Dravidian Architecture Masterclass

Arrival & Architecture Orientation

• Pickup from Chennai Airport
• Lecture: Evolution of Dravidian temple architecture
• Visit Government Museum — bronze gallery
• Kapaleeshwarar Temple — live architecture walkthrough
• Evening reading material distribution

Overnight: Chennai

Pallava Period — Mahabalipuram

• Shore Temple — structural analysis with archaeologist
• Pancha Rathas — monolithic temple evolution study
• Rock-cut cave temples — transition from cave to structural
• Arjuna's Penance — relief sculpture techniques
• Afternoon stone carving workshop

Overnight: Mahabalipuram

Pallava to Chola Transition — Kanchipuram

• Kailasanathar Temple — earliest Pallava structural temple
• Inscription reading workshop with epigraphist
• Vaikuntha Perumal Temple — narrative sculptures
• Ekambareswarar Temple — Vijayanagar additions
• Lecture: Reading temple inscriptions

Overnight: Kanchipuram

Early Chola — Kumbakonam Circuit

• Nageswaraswamy Temple — early Chola proto-type
• Airavatesvara Temple (Darasuram) — UNESCO site
• Detailed study of sculptural panels
• Kumbakonam bronze casting village visit
• Lost-wax bronze casting demonstration

Overnight: Kumbakonam

Peak Chola — Thanjavur Brihadeeswara

• Brihadeeswara Temple — full-day architectural study
• Vimana engineering analysis — 216 ft tower, 80-ton capstone
• Nandi mandapa proportional study
• Chola fresco paintings in inner ambulatory
• Saraswathi Mahal Library — palm leaf manuscripts

Overnight: Thanjavur

Gangaikondacholapuram

• Brihadeeswara Temple — Rajendra Chola's capital
• Comparative study with Thanjavur temple
• Lion-well & ancient water engineering
• Lecture: Chola military & cultural expansion
• Return to Thanjavur

Overnight: Thanjavur

Pandya Period — Madurai

• Meenakshi Temple — Pandya & Nayak masterwork
• Gopuram analysis — painted stucco techniques
• 1000 Pillar Hall — colonnade engineering
• Musical pillars acoustic experiment
• Nayakkar Palace — Indo-Saracenic transition

Overnight: Madurai

Sculptural Deep Dive & Documentation

• Morning photography workshop — temple architecture
• Sculptural iconography study — Shiva, Vishnu, Devi forms
• Temple corridor proportional measurements
• Afternoon lecture: Temple as cosmic diagram
• Evening group presentation prep

Overnight: Madurai

Trichy & Heritage Conservation

• Srirangam Temple — evolution across dynasties
• Rock Fort — geological & architectural significance
• Heritage conservation lecture — ASI perspective
• Group research presentations
• Certificate ceremony

Overnight: Trichy

Departure

• Morning reflection & final discussions
• Transfer to Trichy Airport / Madurai Airport
• Trip concludes