On the Road Temple and Spices

Arrival at Chennai International Airport. Welcome on arrival and transfer to the hotel. Overnight at hotel.

Chennai, formerly known as Madras is the capital of the state of Tamil Nadu. Gateway of South India entry, this beautiful garden city formerly consisted of several small villages scattered installed in the middle of rice fields lined with palm trees until it became a trading post. Became one of the first outposts of the British East India Company, it was one of the most important ports in the Bay of Bengal and the object of struggle and conquest between the British and the French. Drive to Mahabalipuram, the City of the Seven Pagodas, located on the Coromandel Coast. Overnight at hotel.

Morning drive to Kanchipuram, the Golden City of a Thousand Temples was the capital of the Pallava dynasty of the 6th to the 9th century, and under their rule, the city became the center of the Renaissance of Hinduism in the south . Visit in another Kailasanath the temple, a perfect example of Dravidian style view Perumal temple Varadharaj not accessible to non-Hindus. Sri Ekambareshwara temple with its huge lobby with a thousand pillars covered with sculptures, a real city with its merchants and pilgrims. Then, visit a factory saris and discovery of a silk weaving workshop, the city is famous for its brightly colored saris for over four hundred years. Back to Mahabalipuram. Overnight at hotel.

Mahabalipuram was there two thousand years, a seaport known Roman merchants, Arabic and Greek. This is where the Pallava established their maritime capital that flourished until about Siam, China or Fiji. Visit the site consisting of temples, a huge mural in relief, the Descent of the Ganges, and caves carved high relief, the whole being a masterpiece of the time. Then the famous Shore Temple erected on the sand by the ocean and bathed by the waves of the Bay of Bengal. Then all five Rathas, small monolithic temples who were given the form of a procession of floats dedicated to the princes of the dynasty. These monuments are listed as a UNESCO World Heritage Site. Overnight at hotel.

Pondicherry bridgehead commercial interests of France in India is full of surprises. The city has an atmosphere and a unique charm quite different from the rest of India. There is a sense of calm in the city. Visit the White City, the well-French accents still keeps the atmosphere of the old colonial trading, then stroll to the Tamil market and the Promenade. Then visit the Sri Aurobindo Ashram, philosopher and poet who founded in 1926 with a French community that bears his name, now a meditation center. This ashram is very dynamic and very involved in everyday life. Overnight at hotel.

A 60 km from Pondicherry, visit the ancient religious city of Chidambaram surrounded by several walls, a fine example of Dravidian architecture. On to Kumbakonam, ancient capital of the Chola Empire from 1025 and for about 250 years. Nearby, Darasuram Airavateshvara temple and its remarkably preserved. Magnificent example of the perfection attained in architecture and sculpture at that time. Stroll through the village and meet the artisans whose specialty is labor lost wax bronze and visit a workshop. Finally, drive to Tanjore, often called the Attic rice from India, located in the fertile valley of the Kaveri. Overnight at hotel.

Tanjore played an important role in the political history of this region for over a thousand years and was the capital of three dynasties: the Cholas, Nayak and the Maratha. Visit this city with many temples including the temple Brihadeswara, the flagship of the city. Then, towards Trichy built on a hillside overlooking the plain. Tiruchirapalli Trichy is colloquially known as the fourth largest city in Tamil Nadu. The city of Rock probably owes its name to the rock that dominates it. Several temples were built at the top. On the island of Sri Rangam, visit the Sanctuary of Ranganatha Swami, true religious city. Overnight at hotel.

Continue to the bucolic Chettinad region, renowned for its craftsmanship, the quality of its food and the nostalgic luxury of its palaces. The area was inhabited by a community of very wealthy merchants and bankers late 19th, early 20th century. Their fortunes made it possible to finance the construction of sumptuous Baroque houses and very unique with the use of noble materials such as Burmese teak and marble from Italy. The craft tradition is still very much alive in this region and can be visited workshops in wood, silver or a factory of earthenware and tiles, specialty of the region. Overnight at hotel.

Morning stroll through the streets of Chettinad then depart for Madurai, Tamil bubbling cultural capital of the country and one of the centers of Hinduism. Explore the city and visit the gigantic Meenakshi temple, a place of pilgrimage like a medieval fortress. Considered one of the largest temples of Dravidian architecture, it is a huge religious complex of more than 2400 m² where the sacred and the profane mingle closely. Overnight at hotel.

A beautiful forest road that winds through the heart of the hills leading to the Periyar National Park, Periyar Wildlife Sanctuary. Located in the heart of the Nilgiri, the panorama offers beautiful landscapes covered with tea plantations, coffee and spices. In the afternoon, exploration of the reserve: boat ride on the lake, an artificial lake of 26 km² absolutely gorgeous to observe the dense and varied fauna. Then, visit a spice garden and a pineapple plantation. Overnight at hotel.

In the morning, continuing the exploration of the park by a ride on an elephant. Then, in the afternoon, drive to the tea processing plant in Connemara to visit the plantations and the factory. This is an excellent opportunity to understand the different stages and different process from the fresh leaf to the finished product ready for export through drying and fermentation. Overnight at hotel.

Drive to Alleppey between the rubber plantations. Alleppey is a nice little town on the great Vembanad lake and one of its main craft activities is the exploitation and processing of coir fiber from the bark of the coconut. Alleppey invites a timeless Dayney through its backwaters. This idyllic network of rivers and canals make this region one of the most picturesque of rural India. Along the palm-fringed shores, one can observe the lacustrine life and people go about their various occupations. Getting on a houseboat for a leisurely cruise on these channels. Overnight on houseboat.

Disembark and drive to Cochin along the coast of Malabar and the Arabian Sea. Since ancient times, the port city of Kochi is known to be an important commercial center. It was a prosperous stop on the Silk Road and Spice and still knows very active today in addition to being an important naval base. It is at Cochin, former first Portuguese and Dutch counter that Vasco da Gama made a stop in 1498 and died with the title of Viceroy of Portuguese India. Explore the old town with the church of St Francis, the first Christian church built in India, the former colonial quarter Mattanchery with its synagogue, the Dutch Palace and the traditional district of spice warehouses. In the evening, representation of a Kathakali dance show, spectacular combination of costume drama, dance and singing. Overnight at hotel.

Departure to Coonoor by a beautiful road to changing landscapes as you go up in altitude, the city located at 1800 meters. On arrival, visit the Sim botanical park covers 12 hectares. Developed from 1874, it is said that this park, divided into eight different business lines, contain more than a thousand varieties of plants, flowers and trees. Overnight at hotel.

Morning transfer to Coonoor railway station and boarding the Toy Train, this typical train to Ooty located 19 kms. Traveling at an average speed of 15 km / h, the ride through the beautiful and varied landscapes dotted with tunnels and bridges. Ooty is an attractive resort founded by the British with the surrounding hills are covered with eucalyptus forests, plantations of tea and coffee. It is a haven of cool when the heat wave plaguing the plains and in the city. Visit the picturesque Botanical Garden and the Rose Garden, the largest rose garden in India. Walk through town and around the lake, a major tourist attraction in the city. Overnight at hotel.

Morning drive to the royal city of Mysore, once one of the most prosperous princely states. The charm of this city lies in its green and especially in his baroque palace that evokes the splendor of the legendary Maharajas. Before arriving in the city, stop at the Chamundi hill overlooking the city to discover the temple of Sri Chamundeshwari erected there 2000 years and dedicated to the patron goddess of the royal family. Then the statue monolith Nandi bull, mythical mount of Shiva, with impressive dimensions. Continue to Mysore. Overnight at hotel.

Visit the magnificent palace of the Maharajah of Mysore, the largest in South India, which was destroyed by fire, was completely rebuilt in an exuberant style of Indo-Saracenic inspiration. Worthy of a fairy tale, the interior is a veritable riot of gilt, marble mosaic ceilings and carved mahogany. The paintings represent the splendor of the palace of the royal court as it once was under the maharajas. After a stroll through the city to the classy buildings and wide avenues, foray into the great Devaraja Market, with stalls selling flower garlands sold by the meter and sandalwood. Overnight at hotel.

Departure for Hassan founded in the 11th century including the remarkable architecture of its temples earned him the title of Capital of religious architecture of Karnataka. En route, visit Shravanbelagola an important Jain pilgrimage center and mounted to the sanctuary that houses the colossal statue of Lord Bahubali, 17m high and carved from a single block of stone. Aged over 1000 years, it is considered as the largest monolith statue in the world. Continue to Hassan. Overnight at hotel.

Belur Halebid and excursion to two major sites in the Hindu art that deserve our attention. Belonging to the Hoysala dynasty, Belur was the first site built on a star-shaped plan. Numerous reliefs recount battle scenes of the era and the profusion of sculptures represent deities, among the senior ranks and animals. Then, drive to Halebid, which was the capital of this dynasty and visit the temple of Hoysaleshwara Shiva and Parvati. A jewel with its magnificent sculptures. Back to Hassan. Overnight at hotel.

Road to Bangalore metropolis and major high technology center, its main activities is the IT outsourcing and aerospace. Bangalore, capital of Karnataka, was one of the seats of the British administration until 1881, when the city was returned to the Maharaja of Mysore. City to classic and elegant buildings, the city is home to two large green areas: the Lal Bagh Botanical Garden with more than 1000 varieties of exotic and tropical plants and Cubbon Park, the green heart of Bangalore, with its 1200 hectares. Walk in the City Market, big market, part, covered, is the flower market. Transfer to Bangalore airport for the return flight.