Day-wise plan
Every day runs on a private cab - the order and pace are yours to change.
1Day 1 - Trip begins at Chennai - Chennai to Chidambaram, the space element
- Set out from Chennai between 6 and 8:30 AM by cab
- Spend 2 hours at the Thillai Nataraja Temple (2 km from the bus stand), the Pancha Bhoota shrine of space where Shiva is the cosmic dancer, a Chola-era masterpiece; open 6 AM to 12:30 PM and 4:45 to 9 PM
- Break for meals and hotel check-in
- Drive 27 km to Vaitheeswaran Koil, home of Shiva the healer, a Navagraha temple tied to Mars and sung of in the 7th century Tevaram
- Night in Chidambaram
2Day 2 - Chola trail to Trichy, the water element
- Leave Chidambaram around 8 AM towards Trichy
- Pause 42 km along at Gangaikonda Cholapuram, Rajendra Chola's capital of 1025 CE and a UNESCO Great Living Chola Temple; open 6 AM to noon and 4 to 8 PM
- At Thiruvanaikoil visit the Jambukeshwar Temple, the water-element Pancha Bhoota shrine with a stream running beneath the sanctum and goddess Akilandeshwari presiding, founded by Kochengon Chola 1800 plus years back
- Continue to Sri Ranganathaswamy Temple on Srirangam island, the foremost Divya Desam and the biggest active temple complex on earth; give it 2 to 3 hours
- Climb the Rock Fort in Trichy, a 3.8 billion year old rock carrying the Ucchi Pillayar and Thayumanavar temples
- Night in Trichy
3Day 3 - Tiruvannamalai fire shrine, on to Kanchipuram
- Long morning drive from Trichy to Tiruvannamalai
- Visit the Annamalaiyar (Arunachaleswarar) Temple, the fire-element Pancha Bhoota sthalam at the foot of Arunachala hill, ranked the eighth largest Hindu temple in the world and praised in the Tevaram
- Continue by road to Kanchipuram
- Night in Kanchipuram
4Day 4 - Kanchipuram, the earth element, then Tirupati
- Full temple day in Kanchipuram, starting with Kamakshi Amman Temple, one of the 51 Shakti Peethas and seat of the Kanchi Kamakoti Peetham
- Visit Sri Ekambarnathar Temple, the earth-element Pancha Bhoota shrine of Shiva, a Tevaram-era Paadal Petra Sthalam
- See Kailasanathar Temple by the Vegavathi, the city's oldest surviving Shiva temple, raised by Pallava king Narasimha II between 685 and 705 AD
- Break for lunch
- Cover Varadarajaswami Temple, fourth of the 108 Divya Desams and one of the three great Perumal Koils, linked to the philosopher Ramanuja
- Finish at Vaikunta Perumal Temple, another Divya Desam ranked beside Kailasanathar in workmanship
- Drive on to Tirupati for the night
5Day 5 - Trip ends at Chennai - Tirupati and Srikalahasti, the air element
- Morning at Tiruchanur, 5 km from Tirupati, for the Padmavati temple whose darshan is held to complete any Tirumala pilgrimage; 8th century Pallava origins
- Visit Govindaraja Swami Temple in Tirupati town, where Ramanuja installed the Govindaraja deity in 1130 AD, with 14th century gopura carvings of the Ramayana
- Stop at Kapila Theertham, the only Shiva temple near Tirupati, where a 100 foot waterfall pours into the temple pond at the base of the Sheshadri hills
- Drive to Srikalahasti for the Srikalahasteeswara Temple, the air-element Pancha Bhoota shrine carved out of a stone hill, with its 120 foot gopura and the legend of Kannappa offering his eyes
- Return to Chennai; tour ends
About this plan
The five element shrines of Shiva, in a single circuit. Fully private · after you enquire, a planner fine-tunes stays, pace and extras around you.
Private cab & driverHandpicked staysYour dates, your pace24×7 WhatsApp desk
What's in, what's not
No fine print later - the quote you get matches this list exactly.
Included in 5D / 4N
- Hotel in the chosen category
- Breakfast during the stay
- Private cab for the full sightseeing plan
- Parking and toll charges
- Driver allowance
- Inter-state entry tax where applicable
- Pickup and drop within Chennai city limits
- GST
Not included
- Airfare
- Lunch, dinner, snacks and drinks
- Entry fees and local guide charges
- Activity fees such as safaris or rafting
- Early check-in or late check-out
- Compulsory festive dinners
Sightseeing on this plan
01Nataraja Temple02Jambukeswaram03Arunachaleswarar Temple04Ekambareswarar TempleSrikalahasti
