Pongal Festival

(Jan) - Tamil Nadu Pongal Festival

CHENNAI (1) - MADURAI PONGAL FESTIVAL (3) - COVELONG BEACH (3) - CHENNAI (0)) = 7 nights

Pongal is yet another ancient festival dating back to the Sangam Age that is somewhere between 200B.C to 300A.D.It was the beginning of the Tamil month of Thai and corresponds with the end of the harvest season.

Overview

Pongal marks the end of the winters and the ushering of the lively and vibrant spring season. The Tamil culture upholds this as the most important celebrations in a year. This four day celebration begins with the first day that calls for burning all the unwanted the household as a bon fire and preparing to welcome the New Year the next day. Pongal marks the beginning of several auspicious dates in the Thai month. You might even get to see some lucky couples who had been waiting for this date for their wedlock!

Spiritually speaking this is actually a way to express one’s gratitude towards Mother Nature for granting the rainfall and the flourishing harvest that in turn brings prosperity. You can capture some colourful shots of the busy and decorated temples apart from people thronging for community meals too. A little wild and young spirit is added in the bull control contests and several such interesting events which call for a collective participation. All said and done the real and authentic celebration can be witnessed and enjoyed more in the villages. Here the farmers worship the Sun God by offering a sweet made of rice; the sacred crop and milk. This dessert is offered along with fruits, coconut, camphor and flowers.

It is a beautiful sight to see every home decorated with a colour pattern arrangement called Rangoli done outside. It is all about family reunions; get together, reconciliation and harmony irrespective of caste and religion and chasing away the darkness of hatred and enmity if any.

It is a different style of welcoming the New Year but surely a memorable one!!

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Outlined Itinerary

Day 01 - Chennai
Arrive Chennai, meet and transfer to your hotel. Later proceed for city tour of Chennai. Visit the museum to see the bronze gallery with its superb collection of Chola art. Drive past the flower and fruit market, High Court building, arina beach. Visit the San Thome Cathedral, Kapeeleshwar Temple and Snake Park.
Day 02 - Madurai
Today at an appropriate time, you will be met and transferred to Chennai airport to board your flight for Madurai 1030-1155. Arrive Madurai and transfer to your hotel. Later you will take a private guided tour of Madurai, visiting the great Meenakshi Temple dedicated to the consort of Lord Shiva. Also visit the Tirumala Nayak Palace, a gracious 17th century building in the Indo-Saracenic style famous for stuccowork on its domes and arches.
Day 03 - Madurai
After breakfast, you will visit the nearby villages to witness the Pongal Festival activities.
Day 04 - Madurai
After breakfast, you will visit the nearby villages to witness the Pongal Festival activities.
Day 05 - Covelong
Today at an appropriate time, you will be met and transferred to Madurai airport to board your flight for Chennai 0840-1005. Arrive Chennai and drive to the beachside of Covelong (01 Hr). Arrive Covelong and rest of the day will at leisure.
Day 06 - Covelong
After breakfast, day is at leisure to relax beachside at your hotel.
Day 07 - Covelong
After breakfast, day is at leisure to relax beachside at your hotel.
Day 08 - Chennai
Breakfast is at the Hotel. Today at an appropriate time, you will be met and transferred to Chennai International airport to connect with your homebound or onwards flight... or travel to you next destination if you would like to add to this tour.

All our tours and holidays are tailor made so can be amended to suite your budget. Click on our from prices below to see what hotels you can expect based on the cheapest time to travel in High Season per person based on two people sharing a room. We can design this tour for you at a lower or higher price, basically to suite your budget, style and comfort. Contact a specialist to discuss your requirements. International flights are not included.

What's Included

The prices shown are per person and given as a guide price based on the hotels featured. Twin or Double share on a bed & breakfast basis unless otherwise mentioned in the day to day itinerary. Single supplements or triple share reductions are available on request. All our tours include a local government registered private guide for sightseeing, unless day at leisure is mentioned.

Road Travel

Private luxury vehicle and driver.

Train travel

If mentioned in the tour will be booked in best class available.

Domestic Flights

If mentioned in the tour will be based on economy class.

All our tours are tailor made and can be changed to suite each individual client, so we can design this or any tour to suite your budget.

Contact a member of our team and tell us how much you want to spend, we can then work with you to produce a tour that consists of all that you wish for within reason, at a price that fits within your budget. There will be compromises but we are sure we can help you.

International flights

International flights are not included as we have clients from all over the world that make their own way to India & the subcontinent. Mystic India then comes in to its own with all arrangements on arrival from meet and greet to assistance with departure.

International flights in economy class from the UK start from around £500 - £700 each. This is of course dependent on which airline you choose, your destination in India, how far in advance you book and your travel dates.

We can arrange flights for you, just ask our team for an accurate price for when you wish to travel.

Suggestions to help bring the cost down

  • We can suggest alternative hotels
  • Maybe exchange a few nights in hotels for homestays
  • What about shortening the duration a little
  • If you want to do your own sightseeing and not have a private guide, then this will help bring the price down a little.
  • What about travelling in low season, there are some very good offers around for travel in April and May.

Work with us to help you, we are sure we can design a memorable tour in the budget and duration you would like.

Contact Us - we are here to be of service.

What's Included

The prices shown are per person and given as a guide price based on the hotels featured. Twin or Double share on a bed & breakfast basis unless otherwise mentioned in the day to day itinerary. Single supplements or triple share reductions are available on request. All our tours include a local government registered private guide for sightseeing, unless day at leisure is mentioned.

Road Travel

Private luxury vehicle and driver.

Train travel

If mentioned in the tour will be booked in best class available.

Domestic Flights

If mentioned in the tour will be based on economy class.

All our tours are tailor made and can be changed to suite each individual client, so we can design this or any tour to suite your style and in the mode of luxury you are accustomed too.

Contact a member of our team to discuss the details for the style of luxury tour you would like.

International flights

International flights are not included as we have clients from all over the world that make their own way to India & the subcontinent. Mystic India then comes in to its own with all arrangements on arrival from meet and greet to assistance with departure.

International flights in economy class from the UK start from around £500 - £700 each. This is of course dependent on which airline you choose, your destination in India, how far in advance you book and your travel dates.

We can arrange flights for you, just ask our team for an accurate price for when you wish to travel.

Treat yourself

  • Based on the current hotels, we can arrange higher room grades or suites.
  • We can suggest alternative hotels if a choice is available in any of the locations featured.
  • We can upgrade your private vehicle to eg; a Mercedes for around town sightseeing, but would recommend the more robust Toyota Innova or similar for longer road journeys.
  • For a more in-depth experience we can arrange for a private guide to accompany you throughout your tour, travelling with you.
  • For real luxury, we can organise a private jet instead of the normal domestic carriers.
  • If time allows may we suggest that you add in some extra days to really soak up some of the locations, or perhaps a spell beachside at the end of your tour.

You may have your own ideas on how you would like to upgrade this tour, let us know. Speak to a specialist who can advise how best to design a tour for the ultimate luxurious experience, as each location offers different opportunities.

Work with us to help you - we can design a bespoke itinerary that offers you a memorable trip base around your personal and meticulous style of travel.

Contact Us - we are here to be of service

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