Khajuraho, Madhya Pradesh, India

KHAJURAHO - A World Heritage Site:

The temples of Khajuraho are India's unique gift to the world, representing a paean to life, love and joy. Perfect in execution and sublime in expression. Life, in every form and mood, has been captured at Khajuraho in stone, testifying to the craftsman's artistry and the extraordinary breadth of vision of the Chandela kings. The Khajuraho temples were built in the short span of a hundred years, between 950-1050 AD, in a truly inspired burst of creativity. Of the 85 original temples, 22 still survive, constituting one of the world's greatest artistic wonders. An ultimate tribute to the essence of Creation itself? The spectacularly mounted Khajuraho Sonet-Lumiere Show evokes the life and times of the great Chandela Rajputs and traces the fascinating story of the unique temples from the 10th to the 20th century.

Khajuraho Dance Festival:

The Khajuraho Festival of Dances draws the best classical dancers in India who perform against the spectacular backdrop of the floodlit temples every year in February/March. The next Khajuraho Dance Festival is scheduled from 20-26 February 2014.

Pondicherry, the 'Riviera of the East'

Pondicherry is a quaint little city that retains its French character even 60 years after it merged with the Indian Union. The picturesque and pleasurable drive from Chennai to Pondicherry is 160 km and takes about three hours on the East Coast Road, which is a toll highway. Pondicherry is now known as Puducherry. 

The French connection is still visible in the statues of Dupleix and Joan of Arc, the architecture, and the signboards. The oval shaped city with its neatly aligned streets has been constructed on the lines of French-influenced Mediterranean town planning. Everything about the city has a leisurely pace including the traffic., the only exception being the sea that roars aloud as you drive past. The most popular mode of transport in Puducherry is bicycles. 

The city of Puducherry has a legacy of 19th century churches like the Church of the Sacred Heart of Jesus, the Eglise de Notre Dame de la Conception, the Eglise de Notre Dame des Anges, the Eglise de Notre Dame de Lourdes and the Chapel of the Sisters of Cluny. The city has an eclectic mix of French and Indian culture. There are more than 350 temples in and around Puducherry. The Varadarajar Temple and  Thirukameswarar Temple date back to the 12th century. 

The journey from Chennai is dotted with amusement centers like VGP Golden Beach, MGM Park, Crocodile Park, etc. On the way is also the majestic shore temple complex of Mamallapuram, also called Mahabalipuram.