| The southern most tip of mainland India,
Kanyakumari witnesses the meeting of three oceans - Bay
of Bengal, Arabian Sea and Indian Ocean. Besides being
an important pilgrimage centre of Hindus, Kanyakumari
is famous for its sunrise and sunset. It is noteworthy
that the sands of Kanyakumari beach are multicoloured
which further adds to the beauty of the place. Due to
its proximity to the sea, the weather of Kanyakumari remains
very pleasant throughout the year.
Accommodation and connectivity:
This southern most tip of mainland India does not figure
in the air map of the country. The nearest airport is
at Trivandrum at a distance of 80 kms.
However, Kanyakumari is connected through broad gauge
directly with Trivandrum and many other cities. Kanyakumari
is well connected through a network of roads with most
towns and cities of Tamil Nadu and Kerala. Through road,
the distance between Kanyakumari and Trivandrum is 86
kms.
A number of hotels and lodges have mushroomed in Kanyakumari
over the years to capitalize on the booming tourism
market. As such, all categories of tourists can be rest
assured of a comfortable stay in Kanyakumari.
The Temples of Kanyakumari
Kanyakumari Temple
The Kumari Amman or the Kanyakumari Temple is the most
visited temple of the place. Located on the shore overlooking
the ocean, the temple is dedicated to virgin goddess
Kanya Devi, a manifestation of Goddess Parvati. Legend
has it that Kanya Devi was to marry Lord Shiva. But
Lord Shiva did not arrive at the auspicious time of
marriage. As such, the marriage could not be solemnized
and Goddess Kanya Devi chose to remain virgin for the
rest of her life. She started to bless devotees at the
place as a virgin goddess. Another interesting aspect
is that the diamond nose ring of the deity sparkles
so much that it is visible even from the sea.
Sri Padaparai
Sri Padaparai is one of the two rocks reaching out
of the ocean. The rocks are to the southeast of Kumari
Amman temple. It is said that the footprints of the
virgin goddess are imprinted on this rock.
Vivekananda rock memorial
One of the prime attractions of Kanyakumari is the
Vivekananda Memorial where the great philosopher saint
of India Swami Vivekananda had meditated for a long
time. Maintained by the Vivekananda Kendra, the striking
memorial stores many of Swamiji's memories. Under the
aegis of Vivekananda Kendra, classes on yogasanas and
meditation are held regularly at the place.
Gandhi Memorial
Gandhi Memorial has been built at that very place where
Gandhiji's ashes were kept for the people to pay their
last respect before immersion. The memorial has been
built in the form of a temple in such a way that on
Mahatma's birthday (October 2), the first rays of the
sun kiss the place where his ashes were kept.
Excursion Delights
Some of the places to go for excursion from Kanyakumari
are the Circular Fort of Vattakottai (6 kms), Udayagiri
Fort (34 kms), Suchindram(13 kms) and Nagaraja Temple
at Nagarkoil (20 kms). In the midst of a serene ambience,
activities of a religious and spiritual nature regularly
take place in Kanyakumari. Apart from the routine activities
at Vivekananda Kendra, the festivals celebrated here
in a grand manner are Chaitra Purnima, Navratri and
annual festival of the Roman Catholic Church.
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