Kalinga Empire Tour
Kalinga was a republic in central-eastern India. Its country comprised of most of the current state of Orissa, as well as some northern regionss of the bordering state of Andhra Pradesh. Kalinga was a rich and fertile land that extended from the river Subarnarekha to Godavari and from Bay of Bengal to Amarkantak range in the West. The kingdom had a formidable maritime empire with trading routes linking Sri Lanka, Burma, Thailand, Vietnam, Borneo, Bali, Sumatra and Java.
Places Covered: Delhi, Bhubaneshwar,Puri,Hyedrabad, Tirupati.
Day 01 - Arrive Delhi :On arrival transfer to hotel. Overnight at hotel.
Day 02 - Delhi - Bhubaneshwar:After breakfast transfer to Airport to connect flight for Bhubaneshwar. On arrival transfer to hotel. Bhubaneshwar - The temple city which has a cluster of some 500 temples chronologically arranged and still standing. Afternoon city tour visiting the Lingaraja temple built in the 11th century. The Presiding deity is Lord Shiva. See the Mukteshwar temple with its famous stone arch at the entrance, a gem of Orissan architecture and onto the 11th century Raja Rani temple. Overnight at hotel.
Day 03 - Bhubaneshwar - Puri (approx 56 Kms. 1 ½ hrs. drive):After breakfast drive to Puri. Puri - The home of numerous artisans and craftsmen who produce rare and exquisite handicrafts of a large variety. En-route visit the famous Sun Temple at Konark. See the giant celestial chariot of the Sun God, pulled by seven exquisitely carved ornamented horses. On arrival transfer to hotel. Rest of the time is free on white sandy beaches of Puri. The beach at Puri is one of the finest in the world.
Day 04 - Puri:Watching the sunrise in a symphony of colours is a wondrous experience. After breakfast visit the 12th century Jaganath Temple. One of the four sacred places for the Hindus, the Puri temple is dedicated to lord Jagannath. Jagannath literally means the Lord of the Universe. This 65meter tall temple can be seen long before entering the town of Puri. The tallest and the most magnificent temples of Orissa. The Jagannath temple was built by the Kalinga King Chodganga in the beginning of the12th century. The Gundicha temple - The Gundicha temple which is just a km away from the Jagannath temple of Puri is also known as the aunt's house. The most famous festival of Puri, the Rath Yatra, has connections with this ancient temple. Rest of the time is free for leisure at beaches. Overnight at hotel.
Day 05 -Puri - Bhubaneshwar - Hyderabad :Morning is free for leisure. Later drive to Bhubaneshwar to connect flight for Hyderabad. On arrival transfer to hotel. Hyderabad, the capital of Andhra Pradesh, INDIA, is the city of Love and Joy! On arrival transfer to hotel. Later in the evening visit Hitech City, Hussain Sagar - Constructed in the year 1562, the magnificent Hussain Sagar connects the twin cities of Hyderabad and Secunderabad. Subsequently, 33 statues of the regions historical figures were placed all along the bund that ran across the lake. Buddha Statue - Tank Bund. From the midst of the calm clear waters of the Hussain Sagar emerges a 16m tall, 350 tonne statue of Lord Buddha. The statue of Lord Buddha is placed on a huge rock in the middle of the lake. Overnight at hotel.
Day 06 - Hyderabad: After breakfast sightseeing tour to Hyderabad visit Birla Mandir, Ramoji Film City, Birla Planetarium, Salarjung Museum, Charminar, The Mecca Masjid, Golconda, Qutub Shahi Tombs. Overnight at hotel.
Day 07 - Hyderabad - Tirupati:Early morning transfer to Airport to connect flight to Tirupati. On arrival transfer to hotel. Tirupati - Tirupati is famous world wide as the abode of Lord Venkateshwara popularly known as Tirupati Balaji an incarnation of Lord Vishnu. One of the most sacred pilgrimage Hindu site. Later sightseeing tour to Triputi includes Tirupati Balaji temple - is the world''s richest temple dedicated to Tirupati Balaji. Tirupati, meaning husband of Goddess Lakshmi, the Sri Govindarajaswami temple dedicated to an incarnation of Lord Vishnu. The temple has an imposing gopuram and the main sanctuaries in the temple are dedicated to Vishnu and Krishna. The only temple dedicated to Lord Shiva in the area is the Kapileswaraswami Temple situated at the foot hills of the Tirumala Hill. Set amidst all the Vaishnava temples, there is also a sacred waterfall called Kapila Teertham or Alwar Teertham located here. Built by a Chola king during the tenth century A.D., the Kodandaramaswami Temple is situated in the heart of Tirupati-Balaji town dedicated to Lord Rama. The temple has idols of Lord Rama, Sita and Lakshmana.
Day 08 - Tirupati - Delhi - onward destination:After breakfast transfer to Airport to connect flight for Delhi. On arrival at Delhi proceed for onward destination.
