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Location
: Kanyakumari District, Tamil Nadu
Also Known As : Cape Comorin
Hosts : An Ancient Seaport
Main Attractions : Kanyakumari Beach, Swami Vivekananda Rock
Memorial
Kanyakumari (also spelt as
Kanniyakumari) district is bounded by Tirunelveli district in the north
and northeast, by Kerala state in the northwest and confluence of
Arabian Sea and Indian Ocean in the west and south. The coastline is
almost regular except for some points of land projecting into the sea at
Cape Comorin. Kanyakumari is the district headquarters of the district
of the same name.
 The City Of
Kanyakumari
At the southern
most land tip of India, where the Arabian Sea, the Indian Ocean and the
Bay of Bengal meet, lies Kannyakumari, an important pilgrim centre.
Kannyakumari is famous for its beach and the spectacular sunrises and
sunsets, especially on full moon days. Kanyakumari is also famous for
its vast green stretches of paddy fields, rich forests, coconut groves
and mineral sands.
It's Name
Kannyakumari has
been named after the Goddess Kannyakumari Amman who is the popular deity
of the area. Legend has it that the Goddess Parvati in one of her
incarnations as Devi Kanniya did penance on one of the rocks of this
land's end to obtain the hand of Lord Shiva.
The History Of
Kanyakumari
Kanniyakumari
district, once known as "The Granary of Travancore" lies at
the southwestern part of Indian peninsula. It was in Travancore for a
long time and then merged with Tamil Nadu in 1956 under the State
Linguistic Reorganisation Act.
Kanyakumari Beach
The Kanyakumari
beach is a beautiful sight with multi-coloured sand. The beach here does
not really offer one the opportunity to sunbathe on soft golden sands,
or to frolic in the waves either. The seashore is rocky and dangerous,
and there is a manmade wall running along it. People are warned to stay
off the rocks, and when if someone ventures out of bounds, he or she is
quickly and severely reprimanded by a watchful policeman. There is a
lighthouse from where one can get a panoramic view.
The sea is fairly
rough, so it is entertaining to watch it beat itself against the rocks
and then subside, before it gathers itself up for another attack. With
long stretches of sands of many hues, the beach offers a welcome change.
A variety of shells are on sale on the Kanyakumari beach.
Pilgrim Rites
Performed
Pilgrimage rites
include bathing at Pitru and Matru Tirtha, two rocks over which a
monument honouring Swami Vivekananda, a Hindu religious leader, was
built in 1970.PRIME ATTRACTIONS
Kumari Amman
Temple
Kumari Amman
Temple is dedicated to Parvati as Devi Kanya, the Virgin Goddess who did
penance to obtain the hand of Lord Shiva.
Temple Of Goddess
Bhagavathi
Few temples in
India are more picturesquely located than that of Goddess Bhagavathi in
Kannyakumari. It stands near where three oceans meet: the Indian Ocean,
the Bay of Bengal and the Arabian Sea.
In its early form
the temple seems to have been built by the first Pandyas. The Nayaks
expanded it later. There are three Prakaras. The image of the Goddess in
the sanctum is marvellous in its serenity and beneficence. She carries a
necklace in Her right hand. The eastern gate, facing the Bay of Bengal
is opened only five times a year.
Swami
Vivekananda Rock Memorial
On the evening of
Dece mber 25, 1892, Swami Vivekananda who had come to Kannyakumari on
pilgrimage swam to the rock and spent the whole night there in deep
meditation. He then resolved to decide himself to the service of the
Motherland and to spread the message of Vedanta. Next year he attended
the Parliament of Religions in Chicago, an event of seminal importance
in the modern history of Hinduism. To commemorate his visit to the rock
a superb memorial has been erected. It attracts thousands of visitors.
Gandhi Mandapam
Not far from the
Kumari Amman Temple is the Gandhi Mandapam, constructed at the spot
where the urn containing the ashes of Mahatma Gandhi was kept for public
view before a portion of its contents was immersed in the three seas. It
resembles an Oriyan temple and was designed so that on Gandhiji's
birthday (2nd October), the sun's rays fall on the place where his ashes
were kept.
The Temple At
Suchindram
Tradition
connects the Kannyakumari temple with that in Suchindram (13-km from
Kanyakumari). This is a fine, large fane, with a beautiful tank. It is
one of the few temples in the country where the Trinity, Brahma, Vishnu
and Isvara, are worshipped. The Linga, named "Sthanumalaya",
is in three parts; the top represents Lord Shiva, the middle Lord
Vishnu, and the base Lord Brahma. "Sthanu" is a name of Shiva,
"Mal" of Vishnu, and "Ayan" of Brahma.
HOW TO GET
THERE
Air: The nearest airport is at Thiruvananthapuram (80-km), which is
well connected with national and International flights. From
Thiruvananthapuram one can take a taxi or bus to Kanyakumari.
Rail: Kanyakumari
is well connected by train services with all the places in India.
Superfast trains connect the southern most railhead of India with
northern cities like Jammu and Delhi. Intercity trains are running from
almost all the southern cities.
Road: Kanyakumari
is connected by regular bus services with Chennai, Pondicherry,
Bangalore, Trichy, Madurai, Mandapam (Rameshwaram), Nagercoil, Tuticorin,
Tiruchendur, Tiruvelveli, Trivandrum, etc. Town bus service, tourist
taxis and auto rickshaws are available.
WHERE TO STAY
Varied
accommodation options varying from luxurious to economic hotels, lodges,
Devasthanam cottages are available for tourists in Kanyakumari.
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