February 2016

Depart: 18th Night Arrive: 21st Morning

Places

Thanjavur Mahadevapattinam

Mannargudi

Facilitators

Embassy Travel and Tours

Along with Historian Pradeep Chakravarthy

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Key Features and Objectives behind Itinerary planning:

• Lots of emphasis on the local food, poems, songs, stories and even drawing to enhance the experience

• Small group in order to build a community of friends and to ensure personalized a?ention - so its quality over quantity

• Air Conditioned Transport throughout and the best hotels possible

• We do temples, mosques , churches where the primary focus is on the art and architecture of the monument and not the religion

Focus on Heritage

Comfort is Key

WholisticExclusive

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Thanjavur

Magical to many and a mystery to some, never has any other town inspired so much of art across centuries. Thanjavur, beyond all its treasures, is renowned for the UNESCO World Heritage monument created by Raja Raja Chola. Considered to be one of the best specimens of South Indian temple architecture, the Brihadeeshwara temple weaves stories of not only a glorious past but also the economics behind one of our longest empires. Reflecting the remarkable and stupendous feat of consolidating various resources from different regions into a singular piece of wonder, this structure still stands tall after several centuries. The influence of various dynasties from the 9th to 20th century can be seen in the art, architecture, music, dance and cuisine of Thanjavur.

There is more to Thanjavur than just the “Periya Koil”(Big Temple). One of India’s best kept secrets is the Sarasvati Mahal Library which houses books since the 17th century on diverse topics such as cuisine to water divining, astrology and architecture. Thanjavur has had a long tradition of its rulers from Karnataka and Maharashtra and England coming in, blending in and creating a culture that is eclectic.

Come and share an unforgettable experience in a two-day tour to Thanjavur and surrounding regions with Embassy Travel and Tours and Historian Pradeep Chakravarthy, author of the definitive book on Thanjavur culture. Our trip will look at the Brihadeeshwara temple, priceless bronzes and manuscripts in the Sarasvati Mahal Library and lesser-known architectural gems like the Schwartz church and the ethereal Mahadevapattinam fort and also sample 17th century royal dishes created specially for us.

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Mannargudi

Mannargudi or "Place of Vishnu" was originally founded as an agraharam village or Brahmin quarter centered on the Rajagopalaswamy Temple. Originally believed to have been constructed by Kulothunga Chola I, the temple has undergone several modifications by later rulers. The town emerged as one of the chief centers of inland trade in the district during the British rule having rice, betel leaves, groundnut, oil, metal articles and clothes as major exports. Mannargudi today is known for cloth weaving and metal industries. We will be visiting and conversing with one of the districts oldest agrarian families.

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Mahadevapattinam If structures could talk then those in Mahadevapattinam would definitely shed a few tears while narrating their tale. Tucked away on the Thanjavur–Mannargudi Road in Tiruvarur district, Mahadevapattinam is but a blip on the map. Built and lived in by Tulaja I (born in 1676 ACE), a Maratha king and a scholar whose works include operas and ayurvedic treatises (sadly both have been published but remain unknown). Presently, only a handful know the story behind this majestic fort and the secrets that lie within its walls. The opera, “Sivakama Sundari Parinayam”, was written and staged during the consecration of the temple. Today, within the towering fort walls of brick lies a pile of rubble that waits to be rescued to its former glory.

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Day 3 Day 2 Day 1

0730 Arrive and Go to Hotel 0830 Breakfast at Hotel 0930 Palace Museum including the private temple Sarasvati Mahal and bronze gallery 1300 Lunch 1600 Nishumbasudini Temple Brihadeeshwara temple and the iron canon that has not rusted for centuries 2000 Dinner

0800 Breakfast 0845 Leave to Mahadevapattinam 1100 Visit Mannargudi Rajagopalaswamy temple 1300 Thanjavur Brahman Lunch 1430 Leave to Thanjavur Rajagopalaswamy temple Schwartz church Thanjavur painting demo 1930 Dinner 2045 Uzhavan Express Train to Madras

2230 Meet at Chandra Park Hotel, Egmore 2330 Leave by Uzhavan Express to Thanjavur

0450 Arrive at Madras

Day 4

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Hailing from Tirunelveli and moving on to international exposure through KFI,

MCC, JNU (Delhi) and LSE (London) in his academic years, Pra de e p

Cha kra v a rthy has always had a passion for the history and Heritage of

Tamilnadu with special focus on the role that it plays in society then and now.

Having a background in HR/leadership development and coaching though his

assignments in TVS, Cognizant, Infosys and McKinsey, he constantly explores

methods of constructively employing out of the box techniques of exposure to fine

elements practiced in ancient times to motivate and hone ones inherent skills. He

pioneered temple walks in Madras. His deeply invested interest in the music, food,

literature of Tamilnadu allows him to present succinctly and simply even the

dreariest topic in history. He has authored several books and has over 300 articles in

The Hindu, Marg magazine, India Express, Times of India etc., to his credit. He has

lectured in several prestigious venues like IIC (Delhi), IC (London) and is an

awardee from the Tag Foundation.

Em ba s s y T rav e l a n d T o urs has been in the business of tailoring unique and

memorable travel experiences for the past four decades.

A part of the Airlift Group of Companies, we adhere in a personalized manner to all

travel related services that one might require be it guidance, documentation,

reservations, currency exchange etc.

Customization and luxury travel is our forte, which ensures the utmost comfort for

our clients whether it is outbound, inbound or domestic travel.

Heritage is the vertical we take pride in adding to our existing array of experiences

extended by us. We are proud to showcase some of the neglected treasures of a

bygone rich era that are just around the corner. We assure you that the whole

experience will be an absolute luxurious insight into our glorious past.

Included -Train travel -Road travel on AC coach -Accommodation in AC rooms accommodating up to 2 adults. Children will be accommodated depending on the age and hotel policy. In this Trip we will be staying at Sangam Hotel (http://sangamhotels.com/thanjavur/). -Meals mentioned - 2 breakfast, 2 lunch and 2 dinners per person (Request you to specify your preference if any in advance) -2 bottles of water per person will be provided on the coach every day -Regular entry tickets where required will be provided -Darshan at temples will be included if People wish to and ONLY if time permits.

Not Included

Essential Pre Read Several places we will be visiting are places of worship and therefore we request your special attention to the following: - Please dress conservatively and avoid wearing shorts and sleeveless wear. A dupatta or shawl will be much appreciated. - Comfortable shoes or slippers since monuments are footwear free zones - We strongly advice carrying sun block, sunglasses and cap - Basic medication/ first aid will be available. Please carry your specific medication if any - Camera - certain places may charge anything between Rs. 10 and Rs.100 for the usage of camera. Photography may not be permitted in certain Places - We would like to iterate that this is not a religious trip and therefore we all need to respect the time and interest of those who are coming to enjoy the heritage aspect of the trip. Therefore please ensure that you respect and stick to time schedules. -Due to unforeseen circumstances, in case we need to make certain changes in the itinerary, we request your patience and understanding. We assure you that the alternate option provided will be just as exciting

Not Included

- Expenses of Personal nature - Room Service - Any other attraction/temple not mentioned in the Itinerary

Co n tac t :

Sridharan Lakshmanan; sridhar@embassy-travels.com; +919282119040

Raji Kumar; raji@embassy-travels.com; +919840471127

A dd re ss : 23, Thanikachalam Road, T. Nagar, Chennai – 600 017

Minimum Age: 15 years Package Cost: INR 16,000 On Twin Sharing Basis / INR 18,500 On Single occupancy Basis Registration: Before December 25th 2015 by way of a non refundable payment of Rs. 4000 Full Payment: At the time of registration or before 31st December 2015 to ensure confirmed participation in the tour Cancellation and Refund: - 20 days before commencement of tour – 50% of tour cost will be refunded - Less than 20 days before commencement of tour – No refund - Incase of non-participation due to Rescheduling of tour by the organizers due to ANY REASON – 75% of tour cost will be refunded - Cancellation of tour by organizers – Full Refund

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