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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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