puducherry
Pondicherry tours highlight the trip to the serene beaches in and around Pondicherry. The town is also home to a lot of heritage buildings and monuments.
Having been the capital of French colonies in India, the town is drenched with the French culture. This makes it more attractive and Pondicherry packages are incomplete without the French heritage destinations.
Pondicherry attractions include a visit to the various beaches, the other attractions of the Pondicherry tour packages are The Ashram, the Arikamedu site, the fairs and festivals, monuments, the churches, temples and mosques. Pondicherry is also considered as the centre for Yoga and Meditation in South India. Pondicherry package tours can also include Yoga courses to suit the various tourists and makes it very attractive. The Department of Tourism of Pondicherry organizes the annual French Food festival also called the Gourmet which is another attraction for the tourists. The Botanical Gardens of Pondicherry is extremely famous and is home to a lot of unusual specimens of plants. Welcome to this diversity of Pondicherry and have a memorable holiday that you would cherish for your life.
The most famous getaway from Chennai is Pondicherry which is at distance of less than three hours from this metro. It’s a great idea to just get away for Pondicherry holidays any time of the year as here you could find some of the most unique and exotic of tourist destinations that you could think of. Pondicherry vacations are truly delightful as you could visit such exotic destinations like the Ashram, The Auroville, the various French Heritage sites, innumerable art galleries, the Botanical Garden and not to miss –the beaches. There are several prominent beaches in A Pondicherry which you could explore during your Pondicherry holidays. These include the Serenity Beach, the Promenade Beach , Paradiso Beach, The Chunnamber beach and resort and the Auroville Beach to name a few.
Being an erstwhile French colony, the kind of religious sites Puducherry houses is quite impressive. Amazingly, this Indian Union Territory is more famous for the Aurobindo Ashram. It is located north on Rue de la Marine and is one of the wealthiest ashrams in India. It was founded in 1926 by the Bengali philosopher-guru, Aurobindo Ghose and his principal disciple, Mira Alfassa, more popularly known as the Mother. The Samadhi of Sri Aurobindo and The Mother is covered daily with flowers and usually surrounded by supplicating devotees with their hands and heads placed on the tomb. The Auroville Township is a place which is frequented by numerous pilgrims seeking spiritual solace. The Matrimandir in the middle of the town is the most visited place by the pilgrims. The architecture of the Matrimandir is also quite stunning. In the southwest part of the town, near the railway station, one can hardly miss the huge cream-and-brown Sacred Heart of Jesus, one of Puducherry`s finest Catholic churches, built by French missionaries in the 1700s. There are several temples in Puducherry as well. These include the Manakula Vinayagar temple, Varadaraja Perumal Temple, Kanniga Parameswari Temple, Kamatchiamman Temple and others. The Manakula Vinayagar temple is three hundred years old and attracts a lot of devotees from all over the map of India. The Varadaraja Perumal Temple, dedicated to Lord Vishnu is a sacred religious site and is visited by thousands of disciples everyday. The Thirunallar temple of Lord Shiva is visited by thousands of devotees who assemble here for a ten-day annual festival, held during the months of May - June along with the appearance of the full moon.
Nature Tourism in Puducherry
The picturesque setting of the Botanical Gardens is bound to cast a magical spell on the visitors. The shady Botanical Gardens were established in the year 1826. The department of tourism in Puducherry has put in a lot of effort in maintaining the garden. The Botanical Garden is home to many rare and beautiful trees and plants. Each and every tree or plants are labeled with scientific, common and Tamil names. The approach to the Botanical gardens, which is in the heart of the city, is evocative of the French Architecture. The French planted 900 species here, experimenting co see how they would do in Indian conditions. One tree, the khaya senegalensis, has grown to a height of 25 meters. This place is bliss for nature lovers and is the best place to experience a lot of peace and calm. The Botanical Gardens in Puducherry have also been endowed with a musical fountain. Colourful musical fountain shows are performed on weekends and holidays. It provides for a wonderful sensory experience. The travelers will also find an extraordinary fossilised tree, found about twenty five kilometers away in Tiravakarai. This is an inseparable part of Pondicherry tourism. Puducherry was a former French colony and so it retains the essence of French flavour. The Government Park in this spectacular Indian Union territory is an exceptionally well planned and well maintained place adorned with some of the most superb parks and gardens a tourist will ever come across. The park, also known as the Bharati Park, with lush green lawn and beautiful flowers serves a typical instance of an eye-catching and aesthetic entertainment park which is frequently visited by nature travelers and tourists who are bewitched by its fascinating tranquility.
Leisure Tourism in Puducherry
The beaches in Puducherry are its major attraction for the leisure tourists. The Bay of Bengal kisses the shores of this Indian Union Territory. However the beaches are different from the rest of India. Here the ocean is no more calm and quiet. Rather the waves are wild and the gurgling sound of the waves of the can be heard from a distance. As the surf hits the rocks on the shore the droplets are scattered around and the air becomes misty, making the Promenade Beach one of the most well known tourist spots in Puducherry. The Karaikal beach is a wonderful place where the sunrise-watchers can catch their magnificent view over the bay. The Puducherry Museum is situated on Ranga Pillai Street, opposite the Government Place. The archeological collection includes Neolithic and 2000 year old remains from Arikamedu, a few Pallava and Buddhist stone sculptures, bronzes, weapons, paintings, an assembly of French salon furniture and bric-a-brac from local houses, including a velvet S-shaped conversation seat. There are a number of monuments and historical buildings in Puducherry. The Raj Niwas was the official residence of the French Governor Dupleix. The building is a harmonious fusion of both French and Indian style of architecture. The French Institute of Indology is a classical building has a very well decorated entrance gate with pediment, arched staircases, arcades and windows and is a must see place for the tourists. The house of Ananda Rangapillai was set up in the 18th century and is now one of the must visited historical site of Puducherry. This abundantly furnished house offer an enthralling glimpse into a bygone era.
Visiting information on Puducherry
How to Reach Puducherry
Puducherry is located in the Southern coast of India. Over the years it has developed as a tourist destination. To make it accessible to the tourist all over the world, the means of communication in Puducherry have been developed accordingly.
Air: Chennai International Airport is the nearest airport. It is at a distance of around one hundred and thirty five kilometers from Puducherry. It will take 2.5 hours to reach the erstwhile French settlement from Chennai.
Rail: Rail lines to and from Puducherry are not very popular. However railway services do exist here and the closest railway station is Villupuram. More or less it is well connected to cities like Chennai, Madurai and Trichy.
Road: This Union Territory is accessible by other Indian states, such as, Tamil Nadu, Karnataka, Kerala and Andhra Pradesh by road. Both buses and taxis are available for the journey.
The main shops in Puducherry are located in Anna Salai, Cathedral Street, Mahatma Gandhi Street, Nehru Street, and Romain Rolland Street. The tourists will come across a host of things to buy from these shops. Leather products, handicraft items, ceramic tableware, aromatics and antique furniture are among the popular buys of Puducherry.
The best season to visit Puducherry is from September to February. Local transportations are available for touring the city. The roads here are quite well maintained too. Puducherry`s basic lodges are concentrated around the main market area, Ranga Pillai Street and Rue Nehru. Guesthouses in Puducherry belonging to the Sri Aurobhido Ashram offer its tourists fantastic value for money.
One of South India's great temple towns, Madurai is synonymous with the celebrated Meenakshi Temple. Situated on the banks of river Vaigai, Madurai has a rich cultural heritage passed on from the great Tamil era more than 2500 years old. Madurai was an important cultural and commercial centre even as early as 550 AD. It was the capital city for the great Pandya kings.
The Pandyan King Kulasekarar built a great temple and created a lotus shaped city around the temple. On the day the city was to be named, as Lord shiva blessed the land and its people, divine nectar (Madhu) was showered on the city from his matted locks. This city was henceforth known as Madhurapuri. Madurai is famous for Jasmine Flowers.
Pondicherry
About Pondicherry
Take a break from the hustle and bustle of modern life and get engrossed in the calmness and serenity of the beaches of Pondicherry. The Pondicherry tour packages take you to a spiritualistic mood when you visit the world famous Aurbindo Ashram and Auroville and you can be blessed with a lot of peace and goodness. And if you are looking for some lively activity and fun, what better way than attending the various fairs and festivals that are organized frequently. And if you still haven’t had enough, you could go shopping in this shopper’s paradise. This is Pondicherry for you. Pondicherry tourism is so dynamic that it has something to offer for everyone.Pondicherry tours highlight the trip to the serene beaches in and around Pondicherry. The town is also home to a lot of heritage buildings and monuments.
Having been the capital of French colonies in India, the town is drenched with the French culture. This makes it more attractive and Pondicherry packages are incomplete without the French heritage destinations.
Pondicherry attractions include a visit to the various beaches, the other attractions of the Pondicherry tour packages are The Ashram, the Arikamedu site, the fairs and festivals, monuments, the churches, temples and mosques. Pondicherry is also considered as the centre for Yoga and Meditation in South India. Pondicherry package tours can also include Yoga courses to suit the various tourists and makes it very attractive. The Department of Tourism of Pondicherry organizes the annual French Food festival also called the Gourmet which is another attraction for the tourists. The Botanical Gardens of Pondicherry is extremely famous and is home to a lot of unusual specimens of plants. Welcome to this diversity of Pondicherry and have a memorable holiday that you would cherish for your life.
The most famous getaway from Chennai is Pondicherry which is at distance of less than three hours from this metro. It’s a great idea to just get away for Pondicherry holidays any time of the year as here you could find some of the most unique and exotic of tourist destinations that you could think of. Pondicherry vacations are truly delightful as you could visit such exotic destinations like the Ashram, The Auroville, the various French Heritage sites, innumerable art galleries, the Botanical Garden and not to miss –the beaches. There are several prominent beaches in A Pondicherry which you could explore during your Pondicherry holidays. These include the Serenity Beach, the Promenade Beach , Paradiso Beach, The Chunnamber beach and resort and the Auroville Beach to name a few.
Pilgrimage Tourism in Puducherry
Being an erstwhile French colony, the kind of religious sites Puducherry houses is quite impressive. Amazingly, this Indian Union Territory is more famous for the Aurobindo Ashram. It is located north on Rue de la Marine and is one of the wealthiest ashrams in India. It was founded in 1926 by the Bengali philosopher-guru, Aurobindo Ghose and his principal disciple, Mira Alfassa, more popularly known as the Mother. The Samadhi of Sri Aurobindo and The Mother is covered daily with flowers and usually surrounded by supplicating devotees with their hands and heads placed on the tomb. The Auroville Township is a place which is frequented by numerous pilgrims seeking spiritual solace. The Matrimandir in the middle of the town is the most visited place by the pilgrims. The architecture of the Matrimandir is also quite stunning. In the southwest part of the town, near the railway station, one can hardly miss the huge cream-and-brown Sacred Heart of Jesus, one of Puducherry`s finest Catholic churches, built by French missionaries in the 1700s. There are several temples in Puducherry as well. These include the Manakula Vinayagar temple, Varadaraja Perumal Temple, Kanniga Parameswari Temple, Kamatchiamman Temple and others. The Manakula Vinayagar temple is three hundred years old and attracts a lot of devotees from all over the map of India. The Varadaraja Perumal Temple, dedicated to Lord Vishnu is a sacred religious site and is visited by thousands of disciples everyday. The Thirunallar temple of Lord Shiva is visited by thousands of devotees who assemble here for a ten-day annual festival, held during the months of May - June along with the appearance of the full moon.
Nature Tourism in Puducherry
The picturesque setting of the Botanical Gardens is bound to cast a magical spell on the visitors. The shady Botanical Gardens were established in the year 1826. The department of tourism in Puducherry has put in a lot of effort in maintaining the garden. The Botanical Garden is home to many rare and beautiful trees and plants. Each and every tree or plants are labeled with scientific, common and Tamil names. The approach to the Botanical gardens, which is in the heart of the city, is evocative of the French Architecture. The French planted 900 species here, experimenting co see how they would do in Indian conditions. One tree, the khaya senegalensis, has grown to a height of 25 meters. This place is bliss for nature lovers and is the best place to experience a lot of peace and calm. The Botanical Gardens in Puducherry have also been endowed with a musical fountain. Colourful musical fountain shows are performed on weekends and holidays. It provides for a wonderful sensory experience. The travelers will also find an extraordinary fossilised tree, found about twenty five kilometers away in Tiravakarai. This is an inseparable part of Pondicherry tourism. Puducherry was a former French colony and so it retains the essence of French flavour. The Government Park in this spectacular Indian Union territory is an exceptionally well planned and well maintained place adorned with some of the most superb parks and gardens a tourist will ever come across. The park, also known as the Bharati Park, with lush green lawn and beautiful flowers serves a typical instance of an eye-catching and aesthetic entertainment park which is frequently visited by nature travelers and tourists who are bewitched by its fascinating tranquility.
Leisure Tourism in Puducherry
The beaches in Puducherry are its major attraction for the leisure tourists. The Bay of Bengal kisses the shores of this Indian Union Territory. However the beaches are different from the rest of India. Here the ocean is no more calm and quiet. Rather the waves are wild and the gurgling sound of the waves of the can be heard from a distance. As the surf hits the rocks on the shore the droplets are scattered around and the air becomes misty, making the Promenade Beach one of the most well known tourist spots in Puducherry. The Karaikal beach is a wonderful place where the sunrise-watchers can catch their magnificent view over the bay. The Puducherry Museum is situated on Ranga Pillai Street, opposite the Government Place. The archeological collection includes Neolithic and 2000 year old remains from Arikamedu, a few Pallava and Buddhist stone sculptures, bronzes, weapons, paintings, an assembly of French salon furniture and bric-a-brac from local houses, including a velvet S-shaped conversation seat. There are a number of monuments and historical buildings in Puducherry. The Raj Niwas was the official residence of the French Governor Dupleix. The building is a harmonious fusion of both French and Indian style of architecture. The French Institute of Indology is a classical building has a very well decorated entrance gate with pediment, arched staircases, arcades and windows and is a must see place for the tourists. The house of Ananda Rangapillai was set up in the 18th century and is now one of the must visited historical site of Puducherry. This abundantly furnished house offer an enthralling glimpse into a bygone era.
Visiting information on Puducherry
How to Reach Puducherry
Puducherry is located in the Southern coast of India. Over the years it has developed as a tourist destination. To make it accessible to the tourist all over the world, the means of communication in Puducherry have been developed accordingly.
Air: Chennai International Airport is the nearest airport. It is at a distance of around one hundred and thirty five kilometers from Puducherry. It will take 2.5 hours to reach the erstwhile French settlement from Chennai.
Rail: Rail lines to and from Puducherry are not very popular. However railway services do exist here and the closest railway station is Villupuram. More or less it is well connected to cities like Chennai, Madurai and Trichy.
Road: This Union Territory is accessible by other Indian states, such as, Tamil Nadu, Karnataka, Kerala and Andhra Pradesh by road. Both buses and taxis are available for the journey.
The main shops in Puducherry are located in Anna Salai, Cathedral Street, Mahatma Gandhi Street, Nehru Street, and Romain Rolland Street. The tourists will come across a host of things to buy from these shops. Leather products, handicraft items, ceramic tableware, aromatics and antique furniture are among the popular buys of Puducherry.
The best season to visit Puducherry is from September to February. Local transportations are available for touring the city. The roads here are quite well maintained too. Puducherry`s basic lodges are concentrated around the main market area, Ranga Pillai Street and Rue Nehru. Guesthouses in Puducherry belonging to the Sri Aurobhido Ashram offer its tourists fantastic value for money.
Madurai
About Madurai
Madurai is one of the oldest cities of India, with a history dating all the way back to the Sangam period of the pre Christian era. The glory of Madurai returned in a diminished form in the earlier part of this millennium; it later on came under the rule of the Vijayanagar kingdom after its ransack by the ravaging armies of Delhi (Malik Kafur). During the 16th and 18th centuries, Madurai was ruled by the Nayak Emperors, the foremost of whom was Tirumalai Nayakar. The Sangam period poet Nakkeerar is associated with some of the Tiruvilayaadal episodes of Sundareswarar - that are enacted as a part of temple festival traditions even today.One of South India's great temple towns, Madurai is synonymous with the celebrated Meenakshi Temple. Situated on the banks of river Vaigai, Madurai has a rich cultural heritage passed on from the great Tamil era more than 2500 years old. Madurai was an important cultural and commercial centre even as early as 550 AD. It was the capital city for the great Pandya kings.
The Pandyan King Kulasekarar built a great temple and created a lotus shaped city around the temple. On the day the city was to be named, as Lord shiva blessed the land and its people, divine nectar (Madhu) was showered on the city from his matted locks. This city was henceforth known as Madhurapuri. Madurai is famous for Jasmine Flowers.
HISTORY Of MADURAI MEENAKSHI TEMPLE |
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According
to legend, the sacred Suyambulingam discovered by the king of Gods
indira at Kadambavanam, was later enshrined by him in Madurai. The
fact that the Lord is seen on the vehicle of Indira in this temple
is said to be proof for this.
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Many historical evidences of the temple have been found dating back from early A.D
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The
temple was almost completely destroyed in the year 1310 following the
invasion of the Islamic conqueror Malikkapur. As kings who were
followers of Islam were noted for their intolerance towards other
religions, the invaders destroyed most of the ancient sculptures of the
temple.
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Thirugnanasambandar
the Hindu Saint has mentioned the temple in his songs which go
back to early 7th century. The Lord has been described as Alavai
Iraivan in his songs.
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The
temple was restored to its pristine glory in the late 14th
century when the Hindu Kings came back to power in Madurai. This can
also be termed as a new beginning of a new era in the history of the
temple, when it was almost rebuilt.
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The King Thirumalai Naicker played an important role in the construction of the new form of the temple according to records.
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The
enormous temple complex is dedicated to Shiva, known here as
Sundareshvara and his consort Parvati or Meenakshi. The
original temple was built by Kulasekara Pandya, but the
entire credit for making the temple as splendid as it is
today goes to the Nayaks. The Nayaks ruled Madurai from
the 16th to the 18th century and left a majestic imprint of
their rule in the Meenakshi - Sundareswarar Temple.
The temple complex is within a high-walled enclosure, at the core of which are the two sanctums for meenakshi and Sundareshwara, surrounded by a number of smaller shrines and grand pillared halls. Especially impressive are the 12 gopuras. Their soaring towers rise from solid granite bases, and are covered with stucco figures of dieties, mythical animals and monsters painted in vivid colours. |
| Temple Towers |
There are 12 temple towers(Gopurams). The outer towers are the landmarks of Madurai. They are:
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| Gopura |
Pyramidal
gates(gopuras) rise to a height of more than 50m. These
towering gateways indicate the entrance to the temple complex
at the four cardinal points, while lesser gopuras lead to the
sanctums of the main dieties.
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| Stucco Work |
The figures of dieties on the tower are repaired, repainted and ritually reconsecrated every 12 years.
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| Ashta Shakthi Mandapam |
A
visitor who enters the temple through the eastern gateway, first
enters this Mandapam(Hall). It was built by Thirumalai
Nayakar's wives Rudrapathi Ammal and Tholimamai. In
this hall food was once distributed to the devotees
who came from far off places. Next to this hall is the
Meenakshi Nayaka Mandapa, a spacious columned hall used
for shops and stores. This hall has a votive
lamp-holder with 1,008 lamps, which are lit on festive
occasions and present a spectacular sight. The sculptures on
the pillars here relate some of Lord Shiva's Thiruvilayadals
(miracles) and also the story of Meenakshi's birth and
her life as the princess of Madurai.
The story descripted on the stones is as follows:
Malayadwaja Pandya, a king of Madurai , was childless for a long time. He performed a number of yagnas
(sacrifices made before a sacred fire) because he wanted
an heir to his throne. On one occasion, a three-year-old
girl came out of the fire and Malayadwaja adopted her. But the girl
had three breasts and this worried Malayadwaja. However, a
divine voice assured him that the third breast would
disappear as soon as she met her consort. The girl grew
into a brave and beautiful princess. she won many battles,
but eventually lost her heart to Lord Shiva, when she met
him on the battle-field in Kailas. As soon as
she saw him, her third breast disappeared and she recognized her
divine consort, for the princess was none other than Shiva's
wife, Parvathi. After ruling over the Pandya kingdom for a while, they settled in the Madurai temple as Meenakshi and Sundareswarar. |
| Meenakshi Nayakkar Mandapam |
This
big hall is adjacent to Ashta Shakthi Mandapam, consisting of 110
pillars carrying the figures of a peculiar animal with a
lion's body , and an elephant's head called Yalli.
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| Potramaraikulam (golden lotus tank) |
This
temple tank is an ancient tank where devotees take bath
in the holy water. The area around this tank was the meeting
place of the TamilSangam
- the ancient academy of poets. The history of the
sangam goes back to the days when gods dallied with
men. This academy judged the worth of any work of
literature presented before it by throwing it into the
tank. Only those that did not sink were considered
worthy of attention. The tank is surrounded by a pillared corridor.
Steps lead down to the tank, enabling worshippers to take
bathe in it.
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| Oonjal Mandapam |
The
Oonjal (swing) Mandapam and Killikoontu (parrot cage)
Mandapam are on the western side of the tank. Every
Friday, the golden idols of Meenakshi and Sundareswarar
are seated on the swing in the Oonjal Mandapam and hymns
are sung as the deities gaily swing to and fro. The
parrots in the Kilikoontu Mandapam have been trained to repeat
Meenakshi's name. But more interesting are the 28 pillars
of the mandapam which exhibit some excellent Sculptures of
figures from Hindu mythology.
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| Swami Sundareswarar Shrine |
Lord Sundareswarar
(Shiva) the consort of Goddess Meenakshi is to the north
of Kilikoontu Mandapam . On your way you can worship a gigantic
idol of Sri Ganesh called Mukkurini Pillaiyar. When the king
Thirumalai Nayakar excavated a temple tank 3 km from
Meenakshi temple he unearthed this idol of Vinayaka and
erected the same here.
In the outer pragaram (corridor outside the main shrine) there is stump of the kadamba tree, which is said to be a part of the same tree under which Indra worshipped Shiva linga. Also in the outer corridor there are the Kadambathadi Mandapam and big hall called 'Velli Ambalam'. Here, an idol of Nataraja (Shiva as the Lord of Dance) is seen. This idol of Nataraja is covered with silver leaves. Hence this hall is named as Velli Ambalam (Silver Hall).. |
| The Thousand Pillar Mandapam |
It is the 'wonder of
the palace'. Actually the number of pillars count to
985 beautifully decorated columns. Each pillar is sculptured
and is a monument of the Dravidan sculpture. There is a Temple
Art Museum in this 1000 pillars hall where you can see
icons, photographs, drawings, etc., exhibiting the 1200
years old history. There are so many other smaller and
bigger mandapams in the temple.
Just outside this mandapam ,towards the west, are the Musical Pillars. Each pillar when stuck, produces a different musical note. The kalyana mandapa, to the south of the pillared hall, is where the marriage of Shiva and Parvati is celebrated every year during the Chitirai Festival in mid- April. |
| Vasantha Mandapam |
This mandapam was built
by Thirumalai Nayakkar. Vasanthosavam - the Spring festival-is
celebrated in this mandapam in Vaikasi (April/May). Its pillars
contain elaborate sculptures of Shiva, Meenakshi, scenes
from their wedding as well as the figures of ten of the
Nayak Kings and their consorts. This is also called Pudhu
Mandapam.
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Thiruvananthapuram
About Thiruvananthapuram
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