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House No. 1/18, Top Floor, DDA Flats, Madangir, New Delhi 110062

Mob +91-9810491508 | Email- [email protected] / Web- www.agoravoyages.com

Tour Name : South India Temple

Duration ; 06 Nights / 7 Days

About the tour:

Your voyage to South India Temples begins from the colonial port Chennai. Advance toward the journey you

will visit to Kanchipuram the city of thousand temples & one of the four maths for Sankaracharya. Some of

the UNESCO World Heritage listed temples & world renowned Auroville Asharm of Pondicherry are the

part of your itinerary. The beach resort will be added advantage for your accommodation.



Outline Itinerary

Day 01; Arrive Chennai

Day 02; Chennai – Kanchipuram – Mahabalipuram (120kms/ 2hrs approx)

Day 03; Mahabalipuram – Pondicherry (100kms/ 2hrs approx)

Day 04; Pondicherry – Chidambaram – Thanjavur (185kms/ 4hrs approx)

Day 05; Thanjore – Trichy – Madurai (195kms/ 4hrs approx)

Day 06; Madurai

Day 07; Madurai Departure



Price details:

Price using 3 star hotels valid from 1st October 2018 till 31st March 2019 (5% Summer discount available from 1st April till travel being completed before 30th September 2018 on 3star hotels

price)

Particular

Per person price sharing DOUBLE/

TWIN rooms

Per person price sharing TRIPLE (room

with extra bed) rooms

Per person price staying in SINGLE

rooms

Currency INR Euro USD INR Euro USD INR Euro USD

1 person N/A N/A N/A N/A N/A N/A ₹100,431 € 1,255 $1,569

2 person ₹53,824 € 673 $841 N/A N/A N/A ₹64,967 € 812 $1,015

3 person ₹44,451 € 556 $695 ₹42,261 € 528 $660 ₹55,595 € 695 $869

4 person ₹41,016 € 513 $641 ₹38,827 € 485 $607 ₹52,160 € 652 $815

5 person ₹36,485 € 456 $570 ₹34,295 € 429 $536 ₹47,629 € 595 $744

6 person ₹34,542 € 432 $540 ₹32,353 € 404 $506 ₹45,686 € 571 $714

7 person ₹32,231 € 403 $504 ₹30,041 € 376 $469 ₹43,374 € 542 $678

8 person ₹30,748 € 384 $480 ₹28,559 € 357 $446 ₹41,892 € 524 $655

9 person ₹29,372 € 367 $459 ₹27,182 € 340 $425 ₹40,516 € 506 $633

10 person ₹28,271 € 353 $442 ₹26,081 € 326 $408 ₹39,414 € 493 $616

Child 5-11yrs With Extra bed in parents room ₹11,791 / € 147 / $184

Child below 5yrs Free sharing parents bed

Optional service Dinner at hotel per person ₹4,510 / € 56 / $70

Additional night

in Chennai ₹2,778 € 35 $43 ₹4,902 € 61 $77 ₹6,863 € 86 $107


price)



Particular


TWIN rooms




rooms



2 person ₹62,984 € 787 $984 N/A N/A N/A ₹84,060 € 1,051 $1,313

3 person ₹53,612 € 670 $838 ₹50,084 € 626 $783 ₹74,688 € 934 $1,167

4 person ₹50,177 € 627 $784 ₹46,649 € 583 $729 ₹71,253 € 891 $1,113

5 person ₹45,646 € 571 $713 ₹42,118 € 526 $658 ₹66,722 € 834 $1,043

6 person ₹43,703 € 546 $683 ₹40,175 € 502 $628 ₹64,779 € 810 $1,012

7 person ₹41,391 € 517 $647 ₹37,863 € 473 $592 ₹62,467 € 781 $976

8 person ₹39,909 € 499 $624 ₹36,381 € 455 $568 ₹60,985 € 762 $953

9 person ₹38,533 € 482 $602 ₹35,005 € 438 $547 ₹59,608 € 745 $931

10 person ₹37,431 € 468 $585 ₹33,903 € 424 $530 ₹58,507 € 731 $914

Child with bed With Extra bed in parents room ₹16,936 / € 212 / $265



Additional night

in Chennai ₹3,922 € 49 $61 ₹7,190 € 90 $112 ₹9,150 € 114 $143


price)

Particular


TWIN rooms




rooms



2 person ₹89,833 € 1,123 $1,404 N/A N/A N/A ₹134,752 € 1,684 $2,105



3 person ₹76,788 € 960 $1,200 ₹67,607 € 845 $1,056 ₹121,706 € 1,521 $1,902

4 person ₹73,353 € 917 $1,146 ₹64,172 € 802 $1,003 ₹118,271 € 1,478 $1,848

5 person ₹68,822 € 860 $1,075 ₹59,641 € 746 $932 ₹113,740 € 1,422 $1,777

6 person ₹66,879 € 836 $1,045 ₹57,698 € 721 $902 ₹111,797 € 1,397 $1,747

7 person ₹64,567 € 807 $1,009 ₹55,387 € 692 $865 ₹109,486 € 1,369 $1,711

8 person ₹63,085 € 789 $986 ₹53,904 € 674 $842 ₹108,003 € 1,350 $1,688

9 person ₹61,708 € 771 $964 ₹52,528 € 657 $821 ₹106,627 € 1,333 $1,666

10 person ₹60,607 € 758 $947 ₹51,427 € 643 $804 ₹105,525 € 1,319 $1,649

Child with bed With Extra bed in parents room ₹23,154 / € 289 / $362



Additional night

in Chennai ₹8,203 € 103 $128 ₹16,405 € 205 $256 ₹6,993 € 87 $109

Note: Euro & USD prices are subject to change in case of any fluctuation in currency exchange rate. Please check the currency

exchange rate of the day for exact price in your currency. In any case our INR price will remain unchanged and shall be treated

as final price.

Madurai – Chennai flight cost is not included in above price. Supplement for same will be approx. ₹3,500 / €44 / $55. Offered

flight fare is subject to change best available fare will be advised at the time of booking.



Included in price:

Garland welcome and assistance of our office representative at airport

06 nights/ 07 days accommodation in below mentioned hotels or similar

Daily breakfast at hotel.

Bottled drinking water in car

Private English speaking guide in each cities on sightseeing days.

Private Chauffer driven air-conditioned deluxe car for airport transfers, sightseeing &

excursion as per program.

01 Time monument entrance fees mentioned in the itinerary.

Applicable GST (Government taxes)

Not Included in price:

Any flight ticket (international/ domestic)

Any insurance

Main meal e.g. lunch & dinner unless mentioned in price includes OR supplement for same is

opted.

Personal expenses such as alcoholic beverages, laundry, telephone, internet, etc.

Anything else not mentioned in the itinerary or under "Includes"

Hotels used or similar in above price

Day City 3* Hotels 4* Hotels 5* Hotels

1 Chennai Raj Park/ MGM East Woods

The Raintree/ Accord Metropolitan

ITC Grand Chola/ The Leela Palace

2 Mahabalipuram INDeco Hotels/ Mamalla Beach Resort

Ideal Beach Resort/ Confluence The Banquet & Resort

Radisson BLU Resort Temple Bay/ Fisherman's Cove

3 Pondicherry Shenbaga Hotel/ Annamalai International

Le Pondy/ The Windflower Resort & Spa Palais De Mahe

4 Thnjore Grand Gardenia/ Oriental Towers

Sangam Hotels/ Ideal River View Resort Svatma

5 Madurai Astoria by Sparsa/ Madurai’s Residency

GRT Regency/ Fortune Pandiyan Hotel

Heritage Madurai/ The Gateway Hotel Pasumalai

6 Madurai Astoria by Sparsa/ Madurai’s Residency

GRT Regency/ Fortune Pandiyan Hotel

Heritage Madurai/ The Gateway Hotel Pasumalai

7 Departure



Detailed Itinerary

Day 01; Arrive Chennai

On arrival at Chennai airport meet with our office executive, assistance and transfer to hotel (hotel

check in/ out time 1200hrs afternoon early check in subject to rooms

availability).

Afternoon city tour of Chennai, visit the San Thome Cathederal,

built on the site of a 16th century Portuguese basilica which is said to

be the tomb of the apostle Thomas, who is reputed to have brought

Christianity to India in the 1st century AD. The tour also includes St

Thomas Mount, the Little Mount Shrine, the Fort St George, St

Mary's Church, and the Fort Museum which has a collection of

objects from the tenure of the East India Company in Chennai including letters from Robert Clive. The

Marina Beach is the second longest in the world. Walk along the surf-kissed edge, coast along the

Drive, relax in your shorts, take the kids to the aquarium, sip coconut water, but worshippers of the

sun, beware! You‟ll offend everyone if you bring out your bikini. Rumours of sharks and sharp eddies

keep all but the bravest away. The academy of classical dance and music, Kalakshetra or 'Temple of

Art‟ is in Thiruvanmayur. Run on the ancient lines of gurukul education, it frequently presents recitals

of classical music and Bharatnatyam in town. The Government Museum and Art Gallery has objects of

art, sculptures and carvings from the Chola, Pandya, Pallava, and the Vijayanagar periods. Overnight at

hotel.

Day 02; Chennai – Kanchipuram – Mahabalipuram (120kms/ 2hrs approx)

Breakfast at hotel, drive to Chennai, En route visit Kanchipuram: The City

of Thousand Temples and The Silk City. 70 Km away from Chennai & is

well connected by good network of roads, Kanchipuram is known as city of

thousand temples. It was mainly ruled by the Pallavas. It is also called as

“Silk City” as silk saris are being manufactured here. Kanchipuram is

known for its culture and civilization. Visit Kailasanathar temple: It is

dedicated to Lord Shiva, dates back to 8th century. This temple is noted

for its architecture and sculptures. There are 58 small shrines situated

around the main shrine as compound wall. Sandstone was used in the

construction of this temple. Ekambareswarar temple: This temple

represents one of the five elements called Earth (Prithvi). Another ancient temple of the city

dedicated to Siva. The 2500-year-old mango tree inside the temple has 4 branches each yields

different varieties of mangoes. Varadharaja temple - This temple is dedicated to Lord Vishnu. The

temple is noted for its wonderful sculptures. This is one of the 108 sacred Shri Vaishnavite temples.

Vaikundhaperumal temple: It is dedicated to lord Vishnu. It is also one of the 108 Divyadesams.



Kamakshiamman temple: It is dedicated to Goddess Kamakshi – the presiding deity. It is one of the

holy Sakthi worship places in India. It is closely associated with Sri Adi Sankaracharya. Handloom

industry: Kanchipuram is also famous for handloom Silk Sarees.

The main profession of people in Kanchipuram is weaving silk

sarees.

On arrival check in at hotel.

Later visit the Cave Temples: which excavated by scooping out

the scarp of the hill. The scooping work starts from front to

back. The cave temple is usually divided into inner & outer

mandapas, distinguished by the difference in levels. The front

mandapa will have pillars & plasters numbering 4,6,8,10. The inner

mandapa contains single, triple or five cells. The cave temple with

little modification is categorized as Mamalla style. The pillars under this style are slender & taller with

squatting lion at their base. The pillar is divided into distinct parts known as kalasa, tadi, kumba, padma

etc. Monolithic Temples: are locally known as Rathas. They were executed by chiseling out the

exterior face of the boulder. Work started from top to bottom. The pyramidal vimana with sikhara at

the top is an important feature of this style. It can be rightly said that these monolithic temples must

have paved the way for the structural temples with elaborate architectural & sculptural details in the

subsequent stage. There a total number of 8 monolithic temples found in Mamallapuram. The five

rathas in one place, Ganesha Ratha, Valayankuttai Ratha & Pidari Rathas. Shore Temple: The Shore

Temple on the Bay of Bengal was constructed in the 7th century during the rule of King Narsimha-

Varman II Rajasimha (c. 690-728).The Shore temples is a temple complex consisting of two Siva

temples and a carving of Anantasayana Vishnu. The temple facing east is entered by a small gopura. On

plan, it consists of a small sanctum & a front mandapa & is a two-tired vimana. The sanctum is housing a

linga. The Somaskanda panel consisting of Siva & Parvati with baby Skanda is on the back wall of the

sanctum. The dhara linga & Somaskanda panel on the back wall of the sanctum are the features of the

Pallava temples only. Overnight at Hotel.

Day 03; Mahabalipuram – Pondicherry (100kms/ 2hrs approx)

Breakfast at hotel drive to Pondicherry check in hotel. Later city tour of Pondicherry.

Visit Shree Aurobindo and The Mother, his most eminent

disciple, set up the Aurobindo Ashram, Auroville in 1926.

Together they explored the possibilities of yoga and

meditation as a path to salvation. At the Ashram residents

continue to practice their teachings and run a lot of the

cultural activity in Pondicherry. There is an educational centre,

which occasionally hosts lectures, screens films and holds play

performances. The sun, surf and sand are best at the beaches

a little outside town. Called Serenity, Quiet and Reppo they

manage to live up to their name. The town beach has a 4-meter

high statue of Mahatma Gandhi and French World War I

memorial. There is a 150-year-old lighthouse also. The French Institute is in a stylish colonial building.

It has some remarkable old French books that are very rare. The Romain Rolland library has over



60,000 volumes and overlooks the sea. Along with the „kepis‟ capped cops and its streets being called

„rue‟, it is the churches that help the town retain its European charm. The church of Our Lady of the

Immaculate Conception or Notre Dame de la Conception is almost 300 years old. The church to Our

Lady of Angels is famous for an oil painting that was gifted by Napoleon III. The most magnificent

however is the grand gothic Sacred Heart Church with 3 stained glass panels of the life of Christ.

Just outside town is a copy of the Basilica at Lourdes. Many temples around Pondicherry are dedicated

to Ganesh, the half man half pachyderm god who is the Destroyer of all Obstacles. The oldest ones

date back to the 10th century Chola Empire. The Vinaynagar Manakula temple has a golden dome and a

collection of 40 beautiful friezes. The temple to the local goddess Drowpattiamman has a fire festival

in July-August. Overnight at Hotel.

Day 04; Pondicherry – Chidambaram – Thanjavur (185kms/ 4hrs approx)

Breakfast at hotel drive to Thanjore enroute visit

Chidambaram the Nataraj temple dedicated to the dancing

God and the temples in Gangaikondacholapuram. On arrival

check in at hotel.

Afternoon visit Brihadeshwara Temple & Fort: built by

great Chola king in the 10th century it is an outstanding

example of Chola architecture and is listed in world

heritage. On the top of the apex of 63metres high, a

dome is said to be constructed from a single piece of granite, weighing an estimated 81 tones.

Thanjavur Palace & Museum: the palace near the temple is a vast building of masonry built by the

Nayakas around 1550 and partly by the Maratha. The palace houses an art gallery, a library and a hall

of music. The art gallery occupies the Nayak Durbar Hall. It has a superb collection of Chola bronze

statues from the 9th to 12th centuries. The Saraswati mahal Library is next door to the gallery. Art

Gallery: In the Palace there are a number of granite and bronze statues of the Chola period.

Saraswathi Mahal Library: In another section of the Palace is the library where over 30,000 palm

leaf and paper manuscripts in India and European languages are preserved. Overnight at Hotel.

Day 05; Thanjore – Trichy – Madurai (195kms/ 4hrs approx)

Breakfast at hotel drive to Madurai.

En route visit Trichy Rock Fort Temple: The 83m high Rock Fort is the only outcrop in the otherwise

flat land of the city. The rock is one of the oldest in the world-approximately 3.800 million years,

which makes it as old as the rocks of Greenland and older than the Himalayas. The fort played an

important part during the Carnatic wars and according to an inscription, mainly contributed to lay the

foundations of the British Empire in India. At the top of the rock is the Uchipillaiyar Koil, a temple

dedicated to Lord Vinayaka from where one can enjoy a panoramic view of Tiruchirappalli. A flight of

steps leads to the Mathrubutheswarar of Thayumanaswami temple, dedicated to Lord Siva where the

lingam is a projection of the rock itself. Below the Siva temple are the two Pallava cave temples that

have beautiful sculptures of the 6th and 7th centuries. At the foot of the Rock Fort are a tank and a

pavilion which are used during the float festival of the temples. Near the tank is the house where

Robert Clive lived when he was in Tiruchirappalli and there is an 18th century Church built by Reverend

Schwartz of Denmark. The Rock fort Hillock is said to be 230 crore years old. The materials like



Quartz used in glass making and felspar used in ceramic are found in

this Rock formation.

Tiruvanaikkaval: The Jambukeshwara temple, here, is dedicated to

Shiva, and it houses five concentric walls, and seven gopurams. Once

an elephant worshipped Lord Shiva under the holy Jambu tree and

hence the name Jambukeshwar.

Sri Ranganathaswamy Temple: There are 22 gopurams including

India‟s tallest (72 meters, 13 storey high), which was built in 1987

while the others date back to the 14th century.Many people have had

a hand in its construction, including the Cheras, Pandyas, Cholas,

Hoysalas and rulers from Vijayanagar. An annual Car Festival is held here in January during which a

decorated wooden chariot is pulled through the streets between various walls. In mid-December, the

Vaikunda Ekadasi, or Paradise Festival will be celebrated in the Vishnu Temple. Ivory sculptures of

Lord Vishnu in various poses and the images of Nayak Kings with consorts donated by Nayak kings who

ruled Madurai during the 17th century are available here.

Arrive Madurai check in at hotel. Evening attend Temple Aarti. Overnight at hotel.

Day 06; Madurai

Breakfast at hotel sightseeing in Madurai. Visit Meenakshi Temple: This temple is the city's main

attraction. This temple is nearly 2000 years

old placed in the heart of the old town - a

splendid example of Dravidian architecture. A

striking feature of the temple is the

astonishing structure know as “Ayiramkaal

Mandapam” or the Hall of Thousand Pillars and

each pillar features high, ornate, bold

sculptures that look life like. The present

temple was designed in 1560 by Vishwanatha

Nayak and subsequently built during the reign

of Tirumalai Nayak. There are four entrances to the temple with an area of six hectares. Each of its

12 towers has the height of 45 to 50 meters. The Potrama Raikulam or the Golden Lotus Tank is the

place where the Tamil literacy society, called Sangam used to meet to decide the merits of the work

presented to them. The temple museum has 985 richly carved pillars and each one surpasses the other

in beauty.

Tirumalai Nayak Mahal: This Indo-Saracenic building was built in 1636 by the ruler whose name it

bears. The imposing edifice is famous for the “Stuccowork” on its domes and impressive arches. The

Sorgavilasam (Celestial Pavilion), measuring 75m x 52m, constructed entirely of brick and mortar

without the support of a single rafter or girder, is a marvel of indo-Saracenic architectural style.

Among other striking features of the palace are the massive white pillars, several of which line the

corridor that runs along the courtyard. Connected by high decorated arches, these pillars measure

20m in height and have a circumference of 4m. Elsewhere, there are polished black stone pillars of

varying heights. It was King Thirumalai Nayak‟s grandson who demolished much of the fine structure

and removed most of the jewels and woodcarvings in order to build his own palace in Tiruchirapalli.



Vaniyur Mariamman Teppakulam: This enormous temple tank is fed by water from the Vaigai river.

Mariamman Teppakulam is a beautiful square tank spread over a huge area of almost 16 acres, located

about 5Kms East of Meenakshi Temple. The tank is the scene of the colourful float festival held in

January/February to celebrate the birth anniversary of King Thirumalai Nayak, who built this tank.

The deities of Meenakshi and Sundareswarar are placed in a float, called “Teppam”, decorated with

flowers and illuminated with hundreds of lights. This float is taken around the tank to the sound of

traditional music. On the Northern side of the tank a temple is dedicated to Mariamman, a famous

village deity of Tamil Nadu.

Rest time free & easy for personal activities relax. Overnight at hotel.

Day 07; Madurai Departure

Breakfast at hotel transfer to airport to board flight for Chennai. From Chennai board connecting

flight for your onward destination.

Payment Policy:

Deposit of 25% of the package cost at the time of booking.

Deposit of 50% of the package cost, 30 days prior to arrival date

Deposit of 100% of the package cost, 7 days prior to arrival date

Cancellation policy: Note: Written cancellation will accept on all working days, except Sunday, Any cancellation sent on

Sunday's will be considered on next working day (Monday).

For the X-mas and New Year period from 20 Dec to 05 Jan the payment is non-refundable.

In case you cancel the trip after commencement, refund would be restricted to a limited amount only

which too would depend on the amount that we would be able to recover from the hoteliers/

contractors we patronize. For unused hotel accommodation, chartered transportation & missed meals

etc. we do not bear any responsibility to refund.

Cancelation before 90 days – no cancelation fees only bank charges.

Cancelation before 89 - 60 days – 10% of the invoice plus bank charges.

Cancelation before 59 – 45 days - 25% of the invoice plus bank charges.



Cancelation before 7 days – Now show 100% of the invoice.

Our Liabilities & Limitations: Please note that after the finalization of the Tour/ service Cost, if there are any Hike in entrance

fees of monuments / museums, Taxes, fuel cost or guide charges – by Govt of India, the same would be



charged as extra.

Agora Voyages act only in the capacity of agent for the hotels, airlines, transporters, railways &

contractors providing other services & all exchange orders, receipts, contracts & tickets issued by us

are issued subject to terms & conditions under which these services are provided by them.

All itineraries are sample itineraries, intended to give you a general idea of the likely trip schedule.

Numerous factors such as weather, road conditions, the physical ability of the participants etc. may

dictate itinerary changes either before the tour or while on the trail. We reserve the right to change

any schedule in the interest of the trip participants' safety, comfort & general well being.

Our rates are based on the prevailing rates as negotiated by us with the hotels, airlines etc. Hotels

and Airlines retain the right to modify the rates without notice. In case of such changes the rates

quoted before the modification, can be changed by us according to the modifications by hotels or

airlines. All hotel bookings are based on usual check in and check out time of the hotels until unless

indicated in the itinerary.

We shall not be responsible for any delays & alterations in the program or expenses incurred – directly

or indirectly – due to natural hazards, flight cancellations, accident, breakdown of machinery or

equipment‟s, breakdown of transport, weather, sickness, landslides, political closures or any untoward

incidents.

We shall not be responsible for any loss, injury or damage to person, property, or otherwise in

connection with any accommodation, transportation or other services, resulting – directly or indirectly

– from any act of GOD, dangers, fire, accident, breakdown in machinery or equipment, breakdown of

transport, wars, civil disturbances, strikes, riots, thefts, pilferages, epidemics, medical or custom

department regulations, defaults, or any other causes beyond our control.

We do not have any insurance policy covering the expenses for accident, sickness, loss due to theft, or

any other reasons. Visitors are advised to seek such insurance arrangements in their home country. All

baggage‟s & personal property/s at all times are at the client's risk.

We will not be responsible for any costs arising out of unforeseen circumstances like landslides, road

blocks, bad weather, etc.

Tipping Tipping is not included in our price. Tipping is optional, and at times expected in travel trade. Obviously

there is no limit to how much you can tip and some guests who enjoy and appreciate the services of

Guides, driver and other crew will and have tipped much more than our average tipping guideline of

about $10-15 per day.

Trip Comments When you return from your trip, please share your experience with us. Any photos, suggestions will be

appreciated. Although we try our best, Tourism is a trade, which cannot be perfect and there will

always remain a room for improvement. Your comments (both criticism and compliments) are invaluable

to us and we look forward to hearing from you, upon your return.

about the tour - agora voyagesagoravoyages.com/uploads/pdf/15226063062.pdftour name : south india...

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