Sacred Ganges - Kasi Trail

Banaras, Varanasi or Kasi is a Kaleidoscope. It is also a phoenix among cities having emerged more vibrant and colorful from the many destructions it has faced. It is considered the home of 330 million gods who are held together by an enormous corpus of mythology and are the very essence of the city. The human endeavor is equally inspiring. Rich textiles, Unique handicrafts, delectable food, intriguing aphorism, eternal Ganga, serene Ghats, the ever-consuming flames of Manikarnika and the adobe of Lord Vishwanath and much more. In the tradition of Annapurna, the goddess of food, this city whets the appetite of the scholar and the layman. The sacred Ganges is a specially tailored itinerary to give you an immersive cultural experience in Temples, Architecture, Rituals, Food and Music in the Kasi right in the heart of the Ganges that sustained it. The tour will take you to heritage sites in and around the Varanasi. We will travel to sites of incredible historical importance guided by Madhusudhanan Kalaichelvan, one of the most well informed and scholarly subject matter experts. Madhusudhanan is the Chief Curator for Swarajya Heritage. He is an architect, conservationist, painter, epigraphist and has been conducting guided heritage tours through Road Access to Temples Heritage And Monuments (RATHAM) a part of Katrali Heritage Essentials LLP. Over 4 days you will feel, authentic Banarasi food, traditional weaving, the trip down the Ganga, the serene Ghats, the outstanding places of learning, Sarnath. It is a packed eclectic itinerary that awaits you. For the true flavor of the city to sink in, we have designed various walks. Come with us to savor this city which predates history and promises Eternal Moksha.

Tamil Nadu is famous for its temples famous for their master buildings, articulate detailing and the overall sense of grandeur that astonishes a visitor. These temples constructed years ago have been in worship till date. Since ages these temples have been a centre of spirituality, religious movements and the politics. The Cholas were among India’s greatest empire builders with their influence and reach hitting its zenith around the 10-12th century. This period also saw new schools of architecture emerge and flourish – some of these traditions are in existence even today. What you will experience 1. An exhaustive guided tour of the architectural marvels at Chidambaram, Thanjavur and Trichy. 2. Reliving Kalki’s Ponniyin Selvan in the lap of river Kaveri and its delta distributaries.  3. An immersive cultural experience in the art and architecture of the Chola empire in the heart of the river that sustained it. 4. Revisting the Cholas to know who they were, why and how they built the great temples and be able to fully appreciate the great architectural traditions. Your expert We will be guided by Madhusudhanan Kalaichelvan, one of the most well informed and scholarly subject matter experts. Madhusudhanan is the Chief Curator for Swarajya Heritage. He is an architect, conservationist, painter, epigraphist and has been conducting guided heritage tours through Road Access to Temples Heritage And Monuments (RATHAM).

Join us for a two days, one night excursion to Tiruvannamalai, the town named after the sacred hill that dominates the landscape. Your group will be accompanied by a historian. The Annamalaiyar or Arunachaleshwara temple and the city has been under active worship even before the Pallava dynasty (3rd century BCE) and it was during this time, the Nayanmar saints sanctified the city by their pilgrimage and songs composed on the deity. The tour group will also be accompanied by a trained classical singer who shall render some of the great bhakti works written on the temple deity(ies).  What you will experience: 1. An exhaustive guided tour of the ten hectares large Arunachalesvara Temple including the 1000-pillared hall, outer shrines and the main gopurams. 2. Be mesmerized by vocal renditions of bhakti poetry written centuries ago on the temple deity by your accompanying singer. 3. An introduction to the historic past of the temple, including detailed discussions on inscriptions and architectural contributions of South India's major ruling dynasties.  4. A silent walk around the sacred Arunachala hill (About 1 km long) 5. Listen to the rituals practiced in the temple, details about the festivals and local traditions. Your Guide: Madhusudhanan Kalaiselvan, a PhD in architecture, a well renowed conservationist and scholar, has many years of study and experience in conducting guided tours of heritage sites across Tamil Nadu. Accompanied By: Vidushi Ramya, a vocal and ghatam artist from Chennai. She learnt music in the traditional fashion: from her family initially and then from Smt Vijayanagarajan and Shri Lalgudi V. Rajasekhar. She has been performing concerts from the age of 16 and is part of an all women band. This tour will be operated by Katrali.

Kalidasa said, “Pushpeshu jati, purusheshu Vishnu; narishu Rambha, nagareshu Kanchi”. Of cities, it is Kanchi, he said. It is not a surprise he said that given the wonders that are strewn around this town that is a microcosm of India, its magnificent structures testifying to its glorious past as a melting pot of cultures and faiths. Kanchi was a cosmopolitan city even back then when it was the capital of the Pallavas. It was home to all major faiths - Shaivism, Vaishnavism, Jainism, Buddhism, which blossomed in all their glory. It is a city that witnessed the reign of many majestic kingdoms - the Pallavas, the Cholas, the Vijayanagara empire - that have all left their imprints in time in the form of the matchless pieces of architecture that be its temples. Pallavas ruled a portion of southern India and dominated the Telugu and northern parts of the Tamil region for about 600 years until the end of the 9th century. Pallavas are most noted for their patronage of architecture, the finest example being the Shore Temple, a UNESCO World Heritage Site in Mahabalipuram. The Pallavas, who left behind magnificent sculptures and temples, established the foundations of medieval South Indian architecture.  This tour is a specially tailored itinerary to give you an immersive understanding of the Pallavas and their temple architecture. This tour will be across Kanchipuram and Mahabalipuram where we can find the finest examples of the architecture from the Pallava period. Kanchi is considered as the “City of Thousand Temples”, most of which, be it ancient or new, are living temples. This tour will be led by Dr. Madhusudhanan Kalaichelvan, one of the most well informed and scholarly subject matter experts. An architect, conservationist, painter, epigraphist, he has been conducting guided heritage tours through Road Access to Temples Heritage And Monuments (RATHAM).