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
