Southern India: Temples & Palaces January 26-February 12, 2020 with art historian Annapurna Garimella (18 days | 12 guests) © Brad Coy Optional post-tour extension to Kerala (4 days) © Ricardo Martins © KARTY JazZ © Madhuranthakan Jagadeesan Archaeology-focused tours for the curious to the connoisseur. © Manishmjoshi Archaeological Institute of America Lecturer & Host Dr. Annapurna mmerse yourself in the wonders of southern India with Garimella is a Delhi-based Dr. Annapurna Garimella, an expert in India’s art and designer and an architectural history, diverse religious and cultural traditions, art historian. Her and vibrant living legacies. This well-paced, 18-day tour is research focuses on late medieval Ithe most comprehensive overview of southern India available, Indic architecture and Dr. Garimella—who not only helped design the itinerary, but and the history and practices of also has led this AIA tour five times to excellent reviews since 2004— vernacular art will enhance our travel experiences through lectures, informal forms in India after Independence. She discussions, and special experiences “off the beaten path.” heads Jackfruit Research and Design, an organization with a specialized portfolio of design, research, and curation. Highlights include: Jackfruit’s recent curatorial projects include Vernacular, in the Contemporary (Devi Art Foundation, New Delhi), . Many of India’s most important and spectacular Hindu, Jain, Faith: Manu Parekh in Benaras 1980- Buddhist, Islamic, and Christian monuments, spanning 2012 (Art Alive, New Delhi), Drawing the 2nd century B.C. to the 18th century A.D. 2014 (Gallery Espace, New Delhi), . Seven UNESCO World Heritage sites, including the Mutable: Ceramic and Clay Art in India Since 1947 (Piramal Museum of Art, monuments at Hampi, Mahabalipuram, Pattadakal, and th 2017), and Barefoot College of Craft in Old Goa; Brihadeshwara temple and fort; and the 6 - to Goa (Serendipity Arts Festival, 8th-century rock-cut Elephanta Caves. 2017). Her most recent book is . Equally important but lesser-known sites, such as about a collaboration between th th Belur and Halebid temples a Rajasthani miniature painter the 12 /13 -century ; and an expatriate American Sravanabelagola’s 55-foot-high statue photographer and is titled of the Jain enlightened being; and the The Artful Life of R. Vijay historical palace and a royal residence of (Serindia, 2016). In 2017, she the Wodeyar dynasty at Mysore. was awarded the India Today . Emerging Curator of the Year A visit to Dakshina Chithra, a Award. Garimella is also the museum showcasing the art, architecture, Founder and Managing Trustee lifestyles, crafts, and performing arts of of Art, Resources, and Teaching southern India. Trust, a not-for-profit organization . Best available accommodations, including that runs a public art library, conducts independent research projects, and does luxurious beach resorts in both Mahabalipuram teaching and advisement for college and and Goa. university students and the general public. An optional, post-tour extension to Kochi, Since 2004, she has led ten AIA Tours in Kerala state, including a memorable day in India to excellent traveler reviews, including five tours of southern India and night aboard a comfortable houseboat, similar to this one. cruising through the natural beauty of the inland waterways and tropical lagoons around Kuttanad. “Dr. Annapurna and her lectures... added so much to the overall trip. I would go on another trip with her in a heartbeat!” - Lois, Connecticut Cover: (Top) Shore Temple at Mahabalipuram; (bottom right) Meenakshi Amman Temple, Madurai; (left, top to bottom) a detail at Elephanta Caves, the entrance to the Gangaikonda Cholapuram Temple, the side of the Mahabalipuram Cave Ardhanarishvara in the Bronze Gallery, Chennai © Richard Mortel For questions, and to reserve your space, please contact AIA Tours at: 800-748-6262 | Toll: 603-756-2884 | Fax: 603-756-2922 | [email protected] | www.aiatours.org P.O. Box 938, 47 Main Street, Suite One, Walpole, NH 03608 INDIA “[What I enjoyed most was] the synthesis between 21 Elephanta Caves the detailed visits to the palaces, temples, etc. and the MUMBAI wonderful lectures by Dr. Garimella. I felt the insights BADAMI 1 she provided together with being ‘on the scene’ were Panjim Pattadakal thrilling and very informative. I would have been somewhat lost, and certainly benefited and enjoyed GOA 2 HAMPI 1 myself less, without this dynamic combination.” Sravanabelagola 1 CHIKMAGALUR BANGALORE 1 - Jim, New York Halebid Belur Chennai MAHABALIPURAM 2 MYSORE Somnathpur Pondicherry 2 ITINERARY Darasuram (B=Breakfast, L=Lunch, D=Dinner) Kochi THANJAVUR 2 Kadiyapatti Alleppey Sunday, January 26, 2020: Depart U.S. on flights to Mumbai, India MADURAI 2 Monday, January 27: Arrive Mumbai | Private transfer to hotel Arrive at Mumbai’s Chhatrapati Shivaji Maharaj International Airport (BOM), where you will be met and transferred to our hotel. Overnight at the 5-star Taj Mahal Tower for two nights. # Overnights Tuesday, January 28: Elephanta Caves | Mumbai: city overview tour, Prince of Wales Itinerary stops Museum, welcome dinner International flights We pass through the famous Gateway of India and take a short boat ride to a small island In-program flights where we explore the Elephanta Caves. This UNESCO World Heritage site consists of a Post-Tour Extension fine cluster of 6th- to 8th-century rock-cut caves. Carved from living rock, the sculptures in the most majestic cave depict aspects of the God Shiva as the cosmic dancer, the androgyne, and the amorous groom. We return to Mumbai for lunch, and later in the afternoon enjoy a short city tour of Mumbai gazing at Victorian monuments and the famous Dhobi Ghat, the world’s largest outdoor laundry. We then visit the Prince of Wales Museum to view and learn about Indian art, including miniature paintings, sculpture, and bas-reliefs. Gather for an elegant welcome dinner this evening. (B,L,D) Wednesday, January 29: Fly to Madurai | Gandhi Memorial Museum This morning we fly to Madurai and transfer to our luxurious, colonial-style hotel set amid 62 acres of peaceful, landscaped gardens. After lunch, we visit the Gandhi Memorial Museum, housed in a 17th-century palace, which displays a remarkable collection that commemorates Gandhi’s life, including some of his personal effects. Overnight at the 4-star Gateway Hotel Pasumalai for two nights. (B,L,D) Thursday, January 30: Madurai Spend the day exploring one of India’s oldest cities. Madurai sits on the Vaigai River, and its main feature is the temple dedicated to the goddess Meenakshi. Built Meenakshi Amman Temple, Madurai over the course of a millennium or more, the main shrine stands at the center of a multi-enclosure complex with four gateways that open to the cardinal directions. The city features other attractions as well, including the Nayaka King’s Palace, partially restored in the 19th century and whose remains demonstrate the power and wealth of the Nayakas. The city is full of bazaars, shops, and restaurants. This evening you may choose to revisit the Meenakshi Temple to see the evening ritual of the goddess being escorted to the god’s chamber. (B,L,D) Friday, January 31: Kadiyapatti | Puddukothai | Thanjavur Today we drive from Madurai to Thanjavur. Along the way we visit the land of the Chettiars, a merchant caste with a long history of trading 800-748-6262 | Toll: 603-756-2884 | Fax: 603-756-2922 | [email protected] | www.aiatours.org in Southeast Asia and India. We then travel through the village of P.O. Box 938, 47 Main Street, Suite One, Walpole, NH 03608 © rajaraman sundaram Kadiyapatti to visit the local Raja’s mansion with its deeply carved, awe- inspiring doors and massive support columns with interlocking brackets to support a second and third floor; as well as Puddukothai, with its sacred Aiyanyar grove full of large clay horses and riders. Arriving in Thanjavur, we check-in to our hotel and have some time at leisure before we gather for dinner this evening. Overnight at the 3-star Hotel Parisutham for two nights. (B,L,D) Saturday, February 1: Thanjavur: Brihadeshwara, Bronze Museum, Saraswati Mahal Library Spend a full day in Thanjavur, the 11th-century capital of the Chola Empire. © Paul Vincent P We visit the Brihadeshwara temple and fort, the crowning glory of Chola Airavatesvara Temple, Darasuram temple architecture and a UNESCO World Heritage site. Set on spacious grounds and built of granite, it is an impressive structure that was the world’s tallest building at the time it was built. After the 15th century it became part of the Vijayanagara kingdom, and later passed into the hands of the Marathas and the British. Afterward we will admire the small but impressive Bronze Museum with the world’s finest Chola bronzes, then visit a bronze factory and the Saraswati Mahal Library, which displays rare palm leaf manuscripts. (B,L,D) Sunday, February 2: Darasuram | Gangaikonda Cholapuram | Pondicherry | Mahabalipuram Today we will depart Thanjavur and drive approximately seven hours over the course of the day to Mahabalipuram. In the morning we will stop at two temple complexes, the 12th-century Airavatesvara Temple at Darasuram and the 11th-century Brihadeshwara Temple at Gangaikonda Cholapuram which, along with the Brihadeshwara temple at Thanjavur (which we visited yesterday), comprise the UNESCO World Heritage site called the “Great Living Chola Temples.” All three temples testify to the Cholas’ brilliant achievements in architecture, sculpture, painting, and bronze casting. We will stop for © SezhiyanR lunch and a short city tour in Pondicherry, formerly the largest French colony in India. Continue on to our lovely resort in Mahabalipuram, where we have dinner. Overnight at the 5-star Taj Fisherman’s Cove Exterior detail from Resort & Spa for two nights. (B,L,D) Gangaikonda Cholapuram Monday, February 3: Mahabalipuram | Dakshina Chithra Mahabalipuram was an ancient port and important center for the Pallava kings during the 7th & 8th centuries, and whose monuments are now a World Heritage site.