Temple Treasures of South India – A Spiritual Odyssey

Arrive in Chennai

Arrival: Land in Chennai, the cultural gateway of South India.

Temple Visits:

• Kapaleeshwarar Temple (Mylapore) – dedicated to Lord Shiva, built in Dravidian style, famous for its 120 ft gopuram and peacock legend.
• Parthasarathy Temple – one of the oldest Vishnu temples in Chennai.

Evening: Visit Marina Beach for a relaxing stroll.

Overnight stay: Chennai.

Chennai → Tirupati (Andhra Pradesh)

Travel: Drive to Tirupati (150 km / 4 hrs).

Darshan:

• Sri Venkateswara Temple (Tirumala) – one of the richest and most visited shrines in the world, believed to fulfill devotees’ wishes.
• Padmavathi Ammavari Temple (Tiruchanur) – dedicated to Goddess Lakshmi.
• Govindaraja Swamy Temple – a prominent Vaishnava shrine.

Tip: Special Darshan tickets can be pre-booked for convenience.

Overnight stay: Tirupati.

Tirupati → Kanchipuram

Travel: Drive to Kanchipuram (185 km / 5 hrs). Known as the “City of Thousand Temples”.

Temple Visits:

• Ekambareswarar Temple – one of the Pancha Bhoota Sthalam (element: Earth).
• Kamakshi Amman Temple – a major Shakti Peetha, powerful seat of Goddess Shakti.
• Varadharaja Perumal Temple – dedicated to Lord Vishnu, famous for its golden lizard shrine.

Shopping: Kanchipuram is world-famous for silk sarees.

Overnight stay: Kanchipuram.

Kanchipuram → Tiruvannamalai

Travel: 120 km / 3 hrs.

Temple Visit:

• Dedicated to Lord Shiva in the form of Agni (Fire), one of the sacred Pancha Bhoota Sthalams (five elements).

Spiritual Activity:

• If time permits, perform Girivalam (14 km circumambulation of Arunachala hill), believed to cleanse karmas.

Overnight stay: Tiruvannamalai.

Tiruvannamalai → Trichy (Tiruchirappalli)

Travel: 300 km / 6–7 hrs.

Temple Visits:

• Sri Ranganathaswamy Temple, Srirangam – the world’s largest functioning temple, dedicated to Lord Vishnu (Divya Desam).
• Jambukeswarar Temple – dedicated to Lord Shiva, representing the Water element (Pancha Bhoota Sthalam).
• Ucchi Pillayar Rockfort Temple – perched on a hilltop with panoramic views.

Overnight stay: Trichy.

Trichy → Madurai

Travel: 140 km / 3 hrs.

Temple Visit:

• Meenakshi Amman Temple – dedicated to Goddess Meenakshi (Parvati) and Sundareshwarar (Shiva). Famous for its 14 gopurams, sculpted pillars, and evening Aarti ceremony.

Evening: Explore Madurai’s local markets and try traditional Tamil cuisine.

Overnight stay: Madurai.

Madurai → Rameswaram

Travel: 170 km / 4 hrs.

Temple Visits:

• Ramanathaswamy Temple – one of the 12 Jyotirlingas and also a Char Dham pilgrimage site. Famous for its long corridor with 1,200+ pillars.
• Perform a holy dip at Agni Theertham and 22 temple wells (believed to wash away sins).

Optional: Visit Dhanushkodi – the ghost town at the tip of Rameswaram, where the Ram Setu is believed to begin.

Overnight stay: Rameswaram.

Rameswaram → Kanyakumari

Travel: 310 km / 6–7 hrs.

Temple Visit:

• Kanyakumari Amman Temple – dedicated to Goddess Parvati in her virgin form.

Sightseeing:

• Vivekananda Rock Memorial & Thiruvalluvar Statue.
• Sunset at the southernmost tip of India, where Arabian Sea, Bay of Bengal, and Indian Ocean meet.

Overnight stay: Kanyakumari.

Kanyakumari → Suchindram → Trivandrum (Kerala)

En route visit:

• Thanumalayan Temple (Suchindram) – famous for its Trinity representation (Brahma, Vishnu, Shiva).

In Trivandrum:

• Padmanabhaswamy Temple – world-famous Vishnu temple, richest temple in the world.

Evening: Explore Kovalam beach or local shopping.

Overnight stay: Trivandrum.

Departure from Trivandrum

Morning free for darshan or local sightseeing.

Departure from Trivandrum Airport/Railway Station with divine blessings.