Day 1
Arrival at Madurai & sightseeing
On arrival at Madurai, you will be received by our representative at Madurai airport / railway station in the morning and transferred to pre-booked hotel. Exploration of
Madurai is interesting because of its geological stability, morphological complexity, anthropological diversity, socio-economic variety, cultural antiquity and historic continuity. Madurai is known to be preserving the continuity of certain cultural traditions from the time immemorial. Architectural and iconographic traditions in Madurai are traced back to more than 2000 years. Having relaxed for a while, proceed on a full day sightseeing tour of Madurai which includes proper ‘darshana’ & ‘puja’ in
Shree Meenakshi Temple or Meenakshi Amman, Thirumalai Nayak Palace, Thiruparankundram Temple etc.
Dedicated to Lord Shiva & Parvati,Meenakshi Temple is one of the masterpieces of Dravidian style of temple architecture and famous all over the world for its ‘mandapam’ with thousand musical pillars. Within the temple complex is located Puthu Mandapam or Vasantha Mandapam, dedicated to Lord Sundereswarar. It was built by Thirumalai Nayakkar in early 17th century and is considered one of the oldest shopping arcades in the world. Once outside the majestic entrance gopurams of Meenakshi Temple, visit another example of the architectural mastery of the Nayaks - Thirumalai Nayak Palace . This is the palace or ‘mahal’ of Tirumala Nayak, a blend of Hindu and Saracenic architecture. Its curved dome, which soars without any visible support, is quite an accomplishment. The sound and light show here is also interesting which presents a glimpse into the bygone eras. Also visit, beautiful and rock-cut Thiruparankundram Temple, built in 6th century and dedicated to Lord Murugan. Spend the evening at leisure before returning to the hotel for overnight stay.