Holy India Travels

Places to Visit  :  Bangalore  – Puttaparthi – Tirupati – Chennai – Kanchipuram – Mahabalipuram – Pondicherry – Trichy – Ooty – Mysore – Bangalore

Duration of Tour Package  :    15 Nights | 16 Days

Day 01| Arrival at Bangalore |

Afternoon/evening arrive at Bangalore airport. Overnight stay at hotel in Bangalore.

Day 02 | Bangalore  |

Breakfast at hotel. Morning start sightseeing tour of Bangalore city.

Visit The Bangalore Fort and Palace– The Fort of Bangalore was built by Kempe Gowda and was later expanded by the legendary king Tipu Sultan. This summer palace has been constructed largely of wood and is famous for its carving and paintings.

Vidhana Soubha– This splendid building is a marvel of modern architecture and is a perfect amalgamation of traditional neo-Dravidian and modern styles. It is the home of the State Legislature and the Secretariat and dominates the northern boundary of the Cubbon Park.

The Bull Temple– Kempe Gowda built this temple. The center of reverence is a magnificent Nandi, which is 15 feet tall and over 20 feet long.

Lalbagh - Surrounding one of the towers erected by Kempe Gowda, the founder of Bangalore, is the 240 acre landscaped Lal Bagh gardens. Haider Ali, the warrior-king of Mysore, decided to create this garden in 1740 on the lines of the Mughal Gardens that were popular during his time. The park has some rare species of plants brought from Persia, Afghanistan and France.  Overnight stay at hotel in Bangalore.

Day 03| Bangalore - Puttaparthi (150 Kms/ 3-4 hrs) |                                                          

Breakfast at hotel. Morning drive to Puttaparthi. Ashram of Sri Satya Sai Baba. On arrival check in at hotel. Overnight stay at hotel in Puttaparthi.

Day 04| Puttaparthi  |

Breakfast at hotel. Day free to visit Sri Satya Sai Baba Ashram. Overnight stay at hotel in Puttaparthi.

Day 05| Puttaparthi - Tirupati (220 Kms/ 4-5 hrs) |

Breakfast at hotel. Afternoon drive to Tirupati. “Tirupati”– Tirupati is a major pilgrimage and cultural city in the Chittoor district of Andhra Pradesh. It is one of the richest pilgrimage cities of any religious faith in the world. Tirupati is famous for Venkateswara Swamy temple dedicated to Lord Venkateswara.

On arrival check-in at hotel. Overnight stay at hotel in Tirupati.

Day 06| Tirupati - Chennai (140 Kms/ 3-4 hrs) |

Breakfast at hotel and visit  Sri Venkateswara Temple– Sri Venkateswara Temple is one of the ancient and holy temples, which is located at the 7th peak of the Venkata Tirumala Hill. The temple houses an idol of Lord Venkateswara, which is about 8 ft in height. The idol stands under the gold gilded dome, which is known as Ananda Nilaya Divya Vimana. The eyes of this idol are covered with a tilak of camphor and are ornamented with some of the precious and semi-precious stones.

After darshan drive to Chennai. On arrival check in at hotel in Chennai.

Day 07| Chennai |

Breakfast at hotel. Today Chennai city tour visit Kalakshetra– A school of art and music that encourages exponents of Bharatnatyam, Carnatic music, traditional weaving and designing.

Fort St. George– Fort St George is the name of the first English (later British) fortress in India, founded in 1644. The modern city of Chennai. The construction of the fort provided the impetus for further settlements and trading activity, in what was originally an uninhabited land. Now houses the Secretariat and Legislative Assembly of Tamil Nadu.

St. Mary's Church– The oldest Anglican Church in India with its premises. Sri Parthasarathy Temple– Built by the Pallavas in the 8th century AD.

Kapaleeswarar Temple– Mylapore also an eighth century Pallava Temple dedicated to Lord Shiva. San Thomas Cathedral Basilica rebuilt in 1606 as a cathedral and in 1896 it was made a basilica.

Evening free to visit Marina Beach &  local markets/bazaar for shopping. Overnight stay at hotel in Chennai.

Day 08 | Chennai - Kanchipuram - Mahabalipuram (60 Kms/ 1.5 hrs) |

Breakfast at hotel. Morning drive to Mahabalipuram. On the way visit to Kanchipuram.

“Kanchipuram”– It is a famous temple city in the Tamil Nadu. The nickname "The City of Thousand Temples".

Visit Ekambaranathar Temple– Ekambareswarar temple is a hindu temple dedicated to Shiva. The temple is the largest temple in the town of Kanchipuram and is located in the northern part of the town. The temple gopuram (gateway tower) is 59m tall, which is one of the tallest gopurams in India.

The Kanchi Kailasanathar Temple– This is the oldest structure in Kanchipuram. It is a Hindu temple in the Dravidian architectural style. It is dedicated to the god Shiva, and is known for its historical importance. The temple was built from 685-705AD by a Rajasimha ruler of the Pallava Dynasty.

Further drive to Mahabalipuram. “Mahabalipuram”– It’s also known as Mamallapuram is a town in Kancheepuram district. It is an ancient historic town and was a bustling seaport during the time of Periplus (1st century CE) and Ptolemy (140 CE). By the 7th century it was a port city of South Indian dynasty of the Pallavas. The group of monuments at Mahabalipuram has been classified as a UNESCO World Heritage Site. On arrival check-in at hotel.  Overnight stay at hotel in Mahabalipuram.

Day 09 | Mahabalipuram |

Breakfast at hotel. Morning start sightseeing tour of Mahabalipuram city.

The Shore Temple– The Shore temple (built in 700–728 AD) is so named because it overlooks the shore of the Bay of Bengal. It is a structural temple, built with blocks of granite, dating from the 8th century AD. It was built on a promontory sticking out into the Bay of Bengal at Mahabalipuram. At the time of its creation, the village was a busy port during the reign of Narasimhavarman II of the Pallava dynasty. As one of the Group of Monuments at Mahabalipuram, it has been classified as a UNESCO World Heritage Site since 1984. It is one of the oldest structural (versus rock-cut) stone temples of South India.

The Cave Temples– Cave temples of Mahabalipuram are located on the hillock of Mahabalipuram town. Also called mandapas or rock-cut caves, they are sanctuaries or temples covered with bas-reliefs. The earliest period of use of these caves as sanctuaries is traced to the Buddhist and Jain periods. They were excavated on rock faces which were cut and then carved using chisel and iron mallet.

The Arjuna's penance (descent of the ganges) is one of the most famous stone carvings at Mahabalipuram. It is an enormous relief made on two massive boulders. One of the biggest open-air rock canvases in the world, the Arjuna's penance is 31m long and 9m high.

Pancha pandava rathas: The five Rathas is a set of magnificent monolithic rock temples.. heroes of Mahabharata with their wife Draupadi which is termed as pancha pandava rathas. Also visit Krishna’s Butterball.  Overnight stay at hotel in Mahabalipuram.

Day 10 | Mahabalipuram - Pondicherry (100 Kms/ 2 hrs) |

Breakfast at hotel. Morning drive to Pondicherry.  “Pondicherry”– Pondicherry or Puducherry is a city, an urban agglomeration and a municipality in Pondicherry district in the Indian union territory of Puducherry. The city of Pondicherry have recorded history after the advent of the Colonial Powers like the Dutch, Portuguese, English and the French.

On arrival check-in at hotel. After wash & change at hotel start sightseeing tour of Pondicherry city.

Visit Sri Aurobindo Ashram– The Sri Aurobindo Ashram is a spiritual community (ashram) established at Pondicherry by Sri Aurobindo on 24 November 1926 (Siddhi Day). At the time there were few disciples staying with Sri Aurobindo.

Matri Mandir– The Matri mandir (Sanskrit for Temple of The Mother) is an edifice of spiritual significance for practitioners of Integral yoga, situated at the centre of Auroville initiated by The Mother of the Sri Aurobindo Ashram. It is called soul of the city and is situated in a large open space called Peace. Matrimandir does not belong to any particular religion or sect.

Promenade Beach– Promenade Beach (or, known as, "Pondicherry Beach") is the popular stretch of beachfront in the city. Along the bay of Bengal. It’s a 1.2-kilometre-long stretch in Pondicherry, starts from War Memorial and end at Dupleix Park on the Goubert Ave.  Overnight stay at hotel in Pondicherry.

Day 11 | Pondicherry - Thanjavur -  Trichy (200 Kms/ 4-5 hrs) |

Breakfast at hotel. Morning drive to Trichy. On the way visit Thanjavur. 

“Thanjavur”– Thanjavur is an important centre of South Indian religion, art, and architecture. Most of the great living Chola Temples, which are UNESCO World Heritage Monuments, are located in and around Thanjavur.

Here you will visit  Brihadeeswarar Temple– The Peruvudaiyar Kovil also known as Periya Kovil, Brihadeeswara Temple, RajaRajeswara Temple and Rajarajeswaram at Thanjavur. The temple constructed more than a thousand years ago by the Chola King Raja Rajan is an architect's marvel. The temple is part of the UNESCO World Heritage Site known as the "Great Living Chola Temples".

Thanjavur's royal palace is a mixed bag of ruin and renovation, superb art and random royal paraphernalia.

Further drive to Trichy. On arrival check in at hotel. Overnight stay at hotel in Trichy.

Day 12| Trichy - Ooty (280 Kms/ 6-7 hrs) |

Breakfast at hotel. Morning visit Tiruchirapalli Rock Fort– The Tiruchirapalli Rock Fort is a historic fort and temple complex built on an ancient rock. It is constructed on a 273-foot high rock. There are two Hindu temples inside the Rockfort, the Uchchi Pillaiyar Koil and the Siva Temple. Geologically the 83 m high rock may date to over one billion years ago.

Further drive to Ooty.  On arrival check-in at hotel. Overnight stay at hotel in Ooty.

Day 13 | Ooty |

Breakfast at hotel. Morning enjoy Toy Train ride from Ooty to Coonoor.  

Toy Train : Travelling at a maximum speed of 33 Km per hour, this 'toy train' to Ooty in Tamilnadu, chugs across plains, plantation and forest clad hills. The 16 tunnels and tall girder bridges on the way, along with the breathtaking view, make this journey to Ooty really memorable. The Nilgiri Railway is a unique feat of Engineering in South.

Also visit Ooty Lake– It was built in 1825 and is about 2.5 km long. Visitors to this lake can go for boating on the lake or enjoy their favorite outdoor activity of fishing.

Botanical Garden– The picturesque gardens that are maintained by the Horticulture department of the state, cover an area of about 22 hectares. Overnight stay at hotel in Ooty.

Day 14| Ooty -  Mysore (125 Kms/ 3-4 hrs) |

Breakfast at hotel. Morning drive to Mysore. “Mysore”– The city of Mysore is known as the 'City Of Palaces'. There are number of buildings built by the Royal family and are exquisite examples of Dravidian architecture.

On arrival check-in at hotel. After wash & change at hotel start sightseeing tour of Mysore City.

Visit Royal Palace (Mysore Palace)– Also know as Amba Vilas Palace. It is the official residence of the Wodeyars the erstwhile royal family of Mysore. The Palace is a three-storied building built of grey granite and pink marble domes. The illuminated Mysore Palace against the dark black sky is one of the most spectacular and iconic images of Mysore.

Chamundi Hills– The hills average elevation is 1000 meters. The famous Chamundeswari temple is situated on the topof this hill. A panaromic view of the city can be seen from this hill.

Brindavan Gardens– The Brindavan Gardens are located adjoining the Krishnaraja sagara dam built across the river Kaveri. These gardens are primarily symmetrically laid out terrace gardens extending over 60 acres. The Brindavan Gardens are famous for the illuminated musical and dancing fountains that attracts a large number of visitors. Overnight stay at hotel in Mysore.

Day 15| Mysore -  Srirangapatnam - Bangalore (181 Kms/ 3-4 hrs) |

Breakfast at hotel. Morning drive to Bangalore. On the way visit Srirangapatnam. Further drive to Bangalore. On arrival check in at hotel. Overnight stay at hotel in Bangalore.

Day 16 | Bangalore /Departure  |

Breakfast at hotel and drop at Bangalore airport to board on flight for onward destination.

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