The city at the southernmost tip of
India, Kanyakumari offers you the mingling of three
great seas, namely the Bay of Bengal, the Arabian
Sea and the Indian Ocean and the great beaches from
where you can see these giant water bodies. Also
known as Cape Comorin, it is the district
headquarters and an important pilgrimage place of
the region. The sunrise and sunset here is
exceptionally beautiful, especially on full moon
days when one can see the setting of sun and rising
of moon almost simultaneously. Endowed richly with
paddy fields and coconut groves, the place is named
after the Goddess Kannyakumari Amman, the presiding
deity of the area. It is said that Devi Kanya, one
of the incarnations of Goddess Parvati did penance
on one of the rocks here to woo Lord Shiva.
The multi-colored mineral sand of Kanyakumari is
indeed a unique trait. The city was once known as
the 'Granary of Travancore' because of high-yielding
paddy fields. The rocky and dangerous seashores are
kept out of limit for the tourists by a manmade wall
and tourists are constantly warned to stay off the
rocks. There is a lighthouse too from where you can
get some of the most wonderful and exotic views of
the surrounding scenery. The rough seas and furious
sea waves are not suitable for sunbathing or
swimming but one can look for a huge variety of
shells on the Kanyakumari beach and visit the
Vivekananda memorial that recently came into
limelight when giant waves hit it during the Tsunami
disaster.
Kanyakumari Prime
Attractions
Kumari Amman Temple:
The temple dedicated to the Virgin Goddess known as
Devi Kanya or Kumari Amman, an incarnation of
Goddess Parvati is a must see here.
Temple Of Goddess
Bhagavathi:
Goddess Bhagavathi Temple situated at the confluence
of the three oceans was originally built by Pandyas
and was expanded later by Nayaks. The Goddess's idol
looks serene and beneficent and the eastern gate of
the temple, which is considered most pious and faces
Bay of Bengal is opened only five times a year.
Swami Vivekananda Rock
Memorial:
The memorial erected to commemorate the visit of
Vivekananda to Kanyakumari in December 25, 1892, and
spent whole night into deep meditation in a rock in
the sea before resolving to serve his Motherland and
spreading the message of Vedanta, recently came into
news when giant disastrous Tsunami waves hit it last
year.
Gandhi Mandapam:
The shrine is erected in the sport where the urn
containing the ashes of Mahatma Gandhi was kept for
public view last time before immersing the ashes in
the three seas. The architecture resembles an Orissa
temple and the wonder of the place is that on 2nd
October (birth day of Gandhi ji) every year, the
sun's rays fall on the place where his ashes were
kept.
Alvar Tirunagari:
The famous Vaishnav temple of Kannyakumari, Alvar
Tirunagari temple is associated with saint Namalvar,
who attained enlightenment under a tree enshrined
here. He sang the praises of the temle, which is
dedicated to Lord Adinatha. The temple festival uses
an exclusive musical instrument made of stone, which
is known as Nadaswaram.
Kanyakumari City Facts
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Location: |
Situated in Tamil Nadu at the southernmost tip of India. |
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Climate: |
Tropical pleasant climate throughout the year with insignificant temperature differences during summers and winters. |
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How to Reach:
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By Air: |
Trivandrum is the nearest airport, which is 80 km away from Kanyakumari. |
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By Train: |
Kanyakumari is well connected by train services to all the major cities of India up to Delhi and even further up to Jammu. |
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By Road: |
Kanyakumari is connected by regular bus services to and from all the major cities of South India including Chennai, Pondicherry, Bangalore, Trichy, Madurai, Rameshwaram, Nagercoil, Tuticorin, Tiruchendur, Tiruvelveli and Trivandrum. |
