| Tamilnadu
– Land of Temples Cities |
| Click
here for booking |
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| Stepping of a flight
from Delhi / Mumbai in Chennai, you enter a world far
removed from the muted hues of the great Indian River
plains. The great Tamil temples are the largest landmarks
of the vast network of sacred sites-shrines, bathing places,
holy trees, rocks and rivers-interconnected by a web of
ancient pilgrims routes |
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| Chennai
The main attractions of the city are Fort St. George,
Government Museum, Kapaleeshwar Temple and the Marina
Beach. |
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| Mahabalipuram
The best place to start a temple tour is Mahabalipuram,
a seaside village which boasts a long stretch of white
sand beach. The famous Arjuna’s Penance and Krishna
Mandapa adorn massive rocks near the center of the village,
while the beautiful Shore Temple presides over the beachfront.
This town is also the place where many new sculptures
have been found during the Tsunami. |
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| Kanchipuram
The pilgrimage town of Kanchipuram is filled with reminders
of an illustrious past under successive dynastic rulers.
The place is famous for its temples and silk saris. Two
most famous temples are Ekambareshwara temple and Kailashnath
Temple dedicated to Lord Shiva. |
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| Pondicherry
Further down the coast is one of India’s rare French
colonial possessions, Pondicherry, famous for the Aurobindo
Ashram, one of the best known and wealthiest ashrams in
India founded in 1926 by the Bengali Philosopher-guru
Aurobindo Ghose. The Matri Mandir or “Dwelling place
of the Mother” is a gigantic hi tech meditation
center. |
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| Thanjavur
The Chola capital for four centuries boasts almost a hundred
temples and was the birthplace of Bharatnatyam dance and
the famous Tanjore paintings. |
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| Tiruchirapalli
More commonly referred to as Trichy, dominated by the
dramatic Rock Fort, it is a sprawling commercial center
with a modern feel. The town holds attraction for its
spectacular Ranganathaswamy temple dedicated to Lord Vishnu. |
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| Madurai
One of the oldest cities in south Asia, Madurai on the
banks of the River Vaigai, has been an important center
of worship and commerce. Enclosed by a roughly rectangular
six metre high wall, in the manner of a fortified palace,
Sri Meenakshi Temple is one of the largest temple complexes
in India. |
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| Rameshwaram,
on the long strip of land reaching towards Srilanka and
Kanyakumari at India’s southern tip is an important
pilgrimage centers with the added attraction of welcome
cool breezes and vistas over the sea. |
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| Best
season October – March |
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