• 15 November, 2018

GOLDEN PACKAGE

• Padmanabhapuram Palace

  Padmanabhapuram Palace is having an important place. This place is considered as one among the beautiful places, located in Thuckalay in Kanyakumari district of Tamil Nadu. Padmanabhapuram palace is that it was believed to be constructed in 1601 AD by Iravi Varma Kulasekara Perumal, the ruler of Travancore. Another fact is that the architecture of this palace has attracted each and every person. King Marthanda Varma completed the design of this beautiful palace. The palace was known as Kalkulam palace in the earlier times. King Marthanda Varma, who ruled his kingdom as servant of Lord Padmanabha or Padmanabha Dasa changed the name of this kingdom to Padmanabhapuram palace. Padmanabhapuram palace is famous for its structural designs. Most of the interior designs of this palace have attracted several tourists from different parts of the World. The amazing fact is that most of the structures were made in wood.

  The following are some of the important structures seen in Padmanabhapuram palace. They are, Mantrassala of King Council Chamber, Thaikkottaram or Mother Palace, Nataksala or Hall of Performance, Four Storied Central Building or Uppirikka Maaliga, Thekke Kottaram or Southern Palace. Mantrassala, place where king as well as minister’s hold consultation regarding the kingdom. Thaikottaram is considered as the oldest structure in the entire palace, an inner courtyard called Nalukett is found at the centre in this Thaikottaram. Ekanda Mandapam is located on the South West corner of this Thaikottaram. Nadakashala was built by Maharaja Swathy Thirunal meant for performing dances and music. Some other features of this palace are the Clock Tower, A Secret Passage, Presence of old Chinese Jar and a variety of weapons, brass lamps, wood and stone sculptures, paintings etc

• Madurai Meenakshi Amman Temple

  Meenakshi Amman Temple is a historic Hindu temple located on the southern bank of the Vaigai River in the temple city of Madurai. Meenakshi is a form of the Hindu Goddess Parvathy- the consort of Lord Siva, one of the few Hindu female deities to have a major temple devoted to her. The name ‘Meenakshi’ means fish-eyed and is derived from the words ‘mina’ meaning fish and ‘akshi’ meaning eyes.

  The Meenakshi temple was found by Indra (King of Deva celestial deities) while he was on a pilgrimage to atone for his misdeeds. Indra felt his burden lifting as he neared the Swayambu Lingam (Self formed Lingam, a representation of Siva used for worshipping in temples) of Madurai. He ascribed miracle to the Lingam and constructed the temple to enshrine it. Indira worshipped Siva who, in his grace caused golden lotuses to appear in the nearby pool. The temple is surrounded by gopurams. The most important festival associated with the temples is the ‘Meenakshi thirukalyanam’.

• Suchindram

  Suchindram is famous for the Thanumalaya Perumal Temple which is also called Suchindram Anjaneyar Temple. Known for its sculptural grandeur the temple has a majestic seven storied white gopuram which is visible from quite a distance. A fine example of South Indian Temple, Architecture this temple in Suchindram has a ‘Linga’ which represent Siva, Vishnu and Brahma as the principal deity. The statue of Hanuman and the musical pillars are the main attraction of the temple.

  One of the legends of Suchindram is related to the chastity of Anasuya, wife of Sage Atri, the legend is that Trimurtis appeared in front of Anasuya as begging Brahmins. When she was about to serve food, they imposed a condition that they would eat only if she served the food naked. Through the power of her chastity, she converted the three Gods into babies and fed them naked. On the plea of the Goddesses, Anasuya restored the deities. In the same spot, a linga sprouted which still exists.

• Mahabalipuram

  Mahabalipuram is located close to Chennai of Tamil Nadu. On the shores of Bay of Bengal, along with the eastern coast of South India. The shore temple at Mahabalipuram is called as Seven Pagodas. The Mahabalipuram temples consist of several temples of enormous size, which were built by cutting huge boulders into exquisite carves and set against the background of unfathomable sky and vast sea. There are two low hills in Mahabalipuram which are situated about 400Km from the sea which has eleven excavated temples on both sides, known as Mandapas. There is another unique type of temple standing nearby, called ‘Rathas’ which have been cut of out large rocks.

  The Mahabalipuram history is 2000 years old it was the port city of South India dynasty of Pallavas during the 7th Century. The Pallavas ruled Mahabalipuram from 3rd century to 9th century. Located 60 km south of Chennai this town is enriched with a number of heritage monuments. These historic monuments were constructed during the 7th and 9th century, and have been listed as UNESCO World Heritage Site. During the early 18th century, nowadays it has become the favourite place of tourist where they get relaxation and enjoy sea bathing.

• Thanjavur

  Thanjavur is a city located in the South Indian state of Tamil Nadu. Thanjavur is also an important centre for South Indian regional art and architecture. Most of the great living Chola Temple, which are UNESCO World Heritage Monuments, are located in and around Thanjavur. The foremost among these the Brihadeesara temple is located in the centre of the city. Thanjavur is also home to Tanjore painting, a painting style unique to the region.

• Rameswaram Temple

  Ramanathaswami temple is a Hindu temple dedicated to the God Shiva, Located on the Rameswaram Island in the state of Tamil Nadu. It is also one of the twelve ‘Jyothi Linga’ temples. The temple was expanded during the 12th century by Pandya dynasty and its principal shrines sanctum were renovated by Jegaveera cinkaiariyan and his successor Gunaveera cinkaiariyan of the Juffna kingdom. The temple has the longest corridor among all Hindu temples in INDIA. The temple is located in Rameswaram is considered a holy pilgrimage site for Shaivites, Vaishnavites and Smarthas. The presiding deity, the lingam of Ramanathaswami (Siva) is believed to have been established and worshipped by Rama, an avatar of the God Vishnu.

• Thiruchirappalli

  Situated on the banks of the river Cauveri, Thiruchirappalli, the fourth largest city in the state was a citadel of the early Cholas which later fell to the Pallavas. But the Pallavas never rarely managed to retain control of this strategic city and lost it to the Pandyas several times. This tug of war finally ended when Cholas reasserted themselves in the 10th century. The fort of Tiruchi continued to be in their possession until the decline of the empire after which it became a Vijayanagan stronghold.

  When this empire collapsed in 1565, Tiruchy came to be occupied in turn by the Nayaks of Madurai, the Marthas, the Nawabs of Carnatic, the French and finally the British. But it was under Nayaks of Madurai that Tiruchy flourished and prospered in its own right and grew to be the city that it is today. Tiruchy is a fine blend of tradition and modernity built around the Rock Fort. Apart from the fort, there are several churches, colleges and missions dating back to the 1760s with its excellent infrastructure facilities, Tiruchy will serve as a good base to see central of Tamil Nadu.

• Thiruvannamalai

  Arunachalesvara Temple is a Hindu temple dedicated to the deity Shiva, located at the base of Arunachala hill in the town of Thiruvannamalai in Tamil Nadu. It is significant to the Hindu sect of Saivism as one of the temples associated with the five elements, the Pancha Bhoota Stalas, and specifically the element of fire, or Agni. Shiva is worshiped as Arunachalesvara or Annamalaiyar, and is represented by the lingam, with his idol referred to as Agni lingam. His consort Parvati is depicted as Unnamalai Amman.

  In Hindu mythology, Parvati, wife of Shiva, once closed the eyes of her husband playfully in a flower garden at their abode atop Mount Kailash. Although only a moment for the gods, all light was taken from the universe, and the earth, in turn, was submerged in darkness for years. Parvati performed penance along with other devotees of Shiva.[6] Then her husband appeared as a column of fire at the top of Arunachala hills, returning light to the world.[7]He then merged with Parvati to form Ardhanarishvara, the half-female, half-male form of Shiva. The Arunachala, or red mountain, lies behind the Arunachalesvara temple, and is associated with the temple of its namesake.[2] The hill is sacred and considered a lingam, or iconic representation of Shiva, in itself.

• Chidambaram

  Chidambaram is located in Cuddalore district of the South Indian state of Tamil Nadu. The topography is almost plain with forests around the town. The temple complex is spread over an area of 40 acres (160,000 m2) in the heart of the city. The main complex is dedicated to Shiva Nataraja and the complex contains shrines to deities such as Shivakami Amman, Ganesh, Murugan and Vishnu in the form Govindaraja Perumal. The temple's earliest structures were designed and erected by ancient craftsmen called Perunthakkan. The golden tiled roof for the Chitrambalam (the vimanam) was laid by the Chola King Parantaka following which he was given the title "Thillaiyambalathhukku porkoorai veiyntha thevan", meaning the one who constructed the golden roof. The festivals in Chidambaram are centred on the festivals of the temple. The Marghazhi Thiruvaadhirai festival celebrated in December–January indicates the first puja.

  Chidambaram is mostly preferred by travellers. The go destination for types of travellers, be it family, kids or couples, Chidambaram is hovered mostly preferred. The best season or month to visit places in Chidambaram are February, March, October, November and December. There are 13 tourist places in Chidambaram, which can be explored by travellers. Local attractions can be visited at any time of the day, be it early morning, afternoon, evening or night, as suitable for travellers.

  Nataraja temple is the main temple of Chidambaram, which is dedicated to ‘Nataraja’ or the dancing posture of Lord Shiva. This temple is located in the heart of the town and has undergone numerous renovations under the reign of Chola and Pallava.

• Kanyakumari

  Kanyakumari is a coastal town in the state of Tamil Nadu on India’s southern tip. Kanyakumari beach is a beautiful sight with multi-coloured sand. The palace is also famous for its distinctly beautiful sunset and sunrise. Even more special, the confluence of three water bodies- the bay of Bengal, the Indian Ocean and the Arabian Sea. Kanyakumari is famous for its majestic hills, virgin beaches, pristine rivers and meandering rivulets. The district has a fragrance of architecture culture and customers of neighbouring Kerala mixed with the rich deep traditions, cultures and architecture of Tamil Nadu.

  Mahatma Gandhi Memorial is an important part of the Kanyakumari city. The place has been associated with great men like Swami Vivekananda and Mahatma Gandhi. The beautiful Mahatma Gandhi Memorial completed in the year 1956, was offered a memorial to the father of the nation.

  Thiruvalluvar is an important poet of Tamil Nadu and has given to the world Thirukkural. The memorial statue of Thiruvalluvar is in Kanyakumari. The pedestal of the statue is of 38 feet in height and statue over 95 feet with a grand total of 133 feet for the entire sculpture.

  Vivekananda Rock is another important place to visit in Kanyakumari, which attracts a large number of tourists. As the name implies, it is essentially a sacred monument, build by 6the Vivekananda Rock Memorial Committee to commemorate the visit of Sami Vivekananda “Shri pada parai” during 24th 25th and 26th December 1892 for deep meditation and enlightenment. From very long times, the rock has been known as “Shri pada parai” the rock, that has been blessed by the touch of 'Shri pada', feet of the Goddess.

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