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2003
Tour Pilgrimage to Southern India
Itinerary  I
am very excited about the itinerary
of this tour. This
year's tour will take us through three states in
Southern India: Andhra Padesh, Tamil Nadu, and
Karnataka. We
will visit powerful Hindu temples, rural villages,
ruins of past civilizations, and sacred Jain sights.
Plus, of course, there will plenty of time for
shopping! This
tour will provide a first hand experience of the
depth of Indian spirituality and her rich cultural
heritage. As most of our destinations are rural
and off the beaten tourist path, I have hired a
van for the entire duration. This will allow us
to see aspects of India that are generally inaccessible
to the average tourist. To optimize our connections,
we will be departing on Thanksgiving day and be
returning before Christmas.
Itinerary Thursday,
November 27
Depart San Francisco. Friday, November 28: Bangkok Arrive in Bangkok. Saturday November 29: Bangkok Rest and optional sightseeing in Bangkok  Sunday November 30: Mahabalipuram We depart Bangkok in the early morning and arrive in Chennai (Madras) around 9 AM. From there, we'll drive 2 hours south to Mahabalipuram . Mahabalipuram is a peaceful seaside town and is famous for its ancient temples and caves. It is a perfect place to rest from our trip as well as begin our explorations of sacred sights.
Tuesday
December 2: Tirupathi
Drive to Tirupathi (6 hours). Visit the nearby Kalahasti Shiva Temple. This is one of the first temples I ever visited in India and one of the most powerful. This impressive temple was carved out of side of an enormous stone hill and contains an elemental air lingam. It is truly a doorway into another world. We'll spend enough time there to allow us to meditate in this very sacred atmosphere. Wednesday December 3: Tirupathi Visit the temple at Tirumala–one the most famous Vishnu temples in India dedicated to Lord Venkateswara More people come here than to Rome or Mecca and many offer their own hair in a tonsure ceremony. It is said that the temple deity is so powerful that he has to have his eyes covered, otherwise the power of his eyes would burn up the entire world! The deity is said to be self-manifested and grants all requests. Thursday December 4: Anathupur We'll begin our two-day drive to Hampi, spending the night along the way in Anathurpur (9 hours). Friday December 5: Hampi Today we will complete our drive to Hampi (8 hours). Once the capital of a powerful empire, Hampi was considered at one time to be greater than Rome. Also Hampi is said to be the place where Lord Rama first met Hanuman. I have been hearing rumors about the ruins of Hampi for years. Hampi is a laid-back and peaceful destination set amidst a strange and beautiful boulder-strewn landscape. People use the words “magical” and “powerful” when describing it. We'll stay here three nights giving us plenty of time to rest and explore. Saturday December 6: Hampi Continue exploring the sights of Hampi. Sunday December 7: Hampi Continue exploring the sights of Hampi.  Monday
December 8: BadamiDrive to Badami (6 hours). Tuesday December 9: Badami Badami is set in beautiful countryside at the foot of a stunning red sandstone ridge. Here we will visit some of the earliest and finest examples of Dravidian temples as well as the famous rock-cut caves. Wednesday December 10: Badami Continue exploring Badami and surrounding villages and sights. Thursday December 11: Gokarna An 8 hour drive will take us to Gokarna. Gokarna is one of the most sacred sites in South India and it's Shiva temple is said to be next in sanctity only to the Vishwanath Shiva temple in Varanasi. Described as a sleepy, charming town, Gokarna also has some nice secluded beaches. We'll stay here 3 nights allowing us plenty of time to rest and explore. Friday December 12: Gokarna Continue exploring Gokarna's temples and beaches. Saturday December 13: Gokarna Optional short day trip 25 km south along the coast to visit the picturesque Murudeshwar temple which is perched on a hillock overlooking the Arabian Sea.  Sunday December 14: Coondapur We'll drive south along the coast then inland through dense jungles to Kollur where we’ll spend some time at the ancient and sacred temple of Mukhambika. This is reputed to be a very powerful temple, full of Shakti (power). This temple contains an elemental jyotir lingam (lingam of light). We'll spend some time meditating here then continue heading south to Coondapur for our over-night stop. Monday December 15: Mangalore We'll continue driving south along the coast to Udupi which is a famous Vaishnavite pilgrimage sight. There we'll visit the Shri Krishna Mutt temple—one of the most important Krishna temples in India. Afterwards, we'll head inland and visit the Jain statue, Babubali, in Karkala and then the 1000 pillared Jain Temple in Moodabidri. Overnight in Mangalore.  Tuesday
December 16: HassanWe'll head inland to Hassan (4 hours) and visit the ancient Lakshmi temple in Doddagaddavalli and the Subrahmanya Temple in Subrahmanya along the way. Wednesday December 17: Mysore Drive to Mysore (3 hours) stopping along the way to visit Sravanabelagola which is one of the oldest and most important Jain pilgrimage centers in India and the site of the huge 60 foot naked statue of Bahubali — said to be the world’s tallest monolithic statue.  Thursday
December 18: MysoreRest and sight seeing in Mysore. Mysore is called the Sandalwood City because if has many sandalwood, rose, jasmine, and other flowering trees. This is where much of the incense and sandalwood oil in India is made. We’ll explore the city including Mysore Palace, one of the most interesting buildings in India, and Devaraja Fruit and Vegetable Market which is one of the most colorful in India. Friday December 19: Delhi We'll drive to Bangalore (4 hours) and catch flight to Delhi where we'll rest and freshen up at a hotel then head to the airport for a late night departure back to the US. Saturday December 20: San Francisco Depart Delhi and arrive in San Francisco (yes the same day!) |