Splendors of Kerala Temples

Welcome at Cochin Airport & proceed to Guruvayoor. The abode of Lord Sree Guruvayoorappan. Guruvayoor has emerged as one of the most important places of worship in Southern India like Tirupati and Sabarimala. It is more than a spiritual journey for hundreds and thousands of people who visit Guruvayoor irrespective of their age and origin. The scenic beauty and serenity are breath taking. On arrival check in at hotel. By evening visit Guruvayoor temple for Darshan. Overnight stay at Hotel.

After breakfast, check out from hotel & proceed to Cochin. On the way visit Vadakkumnathan Temple & Kodungallur Bhagavathy temple in Thrissur. Vadakkumnathan is the first Shiva temple created by Lord Parasurama. Shiva here is more popularly known as Vadakkunnathan. This temple is surrounded by a massive stone wall enclosing an area of nearly 8-9 acres. Inside this fortification there are four gopurams & a multi-shrined complex in the center with three principal shrines dedicated to Shiva. The idol of Shiva, which is not visible, is covered under a mount of ghee, formed by the daily abhisheka (ablution) with ghee over the years. A devotee looking at the sanctum now sees a thirteen-foot high mount of ghee embellished with thirteen cascading crescents of gold and three serpent hoods at top. Kodungallur Bhagavathy Temple is one of the supreme temple which is installed by Parasurama. It is believed that this temple built in the period of Cheran Chenguttavan. The temple has been associated with animal sacrifices. It was one among the first temple which removed the caste and religion restrictions of people for worshipping temple. Spend the afternoon with cochin sightseeing covering the historical towns of Fort Cochin & Mattancherry which consists of wonderfully built atmosphere – thick with the smell of the past. Jewish Synagogue - a 400-year old synagogue. Enter the synagogue & the large main hall arrests your attention with display of rare antique objects that add to the grandeur of the place. Secondly, The St. Francis Church well-known for its beautiful architecture & ambience & is believed to be one of the oldest churches built by the Europeans in India. Santa Cruz Basilica - one of the eight Basilicas in India, this church is one of the finest & most impressive churches & visited by tourists the whole year round. Vasco House (built in the Portuguese style of architecture) is believed to be the house where Vasco Da Gama stayed during his visits to Kochi, right until his death in 1524. Later visit Fort Kochi beach & Chinese Fishing Nets - Nowhere else in India could you find such giant fishing nets from China. Overnight stay at Hotel.

After breakfast, check out from hotel & proceed to Varkala. A calm and quiet hamlet, on the outskirts of Trivandrum. Varkala is the only place in southern Kerala where cliffs are found adjacent to the Arabian Sea. It is a very ideal tourist spot surrounded by the greenery, beautiful meadows, deep puzzling valleys and dales. On arrival check in at hotel & later out for sightseeing. Varkala has several places of interests like a Beautiful beach, a 2000-year-old Vishnu Temple & the Ashramam - Sivagiri Mutt. The Papanasam beach (also called as Varkala beach) is renowned for the natural spring. It is considered to have medicinal and curative properties. A dip in the holy waters at this beach is believed to purge the body of impurities and the soul of all sins. Secondly visit the 2,000-year old Janardana Swami Temple which is an important Vaishnavaite shrine in India. The temple is located close to the Papanasam beach, which is considered to have holy waters which wash away sins. The temple has an ancient bell removed from a shipwreck, donated by the captain of the Dutch vessel which sank near Varkala without causing any casualties. The Sivagiri Mutt, founded by the great Hindu reformer Sree Narayana Guru & is also close by. The Samadhi (the final resting place) of the Guru here attracts thousands of devotees every year during the Sivagiri Pilgrimage days. Overnight stay at Hotel.

After breakfast, check out from hotel & proceed to Kanyakumari. It is surrounded by Majestic Hills & sea-shores, fringed with coconut trees & paddy fields. On the way visit Suchindram – a holy place located on the bank of the river Pazhayar, & in Kanyakumari visit Vivekananda Rock Memorial – a sacred monument which is believed that it was on this rock that Goddess Kanyakumari did Tapas. Secondly visit Thiruvalluvar statue – a memorial statue of Thiruvalluvar. The pedestal of the statue is of 38 feet height & the statue over it is 95 feet tall with a grand total of 133 feet for the entire sculpture. Overnight stay at Hotel.

After breakfast proceed for sightseeing of Trivandrum, city of the Holy Ananth which is named after Ananthan, the cosmic serpent with a thousand heads. Visit Sri Padmanabhaswamy Temple (260 yrs old) - the most religious icon of the city built by the Travancore Royal family, here the deity Padmanabha reclines on the sacred serpent & is made from over 10,000 salagramam (sacred stones) that were transported from Nepal by elephant. Secondly visit Puthe Maliga Palace Museum - a 200 year old palace which has carved wooden ceilings, marble sculptures & imported Belgian glass. Inside you’ll find Kathakali images, an armoury, portraits of maharajas, ornate thrones & other artefacts. By evening proceed to Shankumugham Beach, the beach is well known for its breathtaking sunset view which is such memorable moment whose beauty will refresh your mind. The beautiful sculpture of a mermaid is a major attraction here, this giant statue is more than 35m long. Later return to Kovalam. Overnight stay at the Hotel.

After breakfast, check out from hotel & transfer to Trivandrum airport for departure, back to home with beautiful memories of God's Own Country.