South India: Classic Tour Of South India / Южная Индия: Классический Тур

City tour. Chennai (Madras) is the fourth largest city in India (6.5 million people) and the state capital. It was the first city founded by the British on the Coromandel coast 350 years ago. The city developed rapidly and today it is the most important industrial and commercial center, a large port with a rich history and a grandiose cultural heritage. The Kapaleeshwarar and Parthasarathy temples are located here, considered some of the best examples of Dravidian architecture. Madras is associated with the name of the Holy Apostle Thomas, who first brought Christianity to India. The saint spent four years in prayer and preaching, converting many locals to Christianity. He is buried near the temple

Breakfast, early flight to Madurai. Meeting at the airport, transfer, accommodation, excursion to the Meenakshi Temple.

Overnight in Madurai. Madurai is the second largest city in Tamil Nadu. The city is over 2500 years old. In the 17th century, when neighboring Indian states were destroyed under the onslaught of Muslims, Madurai became a stronghold of original Hindu culture. At this time, the famous Meenakshi Temple was built - an architectural marvel visited daily by a large number of people. The temple complex consists of dozens of chapels, sanctuaries, palaces and reservoirs, the walls are decorated with millions of statues and bas-reliefs

Breakfast. Departure to Trichy (about 1.5 hours), excursion, transfer to Thanjavur (1 hour), accommodation and

overnight in Thanjavur. Trichy (Tiruchirappalli) is the commercial center of Tamil Nadu. The main attraction is the Sri Ranganathaswamy Temple (Srirangam), one of the greatest temple complexes in India and the most revered temple of Vaishnavas. Srirangam is a huge complex with an area of 1.6 sq.km, which was built for many centuries by representatives of many dynasties

Breakfast. Excursion to the Brahadeeswarar Temple. Upon completion, transfer to Pondicherry, en route – visit to the Chidambaram temple. Upon arrival, accommodation and

overnight. Thanjavur is one of the ancient cities of South India, here is the Great Brahadeeswarar Temple, dedicated to Shiva and included in the UNESCO list. Chidambaram is the sacred temple city of the 'God of the cosmic dance', who, according to legend, Shiva performed here. The main shrine is the grandiose Nataraja temple, built in the era of the Cholas (IX century)

Breakfast, excursion in Pondicherry with a visit to the Sri Aurobindo Ashram. Departure to Mahabalipuram, en route – visit to Tiruvannamalai. Arrival in the evening,

overnight. Pondicherry is a charming coastal town, a former French territory, now having the status of a union territory. Here is the Sri Aurobindo Ashram. Tiruvannamalai is one of the most important pilgrimage centers of Tamil Nadu. According to legends, it is here that Shiva appeared in the form of a fiery pillar-lingam. The Arunachaleswarar Temple is the main shrine of the city

Breakfast. Relax on the beach. Optional (for an additional fee) — excursion to the Mahabalipuram temple complex. Mahabalipuram is the oldest port, the main port of the Pallava kingdom, an ancient temple city with rock and cave temples (VII – VIII centuries AD) and a popular beach resort with endless sandy beaches and clean sea. The Mahabalipuram temple complex was built in the 7th century. The ensemble included Hindu cave temples, eight temples - rathas (chariots), carved out of solid rock, a coastal Shiva temple and a rock relief 'The Descent of the Ganges'

Breakfast, departure to Chennai. En route, visit the sacred city of Kanchipuram. Arrival in Chennai in the afternoon. Accommodation and

overnight. Kanchipuram is the 'golden city of a thousand temples', which has many shrines of the three main Indian religions: Hinduism, Jainism and Buddhism. In the period from the VI to VIII centuries, the capital of the ancient Pallava kingdom was located here, it was the largest cultural and educational center of South India. Kanchipuram is one of the seven sacred cities of India

Breakfast. Rest. Check out from the hotel. After lunch, free time for shopping. Hotel this night – for an additional fee

Night transfer to the airport. Flight Home