 |
Pilgrimage Tours In India
With all its diversity, India is probably the ultimate destination of all kinds of pilgrims following any faith around the world. The great religions like Hinduism, Buddhism, Jainism, Islam, Christianity and Sikhism are the integral part of Indian culture and heritage whose values and faiths stay together in harmony in this land of God.
Pilgrimage Tour Packages in India.
1. Chennai-Tirupathy-Mahabalipuram-Pondichery-Trichy-Madurai- Kanyakumari (11 Night/12 days)
2. Lucknow-Allahabad-Varanas-Bodhgaya-Patna (06 Nights / 07 Days)
(Chennai-Tirupathy-Mahabalipuram-Pondichery-Trichy-Madurai- Kanyakumari)
Day 01: Arrive Chennai.
On Arrival at Chennai Airport , you will be welcomed and transferred to preebooked hotel. Rest of the day at leisure or Own Activities ( Over Night at Hotel)
Day 02: Chennai Sightseeing
After relaxation take a sightseeing tour of Chennai city visiting ,Fort St George, which marks the beginning of (Chennai) Madras as an important center for trade. Within the fort is St Mary’s Church, the first English church in India and the oldest British building to survive. Our tour will also include the Little Mount where St Thomas is believed to have spent some time and Great Mount where he was martyred in 52 AD. We will spend sometime in the Mylapore Temple area visiting the 16th century Kapleeswarar Temple and the fruit and flower market. Of the museums perhaps the most unusual is the Development Center for Musical Instruments, which exhibits ancient and modern instruments, which you may touch and play. Some are curiously ornamental and some are modern experiments. Of special note are those reconstructed with the help of ancient literary texts and temple sculptures. In the evening you may opt to visit to the Marina Beach, the second longest beach in the world. Return to the hotel (overnight stay at Hotel)
Day 03: Arrive chennai & Drive to Tirupathy
On arrival at chennai you are met and drive to Tirupathy . Arrive Tirupathy and check into hotel ( Rest of the day at leisure )
The "holy hill" of Tirumala in the extreme south of Andhra Pradesh is one the most important pilgrimage centres in India, and is claimed to be the busiest in the world - eclipsing Jerusalem, Rome and Mecca in its sheer number of pilgrims. Tirumala is an engrossing place where you can spend the whole day just wandering around. It‘s one of the few temples in India which allows non-hindus into the sanctum .
Venkateshwara Temple - Pilgrims flock to Tirumala to visit the ancient temple of Venkateshwara, an avtar of Vishnu. This is the god whose pictures graces the reception areas of most lodges and restaurants in Southern India and garlanded in so many flowers that only his feet are visible. Among the powers attributed to Venkateshwara is the granting of any wish that is made in front of the idol at Tirumala; and so the millions come. There are never less than 5000 pilgrims here at any one time and, in single day, the total is often as high as 100,000. The temple staff alone number nearly 6000. Overnight at a hotel.
Day 04: Tirupathy to Chennai
After Brakfast drive to Chennai and check into hotel . Later half day city tour of chennai which includes visit of fort st. George, marina beach, parthasarathi temple, san thone cathedral (o/n at hotel)
Day 05: chennai – excursion to mahabalipuram & kanchipuram
After Breakfast take a Full day Excursion of Kanchipuram and Mahabalipuram Kanchipuram - known as the Golden City of a Thousand Temples, is one of the oldest towns in India. It is famous for both its temples, many of them remarkably well preserved and for its hand-woven silks. Kanchipuram is one of the seven sacred cities of India and it is the only one associated with both Shiva and Vishnu. Visit Ekambareshwar Temple, Kailashnath Temple, Kamakshi Temple, the Vaikunthaperumal Temple, all built in the 7th and 8th centuries. With a weaving tradition dating back to the Pallava era (when silk was the royal cloth), Kanchipuram is justly famous for its particularly fine silk saris, embellished with stunning patterns. Visit the local homes of the weavers and watch them create magic out of silk thread into saris.
Mahabalipuram - This is a small, quiet seaside resort with a unique 7th-century Shore Temple, a lovely beach and some of the most beautiful rock-cut temples in the world. Situated on the shore of the Bay of Bengal, Mahabalipuram was already a famous seaport in the 1st century AD. This town was a workshop for temple building. Visit the seven pagoda-style Shore temples, lashed by the waves of the sea and the seven rathas or temple chariots, a group of monolithic monuments & animal figures carved out of solid rock, the earliest known examples of Dravidian architecture. They were constructed in a single century-long burst of creative enthusiasm, starting in the reign of Narasimhavarman 1 (AD 630-68). End the visit by photography of the beautiful Shore temples at sunset. Overnight at hotel.
Day 06: Drive chennai to pondicherry
Breakfast at hotel thenater drive to pondcherry and check in to hotel. Later visit ashram (o/n at hotel)
Day 07: Drive pondicherry to trichi
Breakfast at hotel thenafter drive to trichi and check in to hotel. Later visit the rock fort and sri ranganatha temple on srirangam island (o/n at hotel)
Day 08: Drive Trichi to Madurai
Breakfast at hotel thenater drive to madurai and check in to hotel. Madurai - It‘s one of the most pleasant Indian cities, and has a charming situation on the River Vaigai, fringed by lush paddy fields and coconut groves.
Visit the Meenakshi temple one of the biggest temple complexes in India - 46 ft. long by 790 ft broad built in the 17th Century. It is a rectangular twin shrine - the southern temple dedicated to Meenakshi (the consort of Shiva) and the other to Shiva. It is Madurai‘s greatest landmark - a file city within a city. The complex includes a bazaar that bustles from dawn to nightfall. The high point of the Meenakshi temple is "Hall of a Thousand Pillars", built in the 16th C which is as great a work of structural engineering as it is of art. You will drive (walk is recommended ) through the fascinating bazaar that is bustling from dawn to nightfall. If time permits you may also visit the palace of Tirumala Nayak which is an example of the architectural mastery of the Nayaks - a blend of Hindu and Saracen architecture. It‘s enormous roofed arcade supported by 48 foot high stoned pillar still stands. (o/n at hotel)
Day 09: Madurai - Day Trip to Rameshwaram
Breakfast at hotel. Thenafter day trip to rameshwaram. Evening drive back to madurai and check in to hotel. (o/n at hotel)
Rameshwaram is an island situated in the gulf of manner at the very tip of the Indian peninsula. A very important pilgrim centre of the Indians. Rameshwaram is the place from where Lord Rama, built a bridge across the sea to rescue his consort Sita, from her abductor, Ravana. This is also the place where Rama worshipped Lord Shiva to cleanse away the sin of killing Ravana. Both the Vaishnavites and Shaivites visit this pilgrimage which is known as the Varanasi the south. Rameshwaram is significant for the Hindus as a pilgrimage to Benaras is incomplete without a Pilgrimage to Rameshwaram. The presiding deity is the Linga Of Sri Ranganatha, which happens to be one of the twelve Jyotirlingas of India. Rameshwaram is also popularly referred to as the ‘Benaras of the south‘. In order to attain Moksha it is believed that the visit to Rameshwaram is mandatory.
Day 10: drive madurai to kanyakumari
After breakfast at hotel drive to kanyakumari and check into hotel . Rest of the day at leisure ( Over Night at Hotel)
Day 11: Kanyakumari.
After Breakfast Sightseeing of Kanyakumari is at the southernmost tip of India and its where three seas meet: the Bay of Bengal, Indian Ocean and Arabian sea. Pilgrims come here to bathe in the sacred waters and to worship the goddess Devi Kanya, an incarnation of Shiva‘s wife, who conquered demons and secured freedom for the world. 400m off the coast, in a rocky island, stands a memorial dedicated to Swami Vivekananda, who meditated here in 1892 before setting out to America to spread a message of social justice. ( Over Night at hotel)
Day 12: Depart Kanyakumari
Breakfast at hotel . in time transfer to railway station or drop at Trivandrum airport for onward journey
Tour End
Lucknow-Allahabad-Varanas-Bodhgaya-Patna
06 Nights/ 07 Days
Day 01: Arrive Lucknow
On arrival at lucnow airport you will be met and transfer to hotel. Rest of the day at leisure or own activities ( Over Night at Hotel)
Day 02: Drive Lucknow to Allahabad via Ayodhya (250 kms/05 hrs)
After Breakfast drive to Allahabad entoute visit the major attractions of Ayodhya are the Ram Janmabhumi (birthplace of Lord Rama) where he spent most of his childhood, Lakshman Ghat, Kala Ram Temple, Kanak Bhavan Temple and several Jain shines. Later continue to drive to Allahabad. Upon arrival check in to hotel . Rest of the day at leisure. (Overnight at hotel)
Day 03: Allahabad sight seeing & drive to Varanasi (125 kms/02hrs)
After breakfast proceed to visit Sangam (Meeting point) of the three rivers - Ganga, Yamuna & Saraswati. Here the Maha Kumbh Mela is held every 12 years which is a major Hindu festival. After sight seeing drive to Varanasi. Upon arrival check in to hotel. Rest of the day at leisure. (Overnight at hotel).
Day 04 : Varanasi sight seeing
After breakfast proceed to visit the principal attraction of Varanasi is the long string of bathing Ghats which line the west bank of the Ganges. Ghats are the steps which lead down to the river from which pilgrims make their sin-cleansing dip in the holy river and on which bodies are cremated. You will take a boat ride on the Ganges at dawn and in the the afternoon you visit Sarnath. It was here that Gautama Buddha preached his first sermon 2,500 years ago. Evening Aarti performance at the bank of the River Ganges. ( Overnight at hotel)
Day 05 : Varanasi to Bodhgaya ( 240kms/ 4 ½ Hrs)
After breakfast drive to Bodhgaya and check into hotel. Later visit Mahabodhi Temple, Animesh Locan Chaiyata, Thai Temple, The Burmese Temple Mahabodhi Temple, Animesh Locan Chaiyata, Thai Temple, The Burmese Temple etc. (Overnight at hotel )
Day 06 : Bodhgaya - Nalanda- Bodhgaya ( 100 kms/2 Hrs)
After breakfast drive Nalanda for a day excursion tour. There are many historical places in Nalanda worth visiting are the ruins of Nalanda University, Huen Tsang Memorial Hall, Surya Mandir, Museum and Nav Nalanda Vihar. The Nalanda University is the prime attraction of the visitors and scholars from all over the globe. The university ruin is spread over 14 hectares of land. One can find some detailed accounts of Huen Tsang in the memorial hall built for him. Surya Mandir is a temple enshrined by the sun god. The statues of Buddhist and Hindu deities are distinct features of this temple. The big statue of Parvati standing five feet tall proves to be the main attraction of the visitors. Evening back to Boghgaya . (Overnight at hotel )
Day 07: Drive Gaya to Patna Drop (120 Kms/2 ½ Hrs) for Flight to Onward Journey
After breakfast at hotel drive to Patna airport for onward journey.
Tour Ends
