On The Footsteps Of The Cholas

Duration : 3 Days 2 Nights

Day One :

We depart to the city synonymous with the Cholas, Thanjavur and check-in to Svatma. Relish a delightful Maratha Thali for lunch. Travel around Thanjavur and Kumbakonam for the next 3 days in a private luxury vehicle hired just for you. Post lunch we make our way to the Maratha Palace or locally known as the Aranmanai. This palace is now home to some of the finest bronze icons and stone sculptures ever made. Inside this palace is the Museum of Art, the Durbar Hall, Serfoji Memorial Hall, and a library. A palace with many stories, a place to explore that would fill you with delight. Our next stop for the day is the majestic structure- The Brihadesvaara temple. A glory that stood the test of time. This temple is an exemplary example of Dravidian architecture. Stoll through the temple and tune in to the tales of the Cholas. We return to our luxury home-stay and call it a night.

Day Two :

We set out to visit Darasuram. Although much smaller than the Brihadeshwara Temples in Thanjavur and Gangaikonda Cholapuram, this is much more ornate with overflowing sculptures and statues. We visit the weavers of  Darasuram and head to Indeco Swamimalai to partake in a rich South Indian lunch. Post-lunch we head to the temple-town of Kumbakonam. We halt briefly at the unmissable Mahamaham Tank, followed by visits to the near-by temples before  we make our way back to our resting abode.

Day Three :

We make way through the beautiful Gangaikondacholapuram, a current-day village that was once the capital of one of the greatest of Chola King – Rajendra Chola for 250 years. This city served as a capital to all of Sri Lanka, South-East Asia countries, and the entire sub-continent. A city that was built to celebrate the King’s victory over the Pala dynasty and the name literally translates to ‘The Chola who took over Ganges’ which refers to the victory over the king who ruled the Ganges. We head to Mantra Koodam, CGH for a scrumptious lunch. We make a visit to the Swamimalai Bronze makers and get a close up of this ancient art.  We visit a few more architectural monuments of the Cholas located at Kumbakonam before calling it a day and taking leave of the Chola land.