About Kanyakumari
Referred to by the British as Cape Commorin, Kanyakumari is located at the southern tip of the Indian subcontinent and is the meeting point of three oceans - the Bay of Bengal, the Arabian Sea and the Indian Ocean. The small temple dedicated to Kanyakumari, or the youthful form of the primeval energy Shakti (Mother Goddess) is located on the seashore, in the town known by the same name.
Kanyakumari represents the site where the spiritual leader Swami Vivekananda spent days in meditation upon a rock. The list of attractions in Kanyakumari is endless. Besides its significance as a major Hindu pilgrimage center, it is famous for its beautiful views of sunrise and sunset over the waters. The tourist destination itself is a beautiful place to move around.
Location : Located in the extreme southern tip of India, in the south Indian State of Tamil Nadu.
How to Get There Air : The nearest airport is at Trivandrum (80 km). It is directly connected with Bangalore, Mumbai, Cochin, Delhi, Goa, and Chennai by regular flights.
Rail : Kanyakumari is connected to Thiruvananthapuram, Delhi, and Mumbai by broad-gauge railway network. Tirunelvelli (80 km) is the other nearest railway junction and can be reached by road via Nagarkoil (19 km).
Road : Kanyakumari is connected by road to all the major cities and towns of the neighbouring states.
Major Tourist Attractions in Kanyakumari Kanyakumari Temple
Close to the sea shore of Kanyakumari, the Kanyakumari Temple is one of the major tourist attractions in south India. The temple is dedicated to Parvati as Devi Kanya, the Virgin Goddess who did penance to obtain the hand of Lord Shiva. The deity, Devi Kanyakumari is' the protector of India's shores' has an exceptionally brilliant diamond on her nose ring which is supposed to shine out to sea. Non-Hindus are not allowed in the temple premise.
Gandhi Mandapam
The Gandhi Mandapam is located very close to the Kumari Amman Temple. This is the place 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.
Vivekananda Memorial
Built in the memory of Swami Vivekananda in 1970, the Vivekananda Memorial is about 500 m away from mainland. This memorial stands on one of two rocks separated by about 70 m. The greatest social reformer and saint, Swamy Vivekananda spent some time meditating on the rock where the memorial stands today. A meditation hall is also attached with the memorial. The design of the mandapa incorporates different styles of temple architecture from all over India. It houses a statue of Vivekananda. The divine foot print 'Pada Parai' of Devi is also seen here. Ferry service is available to reach the memorial.
Suchindram Temple
About 13 kms. from Kanniyakumari, Suchindram has a temple dedicated to a deity who is the representation of the combined forces of Siva, Vishnu and Brahma. It is one of the few temples in the country where the Trinities are worshipped. The temple has a beautiful gopuram, musical pillars and an excellent statue of the Hanuman, apart from a valuable collection of art from different periods.
About Kanyakumari
