examples of Pallava art. It is believed by some that this area served as a
school for young sculptors. The different sculptures, some half finished, may
have been examples of di f ferent styles of archi tecture, probably
demonstrated by instructors and practiced on by young students. This can be
seen in the Pancha Rathas where each Ratha is sculpted in a different style.
These five Rathas were all carved out of a single piece of granite in situ.
While excavating Khajuraho, Alex Evans a stone mason and sculptor
recreated a stone sculpture made out of sandstone, which is softer than
granite, under 4 feet that took about 60 days to carve. The carving at
Mahabal ipuram must have requi red hundreds of highl y sk i l led
sculptors.Check in at a hotel in Mahabalipuram and move for a sightseeing
tour of the town.Overnight stay at hotel.
Day 4:
-
Morning after breakfast drive to Pondicherry after breakfast
and enroute visit to Tiruvannnamalai.Tiruvannamalai is
known for everlasting peace and divine with the proud
possession of the holy shrine of Lord Arunachaleswara and
Ashrams. Tiruvannamalai is a town in the state of Tamil Nadu in India
situated 185 km from Chennai/Madras and 210 km from Bangalore
(Karnataka). This Tiruvannamalai is one of the greatest Saivite shrines in
India, on a sprawling 24 acre temple campus, drawing hundreds of thousands
of pilgrims every full moon. The hill here is considered to be a manifestation
of SivaVisit various temples located there and proceed for Pondicherry after
lunch.On arrival at Pondicherry, check-in and overnight stay at hotel.
Day 5:
Drive to Aurobindo ashram in the morning.Puducherry still
retains much evidence of its history as a French colony. The
design of the city was based on the French (originally Dutch,
the plans of Pondicherry dating from the end of
the seventeenth century (1693–1694) are preserved in the National Archives
at The Hague) grid pattern and features neat sectors and perpendicular
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