Kanyakumari Tourism
Location : The southernmost
point of peninsular India.
Area : 11.6 sq km
Attractions : Kanyakumari Temple, Gandhi Memorial,Vivekananda
Rock Memorial
Ideal Time to Visit : October to March
¤ Kanyakumari, The
Southernmost Tip of India
Kanyakumari or the Cape Comorin, the southern most tip of peninsular
India is sprawled over an area of 1672 sq. km, occupying 1.29% of the
total extent of Tamil Nadu. Kanyakumari is also known as Kanniyakumari
in Tamil Language. It is the confluence point of three oceans - the
Bay of Bengal, the Arabian Sea and the Indian Ocean. Apart from this,
it is also a vital Hindu pilgrim center, renowned for its exotic
sunrises and sunsets over the horizon. One of the unique features of
Kanyakumari is the multicolored sand found on its beach.
 This
exquisite land is encircled by majestic hills along with swaying
coconut trees and paddy fields. There are also a few elevated patches
of red cliffs and some free flowing valleys presenting an eye-pleasing
scene. One can also see plains between the mountainous terrain and the
sea - coast, with Temples and Churches standing proudly. Truly, a
beautiful way to mark the end of the land of marvelous India.
¤ History of Kanyakumari
Kanyakumari or the Cape Comorin was once known as the Alexandria of
the east. A hub of art, culture, civilization, and pilgrimage for
years, it is famous for commerce and trade. The architecture of this
beautiful beach land is greatly inspired by religions like Islam,
Christianity and Jainism. Kanyakumari was ruled by the Cholas, the
Cheras, the Pandyas and the Nayaks, all great rulers of south India.
The credit for the architectural beauty of the temples found in
Kanyakumari goes to these rulers. Kanyakumari was given the name Cape
Comorin by the British as it was easier for them to pronounce.
According to a legend Kanya Devi, an avatar of Goddess Parvati, was
supposed to wed Lord Shiva. But he did not turn up at the auspicious
time and the wedding never took place. Therefore the rice and cereals,
which were to be used for the marriage remained uncooked. The stones
found here resemble rice and cereals and today one can buy these
stones. Native population believes that they are the leftovers of the
legendary marriage that could not be solemnized. and the princess
Kanya Devi, became a virgin goddess blessing pilgrims and tourists
alike.
¤ Attractions At Kanyakumari
Kanyakumari has many tourist attractions luring innumerable tourists,
well promoted by tourism department of Tamil Nadu. Among the most
important are the Kumari Amman or the Kanyakumari Temple, located on
the sea shore. It is dedicated to a manifestation of Parvati, the
virgin goddess who did penance to obtain Lord Shiva's hand in
marriage. There are two rocks reaching out of the ocean, situated
southeast of the Kumari Amman temple. One among these is Sri
Padaparai, where the footprints of the virgin goddess are said to be
imprinted on the rock. It is said that Swami Vivekananda sat in deep
meditation and here one can also find the famous Vivekananda Rock
Memorial built in 1970. There is also a dhyana mandapam here, a
perfect place to meditate. Another important attraction here is the
Gandhi Memorial, built on the spot where the vase consisting the
Mahatma's ashes was kept for public viewing before submersion.
¤ Excursions
Excursions are always exciting and the excursion destinations from
Kanyakumari are all the more fun. Some of the major tourism
destinations nearby are Vattakottai (literally, circular fort), an
18th-century fort dominating the sea is located about six kms from
Kanyakumari. The Udayagiri Fort situated around 34 kms, is built by
King Marthanda Varma in 1729-1758 AD.
Another destination, situated around 13 kms from Kanyakumari is
Suchindram. The Thanumalayan temple here is a depository of art that
treasures belonging of those kingdoms, who once ruled this place. The
Nagaraja Temple at Nagarkoil situated about 20 kms is a splendid
temple with Nagaraja as the worshiped deity. The Padmanabhapuram
Palace is located around 45 kms from Kanyakumari. It is a large
mansion of the Travancore Kings and is famous for its engrossing
natural magnificence.
Tiruchendur located around 85 kms away from Kanyakumari is the venue
of a beautiful temple dedicated to Lord Subramanya. This shore temple
on the Bay of Bengal is one of the six abodes of Lord Subramanya. The
Courtallam Fall situated almost 137 kms and located at a height of 167
m, is believed to contain therapeutic water.
¤ Festivals
Some of the important festivals celebrated here are the Chaitra
Purnima Festival celebrated in the first week of May, Navratri
celebrated in the last week of October and the Holy Annual Festival of
the Roman Catholic Church celebrated in the fourth week of December.
These are the notable festivals celebrated in Kanyakumari.
¤ Reach Kanyakumari
By Air : The nearest airport
from Kanyakumari is situated at Trivandrum about 80 kms away. It is
directly connected with Bangalore, Mumbai, Cochin, Delhi, Goa, and
Chennai by regular flights.
By Rail : Kanyakumari is well connected by rail to major parts
of the country. Kanyakumari is connected to Thiruvananthapuram, Delhi,
and Mumbai by broad-gauge railway network. Superfast trains connect
the southern most railhead of India with northern cities like Jammu
and Delhi. Tirunelvelli, situated around 80 kms away from Kanyakumari
is the other nearest railway junction and can be reached by road via
Nagarkoil (19 km).
By Road : Kanyakumari is connected by road to Trivandrum (86
km), Nagarkoil (19 km), Tirunelvelli (91 km), Tiruchendur (89 km),
Tuticorin (129 km), Rameshwaram (300 km), Courtallam (130 km), Madurai
(242 km), Thekkady (358 km), Kodaikanal (362 km), Palani (370 km),
Ootacamund (576 km), Cochin (309 km), and Coimbatore (478 km).
Local Transportation : For local transportation there are
tourist vehicles and intercity trains, running from almost all the
southern cities.
Major Tour Packages To Maharashtra
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