad between 1899 and 1949. The ruins of Golconda Fort and the tombs of the Qutab Shahi kings lie about 11 km west of the city.
After lunch, we head out of the city to the impressive fort at Golconda entered through gateways which have relief ornamentation of birds and animals. The Fateh Darwaza, or Victory Gate, is made of teak with an engraved Hindu deity studded with iron spikes. Within the ramparts lie the mosques, temples, the 3 storeyed armory, the harem, the Hall of Public Audience and the Rani Mahal with the royal baths.
Returning to the city we stop at the Qutb Shahi Tombs. Each tomb is made of black granite or green stone with plaster decorations of fine sculpture, inscriptions and remains of glazed decoration. The larger tombs have their own private mosque.
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Day 6:
Jan 24 Hyderabad/Bidar/Gulbarga
Morning drive to Bidar (140 kms). This walled fort town in North Karnataka was once the capital of the Hamanis and Barid Shahis. The fort is still intact and the palaces and tombs provide some of the finest examples of Muslim architecture in the Deccan, intermingling Hindu and Islamic styles.
After visiting the fort and old town we lunch at a Dhaba, a popular name for an Indian roadside cafÈ, where the food is hot and freshly cooked. This is a not to be missed culinary experience. The surroundings are rustic, but the food equivalent of fine dining in any deluxe city hotel. We continue to Gulbarga, a distance of 115 km, arriving early evening.
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Day 7:
Jan 25 Gulbarga/Bijapur
This town was the first capital of the Bahmanis and is known in South India as the home of Saiyid Muhammad Gesu Daraz Chisti who was instrumental in spreading
the Islamic faith in the Deccan in the 14th century. The most striking remains in the town are the fort, with its citadel and mosque and the tombs in its eastern quarter. The mosque covers an area of 3500 sq m and is covered by a dome covering the four corner domes and 75 minor domes making it unique among Indian mosques. The tombs of the Bahmani sultans lie in two groups and the tomb of the Chisti is two stories high with a highly decorated painted dome and a mother of pearl canopy over the grave. Late afternoon, after lunch at the hotel, we drive to Bijapur and stay overnight at the Madhuvan.
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Day 8:
Jan 26 Bijapur/Badami
Bijapur is distinct as it resembles a North Muslim city with its mausolea, mosques and palaces. The main landmarks are the Jama Masjid one of the finest in the Deccan with a large, shallow, onion shaped dome and arcaded court. It was built by Ali Adil Shah I in the 16th century. Ibrahim Rauza the 17th century palatial tomb is beautifully proportioned, its slender minarets, carved decorative panels of lotus, wheels and cross patterns and bold Arabic calligraphy bearing witness to the tolerance of Adil Shah of other religions. Gol Gumbaz, the vast tomb of Mohammad Sadil Shah, buried here with his family and favorite court dancer, has been described by some as startlingly ugly. It is the worlds second largest dome unsupported by pillars and has a large whispering gallery.
After lunch, served in the gardens of the Madhuvan, we drive approximately 196 kms to Badami . For the next two nights we stay at Badami Court. (B,L,D)
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Day 9:
Jan 27 Badami
Rise early, as the best time to the see the cave temples is at sunrise. Four of these were cut into the hillside in the early 6th century. Cave 1 reached by climbing 40 steps, has Siva in his manifestation as Nataraja with 18 arms and seen in 81 dance poses. Cave 2 on a higher level has reliefs of Varaha and Vamana and Cave 3 is dedicated to Vishnu. According to a Kanada inscription which is unique to Badami, this cave was excavated in 578 AD and has numerous sculptures including a huge reclining Vishnu. Cave 4 is the only Jain cave and possibly excavated 100 years later.
Other temples of note which you visit during the day, includes the Buddhist temple near the ancient artificial Bhuthanatha Lake; the 7th century Mallegitti Sivalaya temple one of the finest examples of the early southern style. Statues of Vishnu and Shiva decorate the outer wall while animal friezes appear along the plinth above the eaves; Jabulinga Temple dating from 699 has three chapels dedicated to the trinity and fine carvings. The North fort temples include mainly 7th century work and give an insight into Badami History. (B,L,D)
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Day 10:
Jan 28 Badami/Pattadakal/Aihole/Hospet
A full day today. 170 kms from Badami is Pattadakal on the banks of the Malaprabha River, the second capital of the Chalukyan kings between 7th and 8th century and the city where the kings were crowned. Most of the temples cluster at the foot of the hill and display a succession of styles of the southern Dravida temple architecture as well as North Indian
Nagara style. This clearly illustrates the regions position at the cross road of North and South Indian traditions. With the exception of one, all the temples are dedicated to Shiva. 18 kms from Pattadkal is Aihole the first Chalukyan capital and includes some important late Chalukyan temples dedicated to Jain divinities. It is widely regarded as the birthplace of Indian temple architectural styles and site of the first built temples, distinct from those carved out of solid rock. Most of these temples were originally dedicated to Vishnu, though some were later converted into Shaivite shrines.
We arrive at Hospet late eve and overnight at Malligi Tourist Home. (B,L,D)
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Day 11:
Jan 29 Hospet/Hampi/Hospet
Hampi which lies 13 kms east of Hospet, was once the seat of the great Vijaynagara empire and the centre of Hindu rule for 200 years from its foundation in 1336. Enormously wealthy, greater than Rome, they held a monopoly of trade in spices and cotton. This site was chosen for strategic reasons, but the craftsmen excelled in adopting an ingenious style to blend in architectural masterpieces with the barren and rocky landscapes. Most of the sites are 16th century and built during the 20 year reign of Krishna deva Raya. We need a whole day to visit the stunning collection of temples, palaces and market places of Hampi. We will have lunch at the Vaikuna Guest House, its beautiful hilltop setting giving a panoramic view of the Tungabhadra Dam.
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Day 12:
Jan 30 Drive to Hassan (350 km) Hotel Taj West End
Enroute you will visit the following: Chitradurga - This lies on the foot of a group of granite hills. The fort here was built in the 17th century by the Nayakas. This was subsequently destroyed by Haider Ali who replaced the mud fort with
one built of stone, and Tipu Sultan built a palace, mosque and granaries. Tumkur - is an important market town and 8 kms north is th small Dravidian style Kaidala Keshava temple. It contains some striking stone images. Sira - has a notable palace and garden built at the end of the 17th century. Hiriyur - Built on the bank of th river Vedavati, the
Teru-Malleshwara Temple has a 14m- high lamp pillar which holds enough oil for the lamp to be relit only
once a year.
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Day 13:
Jan 31 Hassan
In the morning visit Belur and Halebid temple complexes (12th-14th century). Built by the Hoysala kings, the temples at Belur and Halebid are the cream of what remains of one of the most artistically exuberant periods of Hindu Cultural development. The wealth of sculptural details found on the exterior and interior of these temples at Halebid & Belur makes them the most outstanding example of Hoysala sculptural art. Hoyasala Resort.
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Day 14:
FEB 1 Drive Hassan to Mysore (170 kms. 4hrs drive)
Enroute we visit Shravanabelagola. Shravanabelagola is one of the oldest and most important Jain pilgrimage centres in India. The site of the huge statue of Lord Bahubali (Gomateshvara), which at 17 meters high and carved out of a single piece of rock, is the world`s tallest monolithic statue. Hoyasala Resort.
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Day 15:
FEB 2 Mysore
After breakfast, visit Mysore Palace. This beautiful Indo-Saracenic Palace dominates the city`s skyline. It was built in 1911-12 at a cost of 4.2 million Rupees to replace the former Palace which was burnt down. We have a guided tour of the Palace. In the evening we take an excursion to Chamudi hills to visit Sri Chamundeswari Temple, huge in structure with a seven story Gopuram 40 meters high. On the way up to the hill we see the famous Nandi (Shiva`s Bull) carved out of solid rock and, at five meters high, perhaps the largest.
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Day 16:
FEB 3 MYSORE/BANGALORE (140 kms. 4 hrs drive)
Enroute to Bangalore, visit Srirangapatnam, the Summer Palace of Tipu Sultan built in 1784 AD. Srirangapatnam is set in exquisite gardens. Also of note are the Tomb & the mosque attached to it. Here lie buried the father & the mother of the great ruler. Aftr lunch, a brief visit to the Vidhan Saudha, Government Secretariat - this imposing edifice built with Banagalore granite is a tribute to temple architecture of the state- and the Lal Bagh, spread over 240 acres is a beautiful botanical Garden opposite the Vidhan Saudha. Hotel Taj West End
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Day 17:
FEB 4 fly to COCHIN IC803 1000/1055. Transfer to Brunton Boat Yard, 2nd floor sea facing rooms.
In the evening we enjoy Kathakali, an ancient religious dance drama of Kerala. This is generally performed in the temples and is said to have been performed for the past 1,500 years.
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Day 18:
FEB 5 COCHIN
The influence of medieval Portugal, Holland and England can still be seen in this fast growing coastal city. It is also known as the spice city of India. Most of the exports of spices are done from here. Our tour will include the St. Francis Church, where Vasco da Gama was buried for 14 years before his remains were transferred to Lisbon. His tombstone still stands here. The church was built in 1503 by Portuguese Franciscan friars. Nearby are the Chinese Fishing Nets along Vypeen Island (set up between 1350 - 1450 AD), The Mattancherry Palace or "Dutch Palace" built in 1557 AD ( closed on Fridays ) and behind the Palace is the Jewish Synagogue, constructed 1568 AD, with hand-painted willow-pattern floor tiles brought from Canton in the mid-18th century by a Rabbi, who had trading interests there.
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Day 19:
FEB 6 COCHIN
After breakfast drive into the countryside to see the construction of DHOW, a typical Kerela hand made boat. Kerala, apart from being very green, is also very colorful and the traditional culture remains intact here. The Lorries in this state are all painted in bright colors. We will travel along the coast line and cross various water streams running into the ocean and the back waters coming into the land. We’ll also visit Nagaraja Temple. Overnight Golden Tulip Resort in the backwaters.
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Day 20:
FEB 7 KERALA BACKWATERS - (147 kms. 3 hrs drive)
We drive to a jetty near Alleppy to board the riceboat. These riceboats are made by using the local bamboo sticks and husk of coconut. The boats float on the backwaters through thick coconut palms, banana plantations and lush green paddy fields. It is interesting to see how people live on narrow splits of land which are only a few meters wide and still manage to keep cows, pigs, chicken and ducks and cultivate small vegetable gardens. This life is described in the award-winning novel "GOD OF SMALL THINGS" by Arundhathi Roy. Overnight on traditional Kerala rice boat
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Day 21:
FEB 8 RICE BOAT JETTY / KIDANGARA/MADURAI
Disembark and drive to Aranmulla. We meet Dr Suresh and visit School of Architecture. After lunch drive to Madurai. (160 kms. 4 hrs drive)
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Day 22:
FEB 9 MADURAI
Visit the Sri Meenakshi Temple built in the Dravidian architecture form of temple architecture. The Gopurams are covered from top to bottom with profuse multi-colored images of gods, goddesses, animals and mythical figures. The main temple has long galleries and large halls supported by columns. The Hall of 1000 Columns has musical pillars. Other place of interest is the Nayyaka- Palace built in 1636 in the Indo-Saracenic style.
A special visit back to the temple in the evening, after early dinner, is a must. This time we will be taken to the temple complex on cycle-rickshaws to witness the evening spiritual ceremony in which Lord Shiva is carried in a palanquin accompanied by musicians, temple singers and priests to the temple of his consort Parvati to spend the night. He is brought to his temple in the morning. Hotel Taj Garden Retreat
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Day 23:
FEB 10 MADURAI - THANJAVUR - Trichy (180 kms. 5hrs drive)
In the morning we depart for Thanjavur. In the afternoon we visit the famous Brihadeshwara temple constructed by the Chola King in the 10th cent AD. The dome on top of the 63 meter high temple is a single piece of granite weighing an estimated 81 tons and the huge Nandi is carved out of a single piece of rock. We continue our visit to the Museum which has one of the finest Bronze collections. We continue to Trichy where we walk through the market place to the temple on the rocks. Overnite in Trichy at Hotel Sangam.
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Day 24:
FEB 11 TRICHY - PONDICHERRY (170 kms. 5 hrs drive)
After leisurely breakfast, we drive to Pondicherry. Here you will see the strong French influence in the architecture and the life style of the people. In the evening if time permits, visit Aurobindo Ahsram and Auroville - The International Township for Harmony. Hotel De l'orient (a heritage hotel)
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Day 25:
FEB 12 PONDICHERRY - KANCHIPURAM / MAHABALIPURAM (230 kms. 6 hrs drive)
After breakfast we drive to Kanchipuram the erstwhile capital of the Pallava and Chola rulers. These two powerful ruling dynasties gave the city its numerous temples and water tanks. The temple city is one of the 7 holy cities of India and has over 150 active temples dedicated to various gods and goddesses.
The various temples you will visit are Kailashnatha, VaikunThaperumal, Vishnu Temple, Shiva Natraja, Vardaraja Vishnu Temple, Ekambeshwara Shiva Temple and Ekambeshwara Shiva temple. The Vardaraja Temple has an ancient mango tree. Its four branches are said to represent the four Vedas. Each branch is said to contain fruits with different flavors. Later drive to Mahabaluipuram. Hotel Fisherman's Cove, sea-facing rooms.
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Day 26:
FEB 13 MAHABALIPURAM/ CHENNAI / HOME (60 kms. 2 hrs drive)
This town was the port city of the Pallava Kings (7 cent. AD). After breakfast we visit the “Group of Five Rathas,” rock-cut monoliths named after the heroes of the Epic - Mahabharata. The rock carving depicting the penance of Shiva is one of the finest pieces of stone carving. We culminate our visit here with the fabulous Shore Temple. After lunch, drive to Chennai and visit the Saint Thomas (the first apostle) Cathedral, Fort St. George (now the secretariat) and the High Court buildings. We end our tour at the Connemara Hotel for a farewell dinner at the Rain Forest Restaurant. Later transfer to the international airport for flight home. SQ409 2320/0545 LH 759 0145 on Feb 14
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Notes:
Airfare is not included in the tour price.
PRICES per person based on double occupancy
2-6 people $4775; 8-12 people $4475; single room supplement $1375
Plus Airfare supplement: BOMBAY/HYDERABAD and Bangalore/Cochin $ 210 (subject to change)
Price Includes:
accommodations dble occ
all meals (breakfast, lunch, dinner)
all transfers and sight seeing by air-conditioned car / tempo traveller / bus.
entrance fees to all the monuments mentioned and still camera fees
mineral water and soft drinks during long drives and sightseeing excursions
escort throughout the journey
special presentations
porterage
Also see tour packages in:
Asia
India
History Whiz
Archeology/History
Pilgrimage/Spirituality
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