Rameshwaram is located on a beautiful island in the South Indian state of Tamil Nadu. It is separated by a small Pamban channel from Sri Lanka.
As per the Hindu epic Ramayana, Ram’s Vaanar Sena (army of monkeys) built a bridge of rocks to reach the kingdom of Lanka where Ravan held Ram’s wife Sita captive. Later, that bridge came to be known as Rama Setu or Adam’s Bridge.
Thanjavur (Tanjavur or Tanjore) is a temple site in the Tamil Nadu region of southern India. Thanjavur was the capital of the great Chola (Cola) king Rajaraja I, and it was he who commissioned the site’s magnificent temple, the Brihadishvara, in the early 11th century CE. Many other temples and shrines were added over the centuries making Thanjavur one of the most important and most visited historical sites in India today. Thanjavur is listed by UNESCO as a World Heritage Site.
Madhurai, situated on the banks of Vaigai river in Tamil Nadu, the city is known for its Meenakshi Sundareswarar Temple. Apart from being a pilgrim town, a popular tourist destination, a cultural hotspot and the erstwhile capital of the Pandyan dynasty Madurai is also known for its food, cuisine, architecture, shopping and endearing people.
Day 1: Arrival at Madurai- City tour
Today meet your tour leader at the airport and take your flight to Madurai.
Check in at the hotel and take some rest.
Later we will go for Madurai city tour.
Visit Meenakshi temple- It is a historic Hindu temple located on the southern bank of the Vaigai river in the temple city of Madhurai. It is dedicated to the goddess Meenakshi, a form of Parvati, and her consort, Sundareshwarar, a form of Shiva. The history of Meenakshi temple dates back to the 1st century C.E. with scholars claiming it to be as old as the city itself.
Overnight at hotel in Madurai.
Day 2: Drive to Chidambara Villas from Madurai
Today have your breakfast and check out from the hotel.
Chidambara Vilas: A Luxury Heritage Resort, proudly sings glories of its 110 year old existence. The construction was started in the year 1900 and took 7 years to complete. The wood was imported from Burma, lights and mirrors from Belgium, chandeliers from Daman and Diu and tiles from Italy.
Arrive at Chidambara Villas by noon- take some rest & enjoy this exquisite property.
Overnight stay in Chidambara Villas.
Day 3: At Chidambara Villas
Today we will have Chettinad breakfast at the interactive kitchen. Chidambara Villas provides a rare glimpse into the traditional Chettiar kitchen through the interactive kitchen concept where local chefs cook Chettinad food with locally sourced ingredients and traditional techniques. Visitors can interact with the chefs to learn about the origins of this world famous cuisine.
We will start our day by visiting the Clan Temples – Pilayarpatti, Vairavanpatti, Iranikovil, Soorakudi and visit Saree Weaving Centre – The Chettinad saree is a thick, coarse cotton capable of withstanding the roughest washes.
After lunch we will take you to experince how they make Athangudi tiles. Athangudi has become one of the most enterprising villages in Karaikudi where tile making has become the most distinctive local art. With over a hundred rooms, it is also known as the Athangudi glass palace in lieu of the rows of Belgian mirrors lining its central hall.
Later join the evening Puja and wander around the mansion where you will be given a guided tour of the 116 year old mansion and the history of the family that created it.
Overnight stay in Chidambara Villas.
Day 4: Day trip in Thanjavur
Visit Brihadeshwara temple: Exuding grandeur and richness, this ostentatious architectural marvel is an energy core captivating attention from any corner of the Thanjavur district, that is how grand the structure is.
It is a Dravidian-style temple located on the southern bank of the Kaveri river. The temple is dedicated to Lord Shiva and is also known as Thanjai Periya Kovil, Rajarajeswaram, and Dakshina Meru addressing various storylines by the locals. The temple was conceived between 1003 and 1010AD by Rajaraja I – the emperor of the Chola dynasty reflecting their culture and style. It is one of the largest Hindu temples and amongst the UNESCO World Heritage Sites referred to as Great living Chola temples.
Return back to Chidambara Villas.
Overnight stay in Chidambara Villas.
Day 5: Chidambara Villas to Rameshwaram
Today after a leisurely breakfast we will check out from Chidambara Villas and leave for Rameshwaram.
Rameshwaram is believed to be the place from where Lord Rama started his journey to get his wife Sita back from Ravana and the Lord was helped by ‘Vaanar-Sena’ army of legendary monkey-humans and served by Hanuman,Lord Ram’s paramount devotee.
We will visit The Rameshwaram Temple which is the main reason, the town is known to every other person following Hinduism, Lord Shiva and Lord Vishnu is said to be built by Sethupathis of Sethukavalan.
Dhanushkodi: is the last land or as it’s fondly called the “Land’s end” on the Pamban Island, the Island in South India that connects to the mainland Tamil Nadu via the famous Pamban Bridge.
Evening free for shopping.
Overnight stay in Rameshwaram.
Day 6: Departure from Madurai Airport
After breakfast check out and drive towards the airport to catch your flight. We guarantee that you will cherish these culturally rich memories of this trip for lifetime.
INCLUSIONS
- 5 Breakfasts ( 1 Interactive breakfast) 5 lunches
( Out of which 1 lunch will be experiential lunches) 5 Dinners - Transfers by AC coach
- All sightseeing mentioned in the itinerary
- Bottled water
- KareVoyage tour leader
- 5% Tax
EXCLUSIONS
- Airfares – if you want us to book your flights, we will do it for you without any service charge.
- Anything not mentioned in the itinerary
About Karevoyage
Karevoyage- for 50 plus wanderers- is an exclusive travel and tour company dedicated for travel enthusiasts, who prefer to travel the globe and explore but in a group environment.
The KareVoyage team understands the gap and works very hard on how to deliver on what we promise. Keeping all current gaps that people over 50 experience while
