From the Big Temples to the Silver Screen
The Music of South India Schedule

We really do mean tentative...

Even under the best of circumstances, travel in India never goes exactly as planned! This schedule is intended only to suggest the range of activities we will undertake. Most (but not all) travel days between major cities have been set, but we certainly cannot say for sure exactly when the events in each locale will finally be scheduled. We will do nearly everything listed on this tentative schedule. Nonetheless, many events (lectures, site visits, etc.) will be moved to other days, and there may be occasional substitutions, additions, and even cancellations. Be ready for anything!

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Tentative Day-by-Day Schedule

DAY

DATE

PROGRAM

1

Wednesday
January 6

CHICAGO DEPARTURE. Meet your group three hours before take-off for check-in at Qatar ticket counter, O'Hare Terminal 5. Depart (7:25 p.m.) on Qatar Airways flight QR 726 for Doha; meals served en route.

2

Thursday
January 7

DOHA ARRIVAL/DEPARTURE. Arrive (5:25 p.m.) Doha and proceed to connecting gate for departure (8:15 p.m.) on Qatar Airways flight QR 572 for Bengaluru; meals served en route.

3

Friday
January 8

BENGALURU ARRIVAL. Arrive (2:30 a.m.) Bengaluru. Clear customs and pick up baggage. Transfer to Sunaada Art Foundation guest apartment, ITI Layout. Breakfast with Havaldar family. Group singing lesson and introduction to Hindustani Music with Pt. Havaldar. Lunch with Havaldars. Group singing lesson and introduction to gurukulam system. Free time. Late afternoon shopping expedition. Dinner with Havaldars. Free evening. (B,L,D)

4

Saturday
January 9

BENGALURU. Breakfast with Havaldars. Group singing lesson and introduction to Hindustani ragas with Pt. Havaldar. Lunch with Havaldars. Group singing lesson and introduction to tala and tabla. Late afternoon visit to Lalbagh Gardens. Evening dinner with Havaldars. Free evening. (B,L,D)

5

Sunday
January 10

BENGALURU. Breakfast with Havaldars. Group singing lesson and introduction to Hindustani musical genres. Lunch with Havaldars. Afternoon visit to Karnataka Folk Museum. Dinner with Havaldars. Possible evening concert. (B,L,D)

6

Monday
January 11

BENGALURU. Breakfast with Havaldars. Group singing lesson and introduction to gharanas. Lunch with Havaldars. Group singing lesson and introduction to gamakas. Visit to City Fort and City Palace. Dinner with Havaldars. Free evening. (B,L,D)

7

Tuesday
January 12

BENGALURU/CHENNAI. Breakfast with Havaldars. Morning group lesson with Pt. Havaldar. Lunch with Havaldars. Transfer to Bangalore City Junction station for afternoon departure (4:25 p.m.) on Shatabdhi Express. Dinner on the train. Arrive (9:25 p.m.) at Chennai Egmore station and transfer by car to Madras Christian College for check-in at the International Guest House. (B,L,D)

8

Wednesday
January 13

CHENNAI (MCC). Breakfast at Guest House. Welcome and inaugural ceremony. Lecture: History of MCC. Walking tour of MCC. Lunch at Guest House. Walking tour of downtown Tambaram to find ATM, fabric shops & tailors, stores, market, phone/internet. Afternoon tea and orientation to research resources. Evening group dinner at Principal’s residence. (B,L,D)

9

Thursday
January 14

CHENNAI (MCC). Breakfast at Guest House. Sessions and group music lessons with experts on South Indian vocal and percussion music and Tyagaraja. Lunch at Guest House. Afternoon free for research, etc. Dinner at Guest House. (B,L,D)

10

Friday
January 15

CHENNAI (MCC). Breakfast at Guest House. Sessions and group music lesson with experts on South Indian music and South Indian art and temple architecture. Lunch at Guest House. Free time for research, etc. Thai Pongal festivities. Dinner at Guest House. (B,L,D)

11

Saturday
January 16

CHENNAI. Breakfast at Guest House. Day in Chennai: Visit Kalakshetra fine arts academy. Lunch at New Woodlands Hotel. Visit to Prasad Studios (South India’s largest film post production studio) and Prasad Film Academy for a session on the history of Indian film music and a studio tour. Dinner in the city. Possible evening December Season Festival concert. (B,L,D)

12

Sunday
January 17

CHENNAI. MCC Chapel Service (optional). Group photo. Breakfast at Guest House. Orientation to Mamallapuram. Day in Chennai: Guided tour of Government Museum and driving tour of British Madras (George Town) with visits to Fort St. George, St. Mary’s Church, and Marina Beach. Lunch in the city. Free time to shop at Express Avenue, Victoria Technical Institute, Fabindia, Khadi Gramodyog Bhavan, and Higginbothams. Dinner in the city. Possible evening December Season Festival concert. (B,L,D)

13

Monday
January 18

CHENNAI/MAMALLAPURAM. Travel to Mamallapuram (Mahabalipuram) with morning visit en route to Dakshina Chitra living museum, showcasing South India’s architecture, artisans, folk performers, music and crafts. Check-in and lunch at the IDEAL BEACH RESORT. Afternoon visit to the iconic Shore Temple, India’s oldest free-standing stone temple, and the Pancha Pandava Rathas, free standing temple-like sculptures carved out of single huge rocks (World Heritage sites). Late afternoon beach walk to Tiger Cave. Possible Dance Festival performance at Arjuna’s Penance (subject to availability). Group dinner and overnight at the hotel. (B,L,D)

14

Tuesday
January 19

MAMALLAPURAM (Auroville). Breakfast at hotel. Morning transfer by car to Auroville. Lunch and afternoon tour of religious and other sites in Auroville, the utopian community founded in honor of Sri Aurobindo by The Mother “to realise human unity.” Afternoon return to Mamallapuram. Possible Dance Festival performance at Arjuna’s Penance (subject to availability). Group dinner and overnight at the hotel. (B,L,D)

15

Wednesday
January 20

MAMALLAPURAM/CHENNAI. Breakfast at hotel and check-out. Morning touring to include the Mahishasuramardini Cave with its sculpture of Shiva, ancient bas-relief carvings at Arjuna’s Penance, Mamallapuram’s numerous Pallava cave temples, Krishna’s Butterball, a lighthouse that offers stunning vistas of the surrounding area, and a stone-carvers’ colony featuring 200 artisans at work carving intricate figurines and life-size sculptures (World Heritage sites). Return to Chennai for lunch at Murugan’s Idli Shoppe and free exploration of the glitzy Pondy Bazar shopping district of T. Nagar. Sunset visit to St. Thomas Mount, site of St. Thomas’s (“Doubting Thomas”) martyrdom. Return to MCC and dinner at Guest House. (B,L,D)

16

CHENNAI (MCC). Breakfast at Guest House. Sessions with experts on Indian religions, including Hinduism, Buddhism, and Jainism. Class reflection and discussion. Lunch at Guest House. Group music lesson. Afternoon free for research, etc. Dinner at Guest House. (B,L,D)

17

Friday
January 22

18

Saturday
January 23

CHENNAI. Breakfast at Guest House. Travel to Mylapore for visit to historic Kapaleeswara Temple (Hindu) with opportunities to explore the temple neighborhood and sip Indian coffee at Vasantha Bhavan. Visit historic Luz Church (Church of Our Lady of Light, built 1516) in Mylapore. Visit San Thome Basilica (built 16th century, rebuilt 1893), its museum, and the crypt with the bones of St. Thomas (Doubting Thomas). Lunch and shopping at Citi Centre, Mylapore. Afternoon visit to A.R. Rahman’s K.M. College of Music and Technology and discussion with Srinivas Krishnan. Group dinner in the city. Possible evening concert. (B,L,D)

19

Sunday
January 24

CHENNAI. MCC Chapel Service (optional). Breakfast at Guest House. Late morning session with an expert in South India’s history. Lunch at Guest House. Free time for research, etc. See a “Kollywood” blockbuster in a local movie theater. Dinner at Guest House. (B,L,D)

20

Monday
January 25

CHENNAI Departure. Breakfast at Guest House. Sessions with experts on Sanskrit epics (Ramayana and Mahabharata) and on Gandhi and the Indian independence movement. Group reflection and discussion—Orientation to Thanjavur & the Tyagaraja Aradhana. Lunch at Guest House. Group music lesson. Afternoon free for research, packing, etc. Dinner at Guest House. Late evening transfer on foot to Tambaram Railway Station to board (22:30) overnight Mannai Express train to Thanjavur. (B,L,D)

21

Tuesday
January 26

THANJAVUR Arrival (Thillaistaham). Early morning arrival in Thanjavur and transfer to IDEAL RIVER VIEW RESORT for check-in and breakfast. Day with Dr. Kausalya and the children of the Marabu Foundation in Thillaisthanam. Free evening. Group dinner and overnight at hotel. (B,L,D)

22

Wednesday
January 27

THANJAVUR (Tiruvaiyaru). Morning visits to Brihadiswara Temple and Royal Palace Compound, including the Saraswati Mahal Library and Thanjavur Art Gallery. Lunch at hotel. Afternoon visit to bronze sculpture workshop in Swamimalai. Group dinner and overnight at hotel. Optional evening Tyagaraja Aradhana concert in Tiruvaiyaru. (B,L,D)

23

Thursday
January 28

THANJAVUR (Tiruvaiyaru). Early morning transfer to Tiruvaiyaru to hear Pancharatna Kritis at Tyagaraja Festival. Lunch at hotel. Afternoon visits to Tyagaraja Samadhi, Tyagaraja museum, and Panchanadeeswarar-Ayyaarappar Temple. Dinner at hotel. Evening Tyagaraja Aradhana concert in Tiruvaiyaru. (B,L,D)

24

Friday
January 29

THANJAVUR/CHENNAI. Early morning transfer to Thanjavur train station for morning departure (4:20 a.m.) on TCN Chennai Express. Arrive (10:39 a.m.) at Tambaram station and transfer on foot to MCC. Indian cooking demonstration and lunch at Guest House. Afternoon free for packing, writing, shopping, and relaxation. Dinner and Final Valedictory ceremony at Guest House. Late night transfer to Chennai International Airport. (B,L,D)

25

Saturday
January 30

CHENNAI/CHICAGO. Midnight check-in at Qatar Airways ticket counter. Check luggage through to final destination. Depart (3:15 a.m.) on Qatar Airways flight QR 529 for Doha; meals served en route. Arrive (5:45 a.m.) Doha and proceed to connecting gate for departure (7:50 a.m.) on Qatar Airways flight QR 725 for Chicago; meals served en route. Arrive (1:40 p.m.) Chicago O’Hare Airport, Terminal 5. Claim baggage and clear customs. Home, sweet home!

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