Sacred Journeys: Exploring Tirunelveli’s Mystic Saints

For the detailed itinerary, please contact us at info@bluecanvasexp.com
or call (+91)-90083 06688

Duration

2 day tour

Group size

10 -20 pax

Age

10+yrs

Tour

Dates

4th to 5th January 2025

This tour of Tirunelveli takes you into the world of Alvars and Nayanars, the Vaishnavite and Saivite saints, who started the Bhakti movement and redefined devotion through music. It was in the green and verdant villages of Tirunelveli that these saints composed songs of a simple life and the spiritual connection with the divine. Author, historian and story teller Dr. Pradeep Chakravarthy takes you through the temples of Tirunelveli exploring its sacred core, its living rituals and how all of it comes together in chants and crafts! This tour is Priceless, especially for parents who would like to take their children on an immersive cultural experience

Tirunelveli is a place that is widely recognized for its historic religious sites related to Alvars and Nayanars, Vaishnavaite and Shaivite saints who left a deep impact in Tamil Nadu. Also, The red sand dunes of the Theri Kaadu desert in Tirunelveli, are a geological wonder. The dunes are made of marine deposits that date back to 2.6 million years ago.

Experience Highlights

Visit the famous Alwarthirunagari Perumal Temple and understand the story behind the Alavars, the famous Vaishnavite saints of Tamil Nadu and explore the Alavar hymns. It is one of the 108 Divya Desams dedicated to Vishnu, who is worshipped as Adinathar and his consort Lakshmi as Athinathanayagi.
Visit the Naliappar Shiva temple temple, understand its connection with spirituality and dance. This temple is one of the five places where Lord Shiva is said to have displayed his dance and has a copper ‘ambalam’ or a dance stage of Lord Shiva
Experience the intricate art of wooden carving and try your hand at basket weaving and palm leaf weaving
Visit the little known Therikadur, a red sand desert, which is a geological marvel in Tamil nadu

Exclusive for Mastercard holders

Special pooja at the famous Alwar Tirunagari temple or Nellaiyappar temple
A unique performance of temple hymns by a ‘Oduvar’ a traditional temple singer singing 2000 year old Sangam era hymns
Exclusive storytelling and discussions with the guide and expert of this tour
A personalised gift from Peepul Tree

Other inclusions

The meals will offer traditional delights of traditional Tamil cuisine local to the Tirunelveli region (Veg / Non-Veg options available)
All entrance fees
Donations at the temple
A renowned storyteller as your guide during the trip
Travel within this tour via private taxis
This tour can be further customised to your needs - additions or deletions to the tour. Applicable only for private tours

Exclusions

Return travel to Tirunelveli
Hotel accommodation. However, we can support you with accommodation reservations on special request
Any meals or services not mentioned in the itinerary
Alcohol purchase
Refreshments at local cafés or street food joints are left to the preference of our guests, and are not included in the tour
Personal expenses like tips, telephone calls, laundry etc
Expenses arising out of unexpected fuel hikes & any cost arising out of unforeseen circumstances such as bad weather, Landslides, road conditions and any other circumstances which is beyond our control
Medical or travel insurance
Cost towards evacuation of guest in medical emergency or any other reason
Additional GST

Itinerary

Day 1

12:00 hrs – Arrive in Tirunelveli

12:30 hrs– Tour starts with Lunch at Alwar Tirunagari, Anantya Resorts. Post lunch, rest or check-in into respective hotels

14:00 hrs – Meet for coffee at the “Rezhi” or entrance hall of Anantya Resorts

14:20hrs – 14:30 hrs – Drive to Adichanalur, an ancient Iron-age burial site located in the Thoothukudi District of Tamil Nadu. We spend the afternoon discovering and listening in to stories of this site which 2000 years ago, supplied the best luxury goods for the grandest and poshest parties of ancient Rome. Many a mansion in Venice was built with profits from the goods that passed through this sleepy , barren spot beside the Tambraparni river. The museum has many burial sites, there are no spooky stories but we have evidence of the many objects that were used in daily life, children by seeing these will learn how to observe, analyse and make hypothesis and have them confirmed.

15:30hrs – 17:00hrs – We arrive at Andichip paarai an incomplete cave to discover how temples began in the deccan region and of how Gods and Goddesses have their own popularity charts! Children will learn how the ancient mother goddess tradition from Adichanallur transformed into worshiping Lakshmi and her less popular Jyeshta or elder sister. The cave temple in the wilderness provides an ideal spot to see how the grand temples had small beginnings.

18:00hrs – 20:00 hrs – Dinner at Anantya with a craft activity on what children saw and heard that day

Day 2

07:00 hrs – Breakfast

08:00 hrs – Depart for the Chola temples of Bramhadesam and Tiruvaleeswaram. These temples beside the Ghatana river are quiet villages time has forgotten. Both have stunning sculptures with many stories to delight adults and children. They also are visually grand and impressive and have much information on how societies lived around the temple. In one of the temples, we will learn how to play a traditional board gave found on many temple floors.

You are encouraged to buy at least one set for each family of aadu puli aattam (the tigers and goat game), Your guide will teach how to play this at the venue. These are aslo available at Kreeda Games in Madras.

13:00hrs – return to Alwar Tirunagari for lunch at Anantya Resorts

15:00hrs – 17:00 hrs – Craft activities for children – learning how to draw a kolam on the floor and learn what it teaches about living life productively. Time permitting, children can learn to make a flower garlands or eco friendly jewellery using coconut leaves.

17:00 hrs to 19:00 hrs – A visit to the Alwar Tirunagari temple (one of the most important for tamil Vishnu devotees) to learn the story and poetry of Nammalwar. Nammalwar was a 8^th Century CE saint – poet. His verses contrinuted to the temple being a magnificent gem of art and architecture in Tamil Nadu. Using his verses, let us learn how we can be happy in our lives and persuade others more effectively.

20:00 hrs onwards– Dinner at the resort with a fun craft activity on what children saw and heard that day

——End of tour—–

About the Expert

Dr. Pradeep Chakravarthy

Dr. Pradeep Chakravarthy, a noted author, and storyteller, is your expert guide for an unforgettable heritage trip to the temples of Tirunelveli. A graduate of the London School of Economics and JNU, Dr. Chakravarthy holds a PhD in history, specializing in the role of temples in the socio-economic and political life of medieval Tamil Nadu. With over ten authored books, his profound knowledge offers unique perspectives that make history come alive. This tour has been curated by Peepul Tree Stories with on-ground support by Blue Canvas experiences.

About the Partner

Peepul tree is a platform that showcases the finest Indian artistry and the stories behind them. We travel through India, and help you rediscover great stories and handmade treasures. We bring out the best of Infinite India.

Experience T&Cs

This offer is valid on the basis of minimal participants of 10pax and maximum of 20pax during this tour
This offer is exclusive of air fare and travel outside of the package
Pick up and drop from the nearest airport at additional charges.
Purchases made outside of the package will be billed to the guest directly.
This package does not include alcoholic beverages
In case of Foreign Nationals, monument entry and fees may vary as per Government charges and permissions.

What to expect

As these are ancient temples, you can expect a crowd of followers and bustling streets
You can expect religious practices, chants and devotional offerings at the temples
You may be expected to remove your footwear and to cover your head at the temples
Temperatures may be warm and sultry
We may come across areas where the streets are not clean, but our efforts will towards avoiding those tracks

Others

The tour is experienced best on foot. Hence, we recommend wearing comfortable walking shoes/ slip ons

Due to uneven surfaces, this tour is not recommended for those with walking disabilities

Incase, you need special assistance, please do get in touch with us to know your options

Each walk can range from 30mins to a few hours, with breaks planned in between

Cotton clothing and a hat is preferred to prevent the heat of the day

Please wear clothes that cover your knees and shoulders as you will visit areas of worship during the tour

We aim to provide breaks for rest with refreshments during our walk, however as these are temple walks and the closest break point may be a distance away

Booking terms

Booking lead time -
- Expression of interest 15 days in advance
- Details of the itinerary, to be mailed separately to guest.
Cancellation and refund policy -
- 100% payment is refundable 10 days in advance of the tour
- 50% payment is refundable 5 days in advance of the tour
- Payment is non-refundable post 5 days leading up to the tour

Payment Policy:

100% payment upon booking

Pricing

Package cost INR 18000/- per person
Children above 15yrs to be charged at full price
Children between the ages of 10yrs to 15yrs can avail of a student discount
Not recommended for children below 10yrs
This price excludes personal purchases, special diet requests, alcoholic beverages and extras which are not included in the package
GST and service taxes additional

For the detailed itinerary, please contact us at info@bluecanvasexp.com
or call (+91)-90083 06688