The Hidden Treasures of
South India

PACKAGE HIGHLIGHTS:

Arrive in Bangalore, upon arrival, a representative holding a sign with your name, will meet you in the arrivals area upon exiting baggage claim and you will be transferred to your hotel for check in.

Cosmopolitan Bangalore is the number one city in South India, blessed with a benevolent climate and a burgeoning drinking, dining and shopping scene. It’s not a place you necessarily come to be wowed by world-class sights (though it has some lovely parks and striking Victorian-era architecture), but instead to experience the new face of India.

DAY 1 – Arrive Bangalore By International Flight:

Arrive in Bangalore, upon arrival, a representative holding a sign with your name, will meet you in the arrivals area upon exiting baggage claim and you will be transferred to your hotel for check in.

Cosmopolitan Bangalore is the number one city in South India, blessed with a benevolent climate and a burgeoning drinking, dining and shopping scene. It’s not a place you necessarily come to be wowed by world-class sights (though it has some lovely parks and striking Victorian-era architecture), but instead to experience the new face of India.

Overnight at Hotel

Day 2: Bangalore- Mysore By Surface:

Today after breakfast you will be driven to Mysore (140 Kms, 02 ½ Hrs Drive), en-route visiting Srirangapatnam, there are many interesting places here of which the summer palace of Tipu Sultan is a must visit. Built in 1784 in the Indo-Saracenic style, the palace also has a small museum where Tipu’s trivia, including a gold-embroidered tunic, old paintings and a coin collection, are displayed. A little away from the palace is the Gumbaz, the mausoleum of Tipu Sultan and his father, Hyder Ali. Another famous place to visit is Jami Masjid. The slender minarets of this mosque are visible from several kilometres.

Later continue on your drive to Mysore and check into the hotel.

Mysore the capital of the erstwhile princely state of that name is famous for its silk and sandalwood, as well as its numerous palaces, well laid out boulevards and beautiful parks.

Overnight at Hotel

Day 3: Mysore:

Today early in the morning, visit Chamundi Hill

On the top of the hill stands the temple dedicated to the Goddess Chamundeshwari, the royal family’s patron deity enroute stop to see the huge monolith Nandi Bull.

Later return to the hotel for breakfast.

Today after breakfast, you will be taken on a sightseeing tour of Mysore.

Visit to Maharaja’s Palace built as recently as 1897, which is one of the biggest in India; St Philomena’s Church; Sri Jauyachamarajendra Art Gallery housed in the Jagmohan Palace, which has a collection of exquisite paintings.

In the evening you will be taken by horse driven carriages to Mysore Palace to see a sight not to be missed when it is illuminated on Sunday.

Overnight at Hotel

DAY 4 – Mysore- Chikmagalur By Surface:

Today after breakfast you will be driven to Chikmagalur (190 Kms / 4 ½ hours).

Chikmagalur is a district situated in south-western part of Karnataka, India. It was in Chikmagalur that coffee was first cultivated in India. Rivers like Tunga and Bhadra have their sources in the mountains here which are part of the Western Ghats. Chikmagalur district also contains Mullayanagiri, the highest peak in Karnataka.

The rest of the day will be at leisure. Overnight at Hotel

DAY 5 – Chikmagalur

This morning you will be taken for a day excursion to Belur and Halebid.

Halebid – 40 Kms South of Chikmagalur, The main temple, also built in a star-shaped plan is a magnificent example of Hoysala architecture with a breathtaking collection of friezes – first a row of elephants representing stability, then one of lordly lions and above, scrolls of swift horses. There are scenes from the religious epics representing not only philosophical ideas but also the living conditions of the time. The largest frieze is the most exuberant and based on a heavenly theme – celestial maidens, bedecked in jewels, are seen sitting or standing under pierced canopies in graceful postures.

Belur lies 16 Kms from Halebid. It was a flourishing city under the Hoysala kings some 800 years ago. The Belur temple is star-shaped and embellished with gods and goddesses in all their varied aspects and incarnations, as well as scenes from the great Indian epics. The realities of life are also depicted beautifully in the forms of hunters, dancers, musicians and women at their daily toilette. A series of semi-detached pillars and ornamented porches lend variety to the facade; the artistic combination of horizontal and vertical light and shade and the play of silhouettes far surpass anything in Gothic art.

Overnight at Hotel

DAY 6 – Chikmagalur- Hospet By Surface:

Today after breakfast you will be driven to Hospet (360 Kms, 7 ½ hours).

Hospet or Hosapete is a city in Bellary District in central Karnataka, India. It is on the Tungabhadra River, 12 km from Hampi, the World Heritage site consisting of the ruins of the medieval city of Vijayanagara, former capital of the Vijayanagara Empire.

The rest of the day will be at leisure. Overnight at Hotel

DAY 7 –Hospet:

This morning you will be taken for a day excursion to Hampi is one of the UNESCO World Heritage Sites in India located near Hospet town in the Karnataka state.

Hampi is charismatic even in its ruined state, attracting thousands of visitors every year. Vast stretches of boulder-strewn hills make the backdrop of Hampi unique.

Hampi formed one of the core areas of the capital of the Vijayanagara Empire from 1343 to 1565, when it was finally laid siege to by the Deccan Muslim confederacy. Hampi was chosen because of its strategic location, bounded by the torrential Tungabhadra River on one side and surrounded by defensible hills on the other three sides.

The site is significant historically and architecturally. The topography abounds with large stones which have been used to make statues of Hindu deities. The Archaeological Survey of India continues to conduct excavations in the area, to discover additional artifacts and temples.

In Hampi at every turn there is a surprise. Every monument hides more than what they reveal. As an open museum, Hampi has numerous popular locations visitors throng.

Also visit Anegondi, which literally means elephant pit in Kannada, was the original capital city of the Vijayanagara Empire in south-west India. The modern village is known as Anegundi and is in the Gangawati municipality of Koppal district, in Karnataka state. It is located on the north banks of the Tungabhadra River on the opposite bank to the Vittala Temple.

Overnight at Hotel

DAY 8 – Hospet- Badami:

Today after breakfast you will be driven to Badami (120 Kms / 3 Hrs Drive) en-route visiting Pattadakal and Aihole.

Pattadakal is World Heritage site in Karnataka, lies on the banks of Malaprabha River in Bagalkot district. It is 22 km from Badami and about 10 km from Aihole, well known for Chalukya monuments. The Pre- Chalukya historical & Archaeological site Bachinagudda also near Pattadakal.

On arrival check in at your hotel and rest of the day free

Badami was the regal capital of the Badami Chalukyas from 540 to 757 AD and is renowned for rock cut and other structural temples and is located in a ravine at the foot of a rugged, red sandstone outcrop that surrounds Agastya Lake.

Overnight at Hotel

DAY 9 –Badami:

This morning you will be taken to visit Badami Caves and Fort.

The Badami cave temples are a complex of temples located at Badami, a town in the Bagalkot District in the north part of Karnataka, India. They are considered an example of Indian rock-cut architecture, especially Badami Chalukya Architecture. Badami, the capital of the Early Chalukyas, who ruled much of Karnataka in the 6th to 8th centuries, lies at the mouth of a ravine with rocky hills on either side and a town tank in which water from the ravine flows. The town is known for its ancient cave temples carved out of the sandstone hills above.

Badami Fort lies east of the Bhuthnatha temple, atop a cliff right opposite the Badami cave temples. The entrance to this temple is right through the Badami museum. It is a steep climb with many view points and dotted with little shrines. The path is laid with neatly cut stone, the same that adores all the architecture around.

Overnight at Hotel

DAY 10 – Badami- Bijapur By Surface:         

Today after breakfast you will be transferred to Bijapur (160 Kms / 3 Hrs Drive).

Bijapur city is well known for its historical monuments of architectural importance built during the rule of the Adil Shahi dynasty.

The city was established in the 10th-11th centuries by the Kalyani Chalukyas and was known as Vijayapura (City of victory). The city was passed to Yadavas after Chalukyas demise. The city came under the influence of the Khilji Sultanate in Delhi by the late 13th century. In 1347, the area was conquered by the Bahmani Sultanate of Gulbarga. By this time, the city was being referred as Vijapur or Bijapur. Bijapur, Karnataka. Ironically the name Beejpur literally means replete with seeds in Sanskrit, meaning Pomegranate.

Overnight at Hotel

Day 11: Bijapur- Gulbarga:

Today after breakfast you will be driven to Gulbarga (180 Kms, 04 Hrs Drive) en-route visiting Gol Gumbaz – It is the tomb of Mohammed Adil Shah (ruled 1627-1657). It is the largest dome ever built in India, next in size only to St Peter’s Basilica in Rome. A particular attraction in this monument is the central chamber, where every sound is echoed seven times and Ibrahim Rauza -This is the tomb of Ibrahim Adil Shah II (ruled 1580-1627), the fifth king of the dynasty and, like the Mughal emperor Akbar, and known for religious tolerance.

Gulbarga was founded by the Bahmani Sultans in the 14th century as their capital. The northern Deccan, including the district of Gulbarga, passed under control of the Sultanate of Delhi. The revolt of the officers appointed from Delhi resulted in founding of the Bahmani Sultanate in 1347 by Hassan Gangu, who chose Gulbarga (Ahsenabad during this period) to be his capital.

From 1724 to 1948 Gulbarga was part of Hyderabad state ruled by the Nizams. It was integrated into India in September 1948 after the Indian army defeated the Nizam. Gulbarga means “place of flowers and petals” in poetic Persian. Gulbarga district is situated in the northern part of Karnataka State. In the earlier days, Gulbarga was a district of Hyderabad Karnataka area and became a part of Karnataka State after re-organization of states.

Overnight at Hotel

Day 12: Gulbarga:

This morning after breakfast, you will be taken to visit the Gulbarga Fort located in Gulbarga City in the Gulbarga district of North Karnataka, India was originally built by Raja Gulchand during the Warangal dynastic rule. It was subsequently significantly enlarged in 1347 by Al-ud-din Bahmani of the Bahmani Dynasty after he cut off his ties with the Delhi Sultanate; Islamic monuments such as mosques, palaces, tombs, and other structures were also built later within the refurbished fort. The Jama Masjid built later, within the fort, in 1367, is a unique structure built in Persian architectural style, fully enclosed, with elegant domes and arched columns, which is unlike any other mosque in India. It was built to commemorate the establishment of the dynastic rule of the Bahmani kingdom at Gulbarga fort between 1327 and 1424.

Overnight at Hotel

Day 13: Gulbarga- Hyderabad By Surface:

Today after breakfast you will be driven to Hyderabad (250 Kms, 05 Hrs Drive).

Enroute visit Bidar Fort is situated in Bidar district of the northern plateau of Karnataka, India. Sultan Alla-Ud-Din Bahman of the Bahmanid Dynasty shifted his capital from Gulbarga to Bidar in 1427 and built his fort along with a number of Islamic monuments.

Hyderabad is the capital city of the Indian state of Telangana in South India. Currently, Hyderabad is also the capital city for Andhra Pradesh, as per the Andhra Pradesh Reorganization Act, 2014, an arrangement that is scheduled to last for a maximum of ten years. Hyderabad occupies 650 square kilometers (250 sq mi), along the banks of the Musi River.

Overnight at Hotel

Day 14: Hyderabad:

Today after breakfast proceed for a half day sightseeing of Golkonda Fort.

Golkonda is also known as Golconda or Golla konda (“shepherd’s hill”), a ruined fort of Southern India and capital of medieval Golconda Sultanate (c.1518–1687), is situated 11 km west of Hyderabad. It is also a mandal of Hyderabad District. The region is universally famous for the mines that have produced the world’s most famous and coveted gems, including the Hope Diamond, The Eye of the Idol (aka the Nassak Diamond), the Koh-I-Noor and the Darya-I-Nor.

Later in the afternoon visit Charminar is the hub of the city and the masterpiece of Qutub Shahi architecture. Built of stone with stucco plastering and decoration, each side measures 100 feet and each face is pierced with a large pointed arch with a string course, a lotus bud above the point and decorative medallions on each side. Between this and the minarets at the corners is a row of vertical arches topped by a prominent cornice. The streets in this area are lined with shops selling gold and silver jewellery, pearls, paper kites, rough glasses and cheap chinaware. Larh bazaar, a narrow street, is the traditional centre for bridal accessories and bangles. It leads to Chauk, traditional hunting ground for antiques. Overnight at Hotel

Day 15: Hyderabad – Back Home  By International Flight:    

Enjoy breakfast at the hotel.

As per the flight schedule, you will be transferred to the airport to board the flight for back home.