SOUTH INDIA TOUR

from/per person INR12000*t&c

South India Tour

Chennai - Pondicherry - Coorg - Mysore - Ooty - Jim Corbett - Nainital Tour


About South India

The information included in this section allows us to offer to all some more information about subjects that are important to us. While coming to Sita, you get a good grasp about Indian culture, amongst others, in a fun and playful way. Not to end it here, have a look to our set of articles about South Indian culture.

For example, we wrote a special series about Yoga: it would make you discover fully and clearly about some postures (asanas). Moreover, to learn and enjoy all at once, we chose to explain only animal-named positions so for you to understand the concept behind each of this movement.

You will find also some articles summing all the mudras (hands movements) in Bharata Natyam. For those of you who came at Sita to take Bharatanatyam class, this is the perfect record to be sure you won’t forget about those postures, parts of the core structure of this beautiful classical Indian dance. We expand our cultural horizon as well (and so yours) with a trilogy about Indian literature. We develop the first article around the great thinkers of the 20th Century. The second one details about the famous writers whose novels won admirers all around the world. Finally, the last article emphasizes the new guard of the Indian literature.

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#1 Onion Rava Dosa

Crispy, deep-fried and divine, this rava-style dosa made with onions is too good to be true. Soon to be your new favourite, you can even add some green chillies for that extra zing.

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#2 Buttermilk Sambar

A recipe that's sure to draw recipe requests. This buttermilk based sambar imparts a tangy flavour, and tastes even better if topoed off with a tantalizing tadka.

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#3 Appam: Rice and Coconut Pancake

A handful of ingredients is all you need to create these magical, fluffy appams! With a soft and thick center and a paper thin exterior, you can lap up any curry with these lovely appams.

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#4 MeduVada

Crispy and sinful, this urad dal based snack is a favourite of many and who can blame them? Spruce it up with some coconut chutney and serve piping hot.

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#5 Ven Pongal

Rice and lentils, cooked and tempered with cumin and a dollop of ghee give birth to this traditional South Indian breakfast. We promise, it's simply delicious and pairs beautifully with tangy sambhar and coconut chutney.

Onam It is celebrated at the beginning of the first month of the Malayalam calendar, Chingam.
Mysore Dasara It is celebrated on the tenth day of Hindu month of Ashvin which usually falls in September or October in the Gregorian Calendar.
Pongal 14th January
Hampi First week of November
Karaga Full moon day of Chaitra. March/April in the Gregorian Calendar.
Thrissur Pooram The month of Medam in the Malayalam calendar when the moon rises with the Pooram star. April/May in the Gregorian calendar.
Chithirai Thiruvizha Tamil month of Chitirai. April in the Gregorian calendar.
Ugadi Hindu month of Chaitra. March/April in the Gregorian calendar.
Mahamaham Festival 2028. It is celebrated when Jupiter enters the sign of Leo.
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#1 Temples of Madurai and Mahabalipuram

Madurai is one of the oldest cities of India, some of its relics and structures dating back 3,500 years. While Mahabalipuram was a centre of the Pallava Dynasty between 6th and 8th Century. Both these cities today hold a major chunk of South India’s rich history in their temples, shrines and monuments. Pilgrims and tourists throng these places for a lot of things, including darshan at the ancient Meenakshi Temple. This temple is somewhat a symbol of South India in the Western World, renowned so for its intricate carvings all throughout its tall structure. Also explore the Tirumalai Nayak Palace, the residence of King Thirumalai Nayak of Madurai, built in 1636. There is also St. Mary’s Cathedral, the banana wholesale market and the iconic Murugan Idli Shop (to eat some yummy idlis and dosas). Shop for fabrics, traditional clothes and jewels at the Puthu Mandapam in Madurai.


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#2 History and Pilgrimage at Rameswaram

Rameswaram is the fabled city of South where Lord Ram (the 7th avatar of Vishnu) stopped on his way back home after defeating Demon King Ravan of Sri Lanka. He is supposed to have built a Shiv Lingam (idol of Lord Shiv) and worshipped it here, hence giving the place its name - Rameswaram (He who is the Lord of Ram). Rameswaram is a small district in Tamil Nadu today, famous for its pilgrimage sights and temples. Make sure to pay your respects at Ramanathaswamy Temple, one of Char Dhams (4 Pilgrims of Hindus). Explore the Jada Tirtham which is the sacred pond where Lord Ram washed his hair before worshipping the Shiva Lingam. There is also Dhanushkodi temple and the Five Faced Hanuman Temple. The best of all these attractions is the fabled Ram Setu (Adam’s Bridge), said to be built by Lord Ram and his monkey army to connect this Indian shore of Rameswaram to Sri Lanka.


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#3 Touch the tip of India at Kanyakumari

Kanyakumari is the tip of India, where the subcontinent ends and the Indian Ocean begins. One of the many great things to do here is to just stand on the shore of Kanyakumari Beach and see the end of the Indian World as we know it. The sunsets and sunrises at this beach are especially famed, as if telling a tale of a new begging and new end in India. You must take a tour of the Bhagavathi Amman Temple, dedicated to Lord Shiva’s consort, as well as visit Our Lady of Ransom Church. It is the hub of Indian Catholicism. The Vivekananda Rock Memorial in Vavathurai is another place to visit along with the Thirparappu Falls, a statue of the great Tamil author Thiruvalluvar. Don’t miss the Kumari Amman Temple, dedicated to Goddess Bhagvati in a small girl-child form. This temple is the reason of this town’s nomenclature as Kanyakumari or the ‘virgin girl.’


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#4 Ruins of Hampi and Badami

Hampi and Badami of Karnataka are two epicentres of many old ruins. Known for their dots of Dravidian temples, Archaeological sites and numerous structures dating back centuries, Hampi and Badami are usually explored together, in a day or two-day tour. They each form a crucial part of the ancient Vijayanagar Empire. While in Hampi, explore the famous Virupaksha Temple, dating back to the 7th Century. The Achyutaraya temple and Vijaya Vitthala Temple double up as places of worship, as well as a peep into the rich heritage of Vijayanagar. Spend half a day touring these temples and the other half exploring Anjaneya Hill and the Monkey Temple on it, the place of Lord Hanuman’s birth. Also a great attraction is the boat ride in River Tungabhadra, known for its red bedrock. 

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#1 No Smoking In Public

Being a tourist in a city can be physically exhausting. A smoke break is one of the ways to lighten up the mood (yes, pun intended). But always be careful while lighting that cigarette in a public place when in a new city. Especially when you are not at all familiar with the smoking laws.


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#2 Do Not Get Fooled By The Auto-Drivers

Autos are one of the most common forms of transport in any city. But who even cares to go by the meter reading these days? Auto-wallas from city to city charge different rates. When it comes to Chennai city, the auto-drivers can really take you for a ride (yep, pun intended again..) by quoting exorbitant rates.


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#3 Never Disrespect Their Language

We all have an affinity for our mother tongue. Tamilians are no different. They have a very, very strong affinity towards their mother tongue- Tamil. Never ever make fun of the way they speak, even if as a joke, as the natives can find that utterly disrespectful.

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Jhon Doe

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