Grand Tour of Karnataka & Tamil Nadu

Upon arrival, your Curry Compass guide will be happy to welcome you and help you check-in at your hotel where you can refresh and rest. A summary of your stay will be presented to you. Depending on your arrival time you can go for a walk and have a first contact with the city. Chennai is commonly known as “Gateway to the South”, the culture of South India is indeed very different from that of the North. Visit Kapaleeshwara temple, Triplicane and Sri Parthasarathy temple. And also visit St. Thomas Cathedral, Fort St. George, Museums. Night in Chennai.

Enjoy your breakfast before heading to Kanchipuram. Kanchipuram was the historic capital of the Pallavas. Kanchipuram is also known for the quality of its locally made silk saris. Visit Sri Kamakshi Amman Temple, Ekambareshwara Temple, Kailasanatha Temple, and Vaigundha Perumal Temples. Enjoy a delicious meal, typical of South India, at a local restaurant before discovering a silk weaving workshop. After discovering the sacred city of Kanchipuram, you will be driven to Mamallapuram to spend the night.

This morning, discover one of the most beautiful sites in South India. Mahabalipuram is known for its seven pagodas. Visit the Ganges Descent, Krishna’s Butter Ball, the cave temples, the five Rathas and the famous seashore temple. After discovering this rich cultural heritage, enjoy your afternoon by the beach. Overnight in Mamallapuram.

After breakfast, departure for Pondicherry, a former French colony. In the afternoon, visit the famous temple of Sri Manakula Vinayagar, the Aurobindo Ashram and short visit of Auroville to see the temple of peace – Matrimandir. After browsing these must-see places, return to the hotel.Overnight in Pondicherry.

After breakfast, depart for Thanjavur with a visit to Chidambaram – the famous temple of Shiva. We will continue to the temple of Dharasuram before reaching Thanjavur where you will spend the night.

Visit of the great temple of Brihadisvara dedicated to the god Shiva and his great bull, the museum of Thanjavur, art gallery and his palace. Night in Thanjavur.

After your breakfast you will be driven to Trichy. Trichy is one of the main cities witnessing clashes between French and English in the colonial era. The house of Lord Robert Clives still exists as well as the Danish church. The Rock Fort Temple is a landmark in the city. A climb of 434 steps leads to the ancient Ganesh Temple with a stop at Shiva Temple. After lunch, visit Amma Mandapam, Srirangam, Sri Ranganatha Swami Temple, Rock Fort, Ganesh Temple. Then drive to Karaikudi where you will spend the night.

Karaikudi is known as the capital of the Chettinad region. The well-established streets and palaces of the rich merchants of the nineteenth century, the chettiars are of unparalleled beauty. Adorned with columns and colored paintings these buildings inspired by the British style, neo-baroque or art deco are registered in the inventory of UNESCO. Night in one of the beautiful charming mansions of Karaikudi.

You will be driven to Madurai, the city-temple where you can visit the incredible Meenakshi Amman temple, one of the masterpieces of Dravidian architecture and one of the most important active temples of India.

It is dedicated to the “wife” of the god Shiva. Its eleven huge colorful Gopuram overlook the surrounding countryside. Later, visit the Thirumalai Naik Palace – an Indo-Muslim style building famous for its domes and stucco arches. Visit the temple of Tiruparankundram , visit the Gandhi Museum. At the end of the day you can attend a puja (ritual ceremony). Night in Madurai.

After your breakfast drive in Madurai board your flight to Bengaluru. Check in at hotel.. Depending on your arrival time you can take a walk in the city. Night in Bangalore.

Today you will visit the Bull Temple, Doddaganapath Temple, Lal Bagh Botanical Garden, Vidhan Soudha and the Supreme Court. In the evening, you will have the opportunity to stroll in Commercial Street, MG Road. Night in Bangalore.

Depart to Mysore in the morning with a stop in the city of Srirangapatnam where you can see the spectacular island-fortress, the headquarters of Hyder Ali and his son Tippu Sultan. Other important sites are worth visiting like Daria Doulata, the summer palace of Tippu Sultan and Gumbuz, its mausoleum.

Mysore is 15km away and upon arrival you will be driven to the hotel. After lunch, you will discover the huge palace of Maharaja with its exceptional treasures and ivory doors. It is decorated with stained glass windows, mirrors, pillars and presents a rich collection of objects, paintings and jewels. Also visit the Church of St. Philomena, a magnificent building reminiscent of medieval architecture with stained glass windows and high steeples. A walk to Chamundi Hills to discover the huge statue of the Nandi bull and the Chamundeshwari temple. explore the market Devraja Urs, colorful shopping street and famous perfume shops. Night in Mysore.

Today visit of Keshava temple one of the most beautiful illustrations of Hoysala architecture. The base of the temple is decorated by 6 carved bands representing elephants, horses, flowers, scenes of daily life, lions and geese. Other sculptures include members of the royal family mounted on richly decorated floats, mounted soldiers and commoners, camel-driven vehicles, dancers, musicians and hunters armed with bows and arrows accompanied by their dogs. The walls are covered with beautiful bas-reliefs depicting scenes from Ramayana and Mahabharata, the two great texts of India. Night in Mysore.

Morning departure for Hassan with a stop at Shravanabelagola to see the monolithic statue of Gomatheeswara located in the hills of Vindyagiri. This 17 meter high statue is considered the largest monolithic stone statue in the world. The base of the statue has the oldest written trace in Marathi dating from 981 AD. Every twelve years, thousands of devotees gather here to perform the Mahamastakabhisheka, a spectacular ceremony in which the statue is covered with milk, cream, ghee, saffron and gold coins. Night in Hassan

BELUR : the temple of Channakeshava. Built in 1116 this building commemorates the Hoysala’s victory over the Cholas. The sculptures representing dancers adorning the upper parts of the temple are particularly delicate.

HALEBID : The Hoysaleswara complex is a collection of two twelfth-century temples that are breathtakingly rich in sculptural detail. The walls are covered with an infinite variety of representations of Hindu mythology, animals, birds and dancing figures. Yet, there are not two identical sculptures. These magnificent temples guarded by two Nandi bulls have never been completed, despite 80 years of work. The nearby Jain Basadi are also rich in sculptural details. This site is inscribed on the UNESCO World Heritage Inventory. Then, walk in the small town of Hassan. Take the time to observe the life of the local population. Night in Hassan.

For this day, it is necessary to plan a long journey of more than 300 km. On your arrival, rest and night in Hampi.

Most of the ruins are along the road from Kamalapura to Hampi. At 300 meters on an imposing site rises the temple of Malyavanta Raghunathaswamy. It is built in the Dravidian style. Strange fish and sea monsters are carved along its outer walls.

The Hampi Bazaar, 32 meters wide and nearly 730 meters long, was known for being an opulent shopping street lined with beautiful houses.

The Virupaksha Temple rises majestically at the western end of the famous Hampi Bazaar. The temple has at its entrance East a Gopuram 36 meters high. It contains the shrines of Shiva, Pampa and Bhuvaneswari. Parts of this temple predate the reign of the Vijayanagar. Nearby is the monolithic statue 6.7 meters high Ugra Narasimha the lion-headed god. Night in Hampi.

Continue exploring Hampi. Vithala Temple Complex: This is undoubtedly the most splendid monument of Hampi with its 56 pillars.

Lotus Mahal : This two-storey structure has graceful arches whose upper part is shaped like a lotus flower. It was the queen’s summer palace.

Stables of Elephants : This huge stable, a fine example of Hindu-Muslim architecture, housed about 11 elephants in separate lodges.

Ganesha : This is a monolithic stone statue 3 meters high which is also known as Sasivikalu Ganesha.

Dasara Dibba or the Mahanavami Dibba is a beautiful stone platform located in the royal enclosure of Hampi. It was built during the Vijayanagara period by King Krishnadevaraya to commemorate his victory over Udaygiri. It was here that the King of Vijayanagar used to celebrate the Dasara (Dussehra) holiday.

Noblemen’s Palace : This newly discovered place is now open to the public. It is attributed the function of palace reserved for aristocrats and high officials. Night in Hampi.

Departure for Badami in the morning then, after lunch, visit of the city. Badami is best known for its cave temples which allow to appreciate the diversity of religious sanctuaries present in India. Two of his caves are dedicated to Vishnu, one to Shiva and the fourth is a Jain temple. There is also a natural cave which is a Buddhist temple. Among the other monuments, the most beautiful are the two temples on the lake known as “Bhutanatha temples”.

The archaeological museum is worth visiting. It houses beautiful sculptures that will complete your vision of the Site. Night in Badami

AIHOLE : Located 43 km from Badami, this village was the regional capital Chalukyan between the fourth and sixth centuries. Here you can see the evolution of the architecture of Hindu temples: from the first Ladkhan temple to later and more complex structures like the temples of Kunligudi and Gurgigudi. The Durgigudi is unique in India, circular in shape and surmounted by a primitive Gopuram. There are more than 70 monuments in and around the village.

PATTADAKAL: Located 16 km from Badami, Pattadakal is not only the second capital Chalukyan but also the city where all the great coronations took place. It reaches the peak of its glory between when the majority of the temples were built.

The most interesting monument is the Virupaksha or Lokeshwara temple. It is a huge structure on which epic Hindu episodes and the beginnings of Chalukyan life are engraved. The other temple, Mallikarjuna, includes sculptures depicting the life of the god Krishna and episodes of the Bhagvad Gita.

MAHAKUTA : It is an important place of worship for Hindus with its famous Shiva temple monastery. The temples date from a period between the Life and the seventh century and were built by the first kings of the Chalukya dynasty of Badami. The date of construction of the temples is estimated according to their architectural style similar to that of the temples of Aihole. Night in Badami.

For this day, we must plan a long trip to Goa, passing through Karwar. On your arrival, rest, beach and night in Goa.

CALANGUTE : A lovely little beach. Former Goa Samadhi Prime Minister Dayananda Bandodkar rests there. She is on the road to Dona Paula and only 3 km from Panjim, the capital of Goa.This beach in Goa is known as “Gasper Dias”.

DONA PAULA : From its highest point you can see the Zuari river flowing into the Arabian Sea. Isolated bay, the beach of Dona Paula is one of the most sought after beaches of Goa. The water sports facilities are the main attraction of this place. Once a quiet village, Dona Paula has become one of the most popular places in Goa. Named in memory of the daughter of one of the viceroys of India, Dona Paula de Menzes, who threw herself off the cliff because she had been forbidden to marry a local fisherman. This beach is haunted by mysticism and pays tribute to beauty. Overnight in Goa.

Continue exploring Goa

BOM JESUS OF BASILICA This is where the remains of the body of St. Francis Xaviers are. The Basilica of Bom Jesus is a UNESCO World Heritage Site and one of the most beautiful baroque churches in Goa. The name of Jesus is symbolically represented by the letters “IHS” and is everywhere in the basilica.

CATHEDRAL : One of the oldest and most famous religious buildings in Goa. This magnificent 16th century monument is the largest church in Asia. It was built under the Portuguese colonial empire of Catholic confession.

MANGUESHI TEMPLE : Dedicated to the god Shiva, it was built in the 17th century

SHANTADURGA TEMPLE : One of the richest temples dedicated to Shantadurga the goddess of peace, it is also known for its golden palanquins. Take the time to enjoy the beaches at the end of the day. Overnight in Goa.

It’s time to pack your bags and leave with unforgettable memories of India. You will be accompanied to the airport.