KANCHIPURAM - CHIDAMBARAM - THANJAVUR - MADURAI - TRICHY (FROM CHENNAI)

At a distance of 1 km from Kanchipuram Bus Station and 2 km from Kanchi Railway Station, Kamakshi Amman Temple is an ancient Hindu temple located in the town of Kanchipuram. It s one of the popular temples in South India, and among the famous places to visit as part of Kanchipuram packages.

The Kamakshi Temple is dedicated to Kamakshi, who is believed to be an incarnation of Parvati, the Hindu goddess of love, fertility, and strength. It is one of the prominent pilgrimage sites near Chennai. It is one of the 51 Shakti Peethas, which are sacred shrines built around the falling body parts from the corpse of Goddess Sati from heaven. It is believed the naval part of her body fell at this site, thus making it a holy abode.

The Temple was most probably built by the Pallava kings, whose capital was Kanchipuram. .....

At a distance of 2 km from Kanchipuram Bus Station and 3 kms from Railway Station, Sri Ekambareswarar Temple is also known as 'Ekambaranathar Temple' (temple of Lord Shiva). The 'Pallavas' demolished the old structure and rebuilt the existing structure during 600 AD and 700 AD.

The total area of the whole temple is about 40 acres. The temple tower at the main entrance (Raja Gopuram) that you see here was constructed by the king Krishnadevaraya (Vijayanagar Dynasty). The height of this temple tower is 174 feet (about 57 m).

Until recently there was a mango tree in this temple, which was about 3500 years old. The tree has perished about 2 years ago due to its age. It is believed that Goddess Kamakshi Amman, whose temple is about 1/2 km away from here, worshipped Lord Shiva under this mango tree.

Timings: 6 AM - 12.30 PM & 4 PM - 8.30 PM.

At a distance of 3 km from Kanchipuram Bus Station and 4 km from Railway Station, the Kailasanathar temple (Shiva Temple) is an ancient Hindu temple situated in the sacred town of Kanchipuram in Tamil Nadu. Located on the banks of the Vedavathi River, it is one of the oldest Shiva temples in Tamilnadu, and among the must include places in Kanchi tour.

Dedicated to Lord Shiva, the Kailasanathar Temple holds great significance and value for the Hindu devotees and is visited by a large number of tourists all year round. It was built during the period from 685 AD to 705 AD by the Pallava king Rajasimha Pallava, and his son, Mahendra Varma Pallava. The architecture and sculpture of this temple resembles the temples found in Mamallapuram (Mahabalipuram) which were also constructed by Pallavas. This might be the only temple in .....

At a distance of 3 km from Kanchipuram Bus Station and 4 kms from Railway Station, Sri Varadaraja Perumal Temple is also known as Devarajaswami Temple. This temple is dedicated to Lord Vishnu.

The 100 ft high temple tower (gopuram) was built in 11th century AD and was renovated by the Vijyanagar Kings in the 16th century. This temple has a 100 pillar hall (mandapam) which is beautifully carved. There is a chain that is carved out of a single stone.

The temple owns a chariot (ther) which is parked on Gandhi road. The chariot is taken out for procession (chariot festival) around the city once in a year (during the month of May).

Timings: 6.30 AM - 12 noon & 3.30 PM - 8 PM

At a distance of 1 km from Kanchipuram Bus Station and 1 kms from Railway Station, Vaikuntha Perumal Temple, Kanchipuram is one of the most important temples dedicated to Lord Vishnu.

It was built by the Pallava king Nandivarman and was completed in the 7th century A.D. There are three different levels of the main shrine. There are a number of sculptures of Lord Vishnu which are quite massive in size depicting the Lord in sitting, standing and reclining postures.

One of the main attractions of this temple is the exceptional 1000-pillared hall. The unique characteristic about it is that each pillar has a statue carved on it. Lion pillars support the enclosed passages inside the temple. The architecture of the temple has played a vital role in the architectural evolution of the grand thousand pillared mandaps built in the later south Indian. There are several inscriptions in the temple related to the wars between Pallavas and Chalukyas.

Timings: 6 AM - 12.30 PM & 4 - .....

At a distance of 16 km from Chidambaram & 217 km from Chennai, Pichavaram is an exquisite coastal village near Chidambaram in the Cuddalore district of Tamil Nadu, India. It is one of the picturesque places to visit near Chennai and among the must include places in Chidambaram packages.

Located between the Vellar estuary and Coleroon estuary, Pichavaram is well-known for its mangrove forests spread over 1100 hectares area. The mangroves of Pichavaram are considered the second largest mangrove forests in the world. Apparently, the forest has more than 50 islands of various sizes and 4,400 big and small canals. The trees grow in water that's 3 to 10 feet deep in different places. The conditions are quite hostile, as the sea's tides bring saltwater in and out twice a day, changing the salinity. Hence, the trees have unique root systems, with membranes that only allow .....

At a distance of 2 km from Chidambaram Bus Station, Nataraja Temple is an ancient Hindu temple located in Chidambaram town in Tamil Nadu. It is one of the ancient temples in South India, and among the must include places in Chidambaram tour packages.

Also referred to as the Chidambaram Nataraja Temple or Thillai Nataraja Temple, the Nataraja Temple is dedicated to Nataraja - Shiva as the lord of the dance. It is one of the five Panchbootha Sthalas of Lord Shiva, and it denotes the Skies. The temple has mythical roots and a Shiva shrine existed at the site when the town was known as Thillai. Chidambaram, the name of the city and the temple literally means 'atmosphere of wisdom' or 'clothed in thought', the temple architecture symbolizes the connection between the arts and spirituality, creative activity, and the divine.

The temple was constructed during the 10th Century .....

At a distance of 2 km from Thanjavur Junction Railway Station & 5 km from New Bus Station, the Brihadeeswarar Temple is ancient Hindu temple located at Thanjavur, Tamilnadu. It is one of the famous heritage places to visit in Tamilnadu, and among the must include places in Thanjavur packages.

Also known as Peruvudaiyar Kovil or Periya Kovil, the Brihadeeswarar Temple is a brilliant example of the major heights achieved by Cholas in temple architecture. It was built in the year 1010 AD by the mighty Chola Emperor Raja Raja Chola I. It remains one of the greatest glories of Indian architecture and also one of the best places to visit in Thanjavur. The temple is part of the UNESCO World Heritage Site known as 'Great Living Chola Temples'.

Also .....

At a distance of 2 km from Thanjavur Railway Station, and 1.5 km from Brihadeeswarar Temple, Thanjavur Palace is a wonderful historical structure in the town of Thanjavur. It is one of the famous Thanjavur tourist places.

Also known as Maratha Palace or Nayak Palace, it was the official residence of the Maratha rulers from 1674 to 1855. It was constructed partly by Thanjavur Nayaks around 1550 CE and expanded by the Marathas. The palace is noted for its huge halls, spacious corridors, observation and arsenal towers, and a shady courtyard. This palace is a must-visit place for history buffs to understand the history and lifestyle of its rulers as part of Thanjavur tour.

The entrance to the palace is a large quadrangular courtyard which is encircled by walls with big gateways to the north and the east. The courtyard leads to a many-pillared hall. .....

At a distance of 2 km from Madurai Junction Railway Station, the historic Meenakshi Sundareswarar Temple also called Meenakshi Amman Temple, is a sacred Hindu temple located in Madurai. It is one of the biggest and most popular temples in India, and among the must-visit places as part of Madurai trip.

Dedicated to Goddess Parvati and Lord Siva, the temple is considered an architectural marvel. It was shortlisted as one of the top 30 nominees for New Seven Wonders of the World. It is one of the the prime places to visit in Madurai. The Madurai temple forms the heart and lifeline of Madurai city which is 2,500 years old.

The original temple was built by Kulasekara Pandya, but the initiative to rebuild the structure was taken by the first Nayak king of Madurai, Viswanatha Nayak (1559-1600) under the .....

At a distance of 1 km from Madurai Junction Railway Station & 1.5 km Meenakshi Temple, The Koodal Alagar Temple, also known as Arulmigu Koodalazhagar Thirukoil, is another important temple in Madurai and among prime sightseeing to be included in your Madurai Trip. Dedicated to Lord Vishnu, this temple is believed to be older than the Meenakshi temple. It is one of the important places to visit in Madurai.

A unique feature of this temple is the three different postures of the same God. The three figures of Vishnu are in standing, sitting and reclining postures. These three figures of the deity are known by three different names. The most venerated of the three figures is Lord Vishnu in the seated posture. The seated Lord Vishnu is locally known as Lord Koodal Alagar from whom the temple derives its name. The reclining idol is known as Sri Ranganatha. Sri .....

At a distance of 3 km from Madurai Junction Railway Station and 1 km from Meenakshi Temple, Thirumalai Nayak Mahal is an ancient palace situated in Madurai. It is one of the popular places of heritage in Tamilnadu, and among the major Madurai tourist places.

Thirumalai Nayak Mahal was constructed in the Indo-Saracen style by Thirumalai Nayak in the year 1636. After Independence, this palace was declared as a national monument and to date continues to be one of the spectacular monuments of Southern India. It is one of the must include places in Madurai packages. The original palace complex was four times bigger than the present structure. The palace was designed by an Italian architect.

The main palace is divided into two parts, Swargavilasa and Rangavilasa and only the Swargavilasa is survived today. .....

At a distance of 8 km from Madurai Junction Railway Station, Thiruparankundram Temple, also known as Tirupparamkunram Murugan Kovil is renowned for its 8th century rock cut cave temple dedicated to Lord Murugan (Subrahmanya). It is one of the major sacred places to visit in Madurai.

Tirupparankundram Temple is one of the six abodes of Murugan and considered as the first and foremost temple of Lord Muruga. Several myths and legends are associated with this temple and one of them says that it is at this place that the Lord Muruga defeated the demon Surapadman and got married to Deivayani, daughter of the king of heaven, Indra and worshipped Lord Shiva.

The main shrine is an early rock cut temple which has cells that house the sanctums of Subramanya, Durga, Vinayakar, Shiva and Vishnu. There are several mandapas in this temple known as Kambathadi Mandapam, Ardha Mandapam, and Mahamandapam situated at different levels connected by steps. There are several architectural features .....

At a distance of 2.5 km from Srirangam Temple and 11 km from Trichy Railway Junction, Sri Thiruvanaikoil or Thiruvanaikaval, is famous for Jambukeswarar Temple dedicated to Lord Shiva. The temple was built by Kochengon, one of the Early Cholas around 1800 years ago on Srirangam Island.

Thiruvanaikoil Temple is one of the five major Shiva Temples known as Panchabhoota Sthala representing element of water. The sanctum has Shiva Lingam in the form of Appu lingam (water lingam). The sanctum of Lord Jambukeshwara has an underground water stream and one can see water coming out of that stream all the time. The presiding goddess is Devi Akilandeswari Amman.

According to legend, Parvathi performed penance in the form of Akilandeswari in the Jambu forest. She made the lingam out of the water of river Kaveri, installed it under the Venn Naaval tree evolved out of Saint Jambu and commenced her worship. Lord Siva at last gave darshan to Devi Akhilandeswari and taught her Siva Gnana.

According .....

At a distance of 1 km from Srirangam Railway Station, 9 km from Trichy Railway Junction, 62 km from Thanjavur, 145 km from Madurai & 327 km from Chennai, Sri Ranganathaswamy Temple is a prominent Hindu temple situated at Srirangam near Trichy. It is one of the famous temples in South India, and among the most visited places in Tamilnadu.

Constructed in the Dravidian style of architecture, Sri Ranganathaswamy Temple is the foremost of the eight self-manifested shrines of Lord Vishnu, and among the important places of pilgrimage in Tamilnadu. Built across an area of 156 acres, this temple is dedicated to Ranganatha, a reclining form of Hindu deity, Lord Vishnu. This temple lies on an island formed by the twin Rivers Cauvery and Kollidam. Though the temple existing since the 2nd century BC, the archaeological inscriptions are available only .....

At a distance of 5 km from Trichy Railway Junction, the Rock Fort is a historic fort and temple complex situated in Trichy. It is one of the important places to visit as part of Trichy packages.

Perched on a large rock with a height of 85 meters, the temple was initially built by the Pallavas but the Nayaks made use of its naturally fortified position and designed it as a fort. There are 344 steps carved out of rock lead to the top. The fort complex has witnessed fierce battles between Madurai Nayakas and Bijapur, Carnatic, and Maratha forces. The fort played an important part during the Carnatic wars, helping lay the foundations of the British Empire in India. The Rockfort is the most prominent landmark of the city.

There are three Hindu temples inside the Rockfort, the Ucchi Pillaiyar Temple, Thayumanavar Temple, and the Manikka Vinayakar Temple. The Manikka Vinayakar Temple is located at the foot of the hill, dedicated .....