The Kanchipuram Silk Sari
The Ethnic Weaves Tour of the Great India Tour Company takes you to the various places in India that showcase the ancient heritage and indigenous industries of India. The tour that spans 4 nights and 5 days takes you along famous locations in the state of Tamil Nadu such as Chennai, Mahabalipuram, Pondicherry and Kanchipuram.
Chennai is the capital of Tamil Nadu and was formerly known as Madras during and after the British colonial rule. It is now South India’s commercial and cultural capital and the fourth largest metropolitan city in India. Until the British arrival in Chennai in the seventeenth century, it was a group of hamlets that stretched across the Coromandel Coast ruled by the traditional rulers. Now it is a mixture of the old and the new in its culture, architecture, literature and art.
Mahabalipuram, a UNESCO World Heritage site is a little seaside town that is within an hour’s drive from Chennai. This ancient town that dates back to the 7th century has a beautiful beach that extends to a distance of 20 kms. It is famous for its monolithic rock-cut shrines, rare sculptures and architectural delights. Named after the five epic heroes of Mahabharata and their queen Draupadi, the temples in Mahabalipuram were carved out of large boulders by the stone-cutters.
Pondicherry was a former French colony that was established in 1674. With a 32 kms long coastline, Pondicherry still retains some of its old glory in the form of its French Boulevard Town. One famous attraction for the traveller is the Aurobindo Ashram that offers courses in meditation.
Kanchipuram is one of the 7 most sacred pilgrim centres of the Hindus in India. It was the capital during the reign of the Chola dynasty and is famous for its temples and Kanchipuram silks that form a crucial part of the wedding trousseau of an Indian bride.
