Alleppey
The coir town of Kerala.
Colorful wharf markets and many quiet waterways.


Bangalore
Green and pleasant city.
Cosmopolitan yet gracious.
Nearly 1000 meters above sea level, Bangalore has mild climate.
The city has fine golf course and an excellent race course as well.
A place to attend concerts by renowned musicians.


Belur, Halebid, Sravanabelagola
The exquisitely carved temples in Belur and Halebid are over 800 years old.
Nearby in Sravanabelagola is the monolithic colossus of Gomateswara, a Jain saint.


Hyderabad
The capital of Andhra Pradesh, Hyderabad has distinctive Mongol tradition.
It has rich heritage of mosques, palaces and temples.
The fertile river valley of the state has cradled powerful kingdoms in the past.


Kerala
From Madurai to Kerala, the land of lagoons, hills, forests and coconut groves, is an hour's flight.
Cochin has shimmering backwaters, ancient palaces and churches.
Trivandrum, the state's capital is within easy reach of Kovalam, new beach resort, and Periyar, among the most picturesque of India's wildlife sanctuaries.

All along the coast of South India stretches of warm sands, shaded by groves of casuarinas and stately palms. But perhaps the most dramatic is Kanyakumari, the tip of India, washed by 3 seas.
Here stands Vivekanada Rock Temple, silent sentinel the vast expanse of water.

Madras
In South India, Hindu way of life has flowed almost undisturbed for over 2000 years, thus preserving continuous tradition of dance, music, art and architecture.

An impressive aspect of South India's ancient culture is its great temples. Comparable in many respects to religious and artistic fervor that created the great medieval cathedrals of Europe, these temples are the living symbols of great period of building activity that lasted from 600 to 1600 AD.

South has a great deal to offer. Nature is luxuriant and beautiful in the State of Kerala on West coast; in Tamil Nadu, Nilgiri Hills have rolling downs and meadows.
Mysore State has mighty Jog Falls, set in the midst of luxuriant tropical forests.

Madras city could be the starting point of an odyssey of discovery. About 60 km away in Mahabalipuram (Mamallapuram) known for its rock-cut 7th century monolithic shrines, its beautiful Shore Temple and lovely beach. An interesting excursion.


Mysore
Mysore, like Bangalore, is leisurely city.
Chamundi hill crested with temples and monolithic sacred Nandi bull stands like guardian over the city.

Mysore is resplendent in October when Dussehra festival is celebrated. 10 days of celebration with fireworks, illuminations and processions of cavalry and richly caparisoned elephants.
Nearby the island fortress of Sriragapanta and Brindavan gardens.


Nagarjunasagar
Over 100 km from Hyderabad, this mighty irrigation and multi-purpose dam across the river Krishna is located on the site of the 2000 years old Buddhist ruins of Nagarjunakonda, now preserved in fine Island Museum in the midst of the reservoir.


Tiruchirapalli, Thanjavur, Mandurai
Further South is the charming town of Tiruchirapalli, whose landmark is the temple built on a rock, rising abruptly to over 66 meters.
8 km from Tiruchirapalli is the island of Srirangam, which contains one of South India's biggest temples, surrounded by 7 walls. The temple and its precincts actually from a township.

About 350 km South of Madras, or 50 km East of Tiruchi, is Thanjavur, well-known for its great 11th century Siva Temple. The spire of the temple, considered masterpiece of workmanship, rises to 58 meters.

Perhaps even better known is the great Meenakshi Temple in Madurai, 552 km South of Madras. The highest of the temple's ten towers is 46 meters. The temple has a hall of thousand pillars and some of its life-size sculptures are marvels of artistic skill.

India