Deccan Odyssey provides six different itineraries that cover all kinds of destinations starting from the ancient city ruins of Hampi to the camel safari of Jaisalmer. It is all about diversity.
Are you looking out for enjoying south India with Deccan Odyssey?
The train does not let you down. Deccan Odyssey covers important tourist attractions of Deccan plateau located in Southern India. Deccan plateau is a rich and lush region that was ruled by various kings of different reigns. This assures you a rich diversity in the attractions available in this region.
Although not all destinations of south India are covered by Deccan Odyssey, the train covers ample amount of destinations to expose the culture and the beauty of this region.
Here are the top destinations of south India covered by the train. The trip covers ancient beauty, natural attraction, religious factor, architectural beauty, culture and much more. Each destination is handpicked to create uniqueness in the itinerary.
Bijapur or Vijayapura is very famous for its collection of historic monuments built during the reign of Adil Shahi. This is the right place to visit for appreciating the architectural intelligence of ancient Indians. This is the land of tombs, gateways, minarets, palaces and arches. If you are visiting during summer, carry an umbrella with you. You will be outdoor entirely during this excursion and the place has extreme hot and humid climate during summer.
This is the first destination as the train enters South India. On the second day of Jewels of Deccan, the train reaches Bijapur railway station of Karnataka.
The day starts with sightseeing as the tourists will be taken to important monuments in the city like Mehtar Mahal, Ibrahim Rouza, GolGumbaz, Malik e Maidan, Jumma Masjid and others.
The geographical area of Bijapur is small and the whole place can be scaled within a couple of hours.
The train starts to Aihole on the second day evening and reaches the destination by next day morning. Aihole or Aivalli is a historic site with medieval era monuments. These monuments are scattered around an area, which is surrounded by small villages, sandstone hills and farmlands. This is one of the top archeological sites of India featuring more than 120 temples and caves along the Malaprabha river valley.
There are 16 Hindu temples and four rock-cut shrines in this region. Top monuments to visit are Durga temple, Lad Khan temple, Gaudargudi temple, step well, RavanaPhadi cave, Huchappayyamatha temple and others. There is only one Buddhist mounument here. It is located on the Meguti Hills. Four Jain monuments stand today in Aihole out of the ten monuments built during the yesteryear.
Guledgudda
This destination is a part of optional excursion. This is a weaving village where you can find many weaves in actions. Karnataka is famous for numerous souvenirs like sandalwood items, wood articles and so on. One such souvenir is Guledgudda fabric.
The only problem with buying this souvenir is that the market has many fake articles. How about buying them from the weaves themselves. You are welcome to walk into the houses to watch weaves handle looms to create fine fabric. This is the best place to buy materials as a souvenir without worrying about the quality of the product.
Guledgudda does not have many tourist attraction spots. This region is purely for art and craft lovers.
Badami is another historic center of Karnataka. You can choose between Guledgudda and Badami during the third day of Jewels of Deccan. Badami was the capital of Chalukyas during 500-700 AD. During this region, kings built several monuments and temples.
Top places to visit in Badami are Agastya Lake, Bhutanatha group of temples, Badami tank, Yellamma temple, Badami mosque and others. The cliffs around this region are famous among mountaineers. You can find more than 100 routes for free climbing. Do not forget your cameras. This is one of the aesthetically pleasing groups of monuments of Karnataka.
Karnataka is a state filled with historic sites and the king of all historic sites is the Hampi group of monuments located in Hampi. One of the prime attractions of Karanataka is Hampi. Top places to visit in Hampi are Narashima statues, elephant statues, Virupaksha temple, Vittala temple, Queens’ bath, elephant stable, lotus mahal, Hazararama temple and much more.
Hampi was an important trade and cultural center during Vijayanagar reign and kings of the reign built several structures and monuments, which stand today as iconic ruins that mirror the beauty of ancient India.
The palaces, town squares, temples, local regions and the water sources are today in ruins. However, the beauty of the land is kept intact.
Hyderabad is the capital of Andhra Pradesh. You can spot numerous historic monuments like Golconda Fort, Falaknuma Palace and others. This metropolitan city shows the high of commercialization in India. You can find many markets in Hyderabad for buying souvenirs like bangles, pearls, ittars and others.
During your trip to Hyderabad, you ought to try the local biriyani. Hyderabadi Biriyani is famous around the world for its flavors and mixture of taste. This meat dish of rice was once the royal meal for Nawabs and Sultans. Kings hired cooks from distant lands to make the dish.
This is a monument complex belonging to 7th century AD. Located on the banks of Mahaprabha River. This attraction is combined with Aihole excursion due to the proximity of both the sites. This region holds historic significant monuments of Hinduism and Jainism. You can find carvings of ancient musical instruments, daily life of locals, concept of soul and matter, yoga, divinity and much more. These monuments explain the early religious ideas of South India.
Not all itineraries of Deccan Odyssey cover all these destinations. Each itinerary is crafted to express India in a certain manner. Learn about the destinations covered in each itinerary and list of activities open for tourists at each destination. If you are looking for south India attractions, choose Jewels of Deccan itinerary.
Jewels of Deccan are seven nights and eight days trip, which start and ends in Mumbai. Destinations covered are Bijapur, Aihole and Pattadakal, Badami, Hyderabad, Aurangabad and Ajanta caves.
