DAY ONE Grounding

... Arrive in Chennai at 08h20 after our connecting  flight from Dubai. Transfer to the nearby coastal town of Mahabalipuram by car.
Check in and have breakfast at Hotel Mamalla Heritage (quiet & central) in town.
Tour of ancient rock carvings  ...mostly 6th Cent.
Visit to the College of Sculpture & Archeology Museum...and meet the modern stone carvers..
Visit to the Shore Temple on reclaimed land next to the sea...

DAY TWO Orientation

... Ishvara teaches you how to barter and shop the Indian way.
Day at your own leisure...various options:

DAY THREE Physical

... Leave early by car to the Holy mountain of Arunachala....
Stopping to explore the remote Gingee Fort.... built in the 15th century and surrounded by huge boulders. After lunch in the town of Tiruvanamalai we'll climb Arunachala hill... to see the incredible view and meet various yogis living on the hill.
Our visit will include the Ashram of Sri Ramana Maharshi...and a visit to his hut Skandasram. The evening will be spent watching the fire ceremony at the huge temple below the hill.

DAY FOUR Intellectual

... Morning: Tiger cave (5km) carving, lingams, shrine of Durga. Visit to Dakshina Chitra Complex: Learn about village life in Rural India. Ishvara teaches about culture, talks about fertility rites. Village deities. Matriarchal society. Lunch in the village complex.
.... Afternoon: Ice house - quiet, where saint Vivekananda stayed many years ago. A walk through documentation of Vedic culture & Hinduism, .....man's quest for the self. Meet the local swami. Meditation, beach walk. 15 km of beach, one of the biggest beaches in the world. Ramakrishna centre, place to meditate, extensive bookshop.

DAY FIVE Sensual

... Visit holy town of Kanchipuram.
A.m.: Try to get into Kamakshi Temple (early, wearing traditional Hindu dress...No non Hindus allowed) - Goddess of Desire. Lots of other temples to see in the Holy town.
Visit to the famous Silk factories ...oppurtunity to buy best silk in South India.
Afternoon spent at your own leisure.

DAY SIX Devotional

... Day in Chennai City
Am: Kapalishvara temple (Hindu) Experience modern temple life. Dedicated to Shiva. Those wishing to enter will have to wear Traditional dress..Saries/Dhotis...
Lunch at good Tamil restaurant "Saravanabhava" learn about traditional cooking. Afternoon at the Theosophical Society headquarters: Explore huge gardens of Theosophical society, home of Madame Blavatsky, Krishnamurti and Annie Besant, world's biggest Banyan tree. Great esoteric bookshop.
Dinner in Chennai city. Evening of Classical Dance at the Kalakshetra Academy

DAY SEVEN Reorientate

... Fly to Bhubaneshwar from Chennai at 08h40 arriving at 10h30, then drive through jungle to Jaganath Puri on the coast. Check in at Mayfair hotel on the beach. Day at leisure to explore the town of Puri famous for Pilgrims of Krishna (the Divine Lover)...

DAY EIGHT Assimilate

... Jaganath Puri. Visit to the huge Jaganath temple (Visnu temple)
Experience the Bhakti way of devotion. Ishvara will explain the intricasies of Hinduism.
Visit all the many people involved in Temple life.

DAY NINE Dakini Day

... Explore temple at Hirapur 64 Dakinis Temple dedicated to Goddess nymphs. One of only four such temples in the world. Explore Lingaraj temple /Rajarani temple... famous Tantric sites and visit various other sacred sites in Bhubaneshwar.

DAY TEN Buddhist Day

... visit Dhauli - forest where Ashoka's conversion to Buddhism took place after he slaughtered 150 000 people. Explore the Japanese Peace Pagoda on a nearby hill and rural Indian villages. Visit to Udaigiri & Khandagiri on either side of a valley. These 44 monastic caves were built in the 2nd cent BC... soon after the Buddha attained Enlightenment

DAY ELEVEN Sun Day

... Konark Sun Temple and day for the beach. Explore the famous Sun Temple and the Navagraha (surrounding nine planet temples) Konark has some of the most beautiful Tantric sculptures in India. Various sexual poses.

DAY TWELVE Craft Day

... Pipli - market famous for appliqués and other beautiful textile work.
Visit to the town of Cuttack famous for its silver work.

DAY THIRTEEN Colonial Majesty Day

... Travel back to Mumbai on Deccan Air at 11h30 arriving at 13h30. Check in to the modern Godwin Hotel on the Collaba Causeway near the Harbour and explore the City of Mumbai...

DAY FOURTEEN Final Day

... Spend the day taking in the sights of India's most glamourous city.
Visit to the Prince of Wales Museum. Lunch at Leopolds Old Parsi Restaurant...
Visit to the Homespun Gandhi Emporium for last minute shopping...
Visit to Mahalaxmi -the temple of the Super Rich..
Our flight leaves in the early hours of friday morning for Dubai...Then on to Joburg.