Kanyakumari, better to be known as the last city of Indian mainland geographically, travelling from north to south, is a part of the Kanyakumari district in the state of Tamil Nadu.
It was formerly known as Cape Comorin, the southernmost tip of the Cardamom Hills which is an extended part of the Western Ghats range present along the west coast of India.
It’s believed to be both the most exotic and the most spiritual holiday destination of the southern part of India.
Exotic for it is surrounded by the majestic hills, pristine rivers that flow off in the ocean, virgin beaches and stunning architect.
Spiritual for it has mesmerizing and mythological fascinating temples due to influence of rule of the several dynasties like that of Cholas, Pandyas, Venad, Cheras and Nayaks.
Kanyakumari is also a home for pilgrimage.
It is fundamentally a trip destination for pilgrims and every single bit of its guideline attractions are related to this.
One of the most prominent but the lesser known facts remains that once Swami Vivekananda, one of the great Indian philosophers, used to meditate here in this very city.
This fact is evident through the architectural development dedicated to him along the sea shore of the city.
The city has been the epicenter of art and culture, prominently Hinduism, from centuries and thus is also a place of intense trade and tactical commerce.
The most vital thing to do here is just to hold the vibe of the temples and the cultural tradition they uphold, which makes the town looks more picturesque if travelled on the foot rather than through the local buses.
However, for the quick explorers the Tamil Nadu State Transport Corporation has initiated the provision of circular bus to visit tourist spots.
Best time to visit Kanyakumari ?
Taking in account the confluence of Arabian Sea, Bay of Bengal and the Indian Ocean and analyzing all the atmospheric trends, the crest of tourist attraction is at pinnacle from the mid January to the latter half of the march, when the temperature remains in the range of (15-25) degree Celsius.
You ought to abstain from going to in rainstorm season in the middle of June and September.
The climate gets on its
worst with the danger
of even cyclones and high tides.
The downpours are quiet heavy and merciless.
Best things to do in Kanyakumari, India
The place is in itself peculiar as the name suggests.
It has some marvelous and eye catching places to visit.
Read on for the list of my favorite things to do in Kanyakumari…
Vivekananda Rock Memorial
Don’t simply site-see, quit taking a gander at your watch and invest some tranquil time here as a visit to this place will be more like a spiritual journey rather than just sightseeing .
The southernmost tip of the India is where one of the great philosophers, Swami Vivekananda initiated his philosophical journey and attained enlightenment.
This immense, majestic memorial is in built in the honor of the great soul whose admiration and idolization is not limited to
India
but spread across the globe.
It’s said that a single footprint can be seen on the rock inside the shrine.
A meditation hall which is named as ‘Dhyana Mandapam’ is also build alongside the memorial for visitors to meditate.
The design of the Mandapa is an amalgamation of different styles of temple architecture across all over the Indian continent.
Amongst all the controversies and allegations, the memorial started shaping as it is today in the year of 1970.
The Vivekananda Kendra, a living memorial, was officially founded on 7 January 1972 beside the main site on the occasion was the 108th birth anniversary of Swami Vivekananda according to the Hindu calendar.
The place is blessed with equanimity of an ascetic.
From the tender ripples of the blue water to the meditation halls it’s a place that invokes calmness and clarity towards the approach to life.
Fun things to do in Kanyakumari
Thanumalayan Temple – Sthanumalayan Kovil
This is a very interesting and fascinating temple about 12 km from Kanyakumari main city.
Built in seventeenth century, is one of the most prolific and artistically build Thanumalayan temple.
The main deities of the temple are the Lord Brahma, Lord Vishnu and Lord Shiva, and in a single form they are called Sthanumalayan.
Shiva is the third god in the Hindu triumvirate which consists of three gods who create, preserve and destruct the world.
The other two gods are Brahma (according to Hindu mythology: creator of the universe) and Vishnu (according to Hindu mythology: preserver of the universe).
Touch the stone work and instinctively you will experience that must have been specially constructed.
Many big statues are carved out from the single stone.
There are four pillars carved out of a single stone and stand at 18 feet height.
They are proclaimed to be musical as they emit the sounds of various musical notes when the chords are struck in tandem.
Many tourists pour in the month of December and January to witness a very prominent car temple festival.
These cars are the chariots used to transport representations of Hindu gods.
Popular Kanyakumari tourist attractions
Bhagavathy Amman Temple
This is a beautiful temple on the shores of Kanyakumari.
The history of the temple is quite spectacular.
Temple is dedicated to goddess Kanya Kumari, who chose not to marry to kill a demon.
The city gets its name from this very goddess.
It is believed that the marriage defiance is the metaphor of the defiance of the rigidity among the human nature.
The idol of the deity is simply and superb.
Also, the scenic sunset/sun rise point is very near away.
The view from the exit of the place is just breathtaking.
Talk of the beautiful scenic sunset or sunrise and you ought to be here.
The view of the waters from the temple premises is wonderful.
Though to experience and witness all the rituals related, one must visit the temple in the early part of the morning.
Do plan to offer a Puja (basically in simple connotation: a prayer to God) here if you are not an atheist.
There are some rules and regulations that you need to keep in mind.
Male can enter the temple premises with only a dhoti (traditional men’s garment worn in
India
especially on traditional occasions) on and females need to cover their heads.
What else to do in Kanyakumari ?
Thiruvalluvar Statue
Remembrance and reverence are the two words when you will see this mega statue.
The statue is huge and a133 feet (40.
6 m) tall stone sculpture.
It is featuring the great Tamil poet and philosopher Tiruvallur.
He had many important works and the most prominent one being the Thirukkural.
The statue has a very slight but noticeable bend around the waist.
This is reminiscence of a very famous dancing pose of an ancient Indian deity and that is Nataraja.
It is built alongside the Vivekananda rock memorial on a tiny island thus people often complain that the statue overshadows the memorial in some part of the day but the importance and magnificence of the sculpture is undeniable and unquestionable.
Is Kanyakumari worth visiting?
The answer is Yes.
Kanyakumari is worth visiting.
This is because it is such a magical place
full of beauty and adventours.
Make sure you visit the following stunning beach:
Kanyakumari Beach
can be seen as a holy place or better as a where Bay of Bengal, Arabian Sea and Indian Ocean meets altogether, is called “Sangam”.
One of its types is also in Allahabad where Ganges and Yamuna River merge, better recognized as Sangam, situated in the state of Uttar Pradesh.
The confluence of these water giants leaves one speechless on the mysteries and intelligence of nature in itself.
The beauty of place magnifies manifold when it is seen as the metaphor of how all the differences created by human race among them gets subdued when they meet their end.
Sit, walk, talk, admire, enjoy or play the
place in itself a good break
from the monotonous routines of the respective lives we live.
Not only this, you can also see good view of Vivekananda rock memorial.
Also the view of the place during sunset is picturesque and a peaceful endeavor.
What else to see in Kanyakumari ?
Padmanabhapuram Palace
A magnificent palace that was build in16th century.
Pointing more specifically, the palace was constructed under Iravi Varma Kulasekhara Perumal who ruled Venad dynasty between 1592 and 1609.
The palace is a fine specimen of Kerala’s indigenous style of architecture.
A magnificent wooden palace of the 16th century is blessed with outstanding architecture where one can see the musical bow (made of mahogany wood), windows (made of colored mica), and royal chairs with Chinese carvings.
Not only, many mesmerizing features are adding to its variance and versatility, ‘Thai Kottaram’ or the Queen Mother’s palace has painted ceilings.
Flawless rose wood and teak carved ceilings with 90 different floral designs are one of the prime attractions of the place.
The antique interiors are a replica of rosewood carvings.
The palace also contains the murals and valuables belonging from 17th and 18th century.
Though the fact cannot be denied, this immaculately built palace is a major attraction prominently for the archeologists and the architects who are more fascinated by the geometry and the patterns of the building.
Popular places to visit in Kanyakumari
Muttom Beach
Muttom is a big village mainly known for its fishing.
The place is well connected to larger cities via road.
The Mutton Beach is a rocky beach famous for its caves.
Surrounded by a quiet fishing village of Muttom, the beach makes a perfect sense for anyone looking for a short break from the exhausting city life.
Being one of the
cleanest beaches
in India, it has huge boulders scattered across the shore.
This makes it a very striking and scenic.
And if you are looking for an experience that you are
unlikely to forget anytime soon, this beach is a well made choice
as the view of sunset and sunrise are just personification of incompetent grace.
A park for the entertainment of children and a Christian Retreat Centre are nearby the beach making it a complete standout amongst the most cherished beaches in the state of Tamil Nadu.
Things to do in Kanyakumari with kids
Tiruchendur Murugan Temple
Murugan or Kartikye was the commander-in-chief of the armed forces of the Hindu gods.
He was the son of Shiva, God for destruction.
The historical name (pauranic in hindu) of this temple is Jayanthipuram.
This glorious religious temple in the region is extremely great.
Being one of the Arupadaiveedu (six major abodes) or Six sacred temple premise of Kaumaram religion, It hold a special place as it is the only one among the Six to be situated near the sea shore.
It’s a major worshiping place from devotes all around the globe mainly contributing from the countries like
Malaysia
, Sri Lanka, Singapore, England and Australia.
It has remarkable feature related to it.
Its existence just 200 meters away from the sea is Extreme form of civil engineering.
Separate parking facility and bus
terminal for the temple are one of the unique features if compared within India
.
Sannathi Street is the longest of the Tamil Nadu state.
On the very contrary it was built by the saints themselves and not the rulers.
It is one of those few temples of Tamil Nadu which have an ISO certification given.
This temple has been in existence for at least millennia, if we go according to the Puranas (major religious texts).
Thiruchendur is only a Tamil name given to this site due to the reason that it has abundance of sandalwood paste in its vicinity.
This place can be visited any time of the year as the temple has festivals celebrated almost throughout the year with the same zest and zeal.
Things to do around Kanyakumari
Our Lady of Ransom Church
It’s a catholic church which was built in the Portuguese architecture style.
It’s a century old church which is primarily built in the remembrance of Mother Mary.
The three tower spires are clearly visible from the fishing source beaches clearly making it evident about its considerable height and size.
The main feature that makes it more appealing is the 153-foot-high (46 meters) central tower.
To our amazement it is crowned with a Cross which is made of pure gold.
It looks beautiful in the lights at night, with molten blue sky at the background and making white color glaze in lights like a pearl.
It definitely adds to the equanimity like that of a monk as its very peaceful and soothing, in the sense it is very plain and simple inside.
Must see places in Kanyakumari
Ullakaarvi
Conation wise in Tamil it refers to the universal falls, so as the name suggest it is the water fall in the western Ghats lying in this very own district of Kanyakumari.
This place calls for the adventurous streak.
Trekking through a forested area of around 17 km from Nagercoil for about an hour of so will take you to the waterfall.
Thinking of it as a treasure hunt, the route is marked with rocks and floras but, will start building up the excitement in you even before you reach the waterfall.
The nature is so unbelievably natural here that you will feel as if crystals and white precious pearls are falling down.
When the day is pleasant and the skies clear enough, you will see that there are two waterfalls, one above and the other a lower one making it a peculiar sight in itself.
Free things to do in Kanyakumari
Gandhi Memorial and the Tsunami Monument
A Memorial to Mahatma Gandhi (visited Kanyakumari in 1925 and 1937), is constructed at a place on the seashore.
His ashes were kept for public Darshan (sight) before its immersion in the sea on February 12, 1948.
It’s specifically built in Orrisa, a state in
India
, style of architecture.
The dark patches of the Tsunami that had hit Indian coastline in December 2004 are still alive in many hearts and souls.
It’s built in the memory of those who got killed in the tsunami.
This monument is well made and serves its purpose well.
The garden around is being developed and the place hold a special place in the hearts of localities
The reason of clubbing them together is the nearness in the location.
One cannot amiss either of them because of its emotional value more than being the ethnic one.
Kanyakumari is one of the most beautiful tourist destinations of India.
The city has its existence from pre historic times of Alexander invasion.
Situated in Tamil Nadu, a state which is known for its humid climate, it is a beautiful paradox in the state, with a mean temperature of 15 degrees and accessible by road from Karnataka and Kerala as well.
The road is somewhere treacherous, though, with as many as 36 hairpin bends, leading to a large number of car accidents.
Although the language poses a barrier, nevertheless, the
town has many tourist
destinations.
The temples show that place has a great mythological value.
Architectures like Vivekananda memorial clearly make it evident that the calmness of the place has helped many thinkers to enlighten themselves in its lap.
The flip side of the coin is that the nature is so spectacular at Kanyakumari, that several other Indian beaches pale by comparison.
That’s why it is often referred to as one of the exotic destinations.
Describing it as the southernmost end of Tamil Nadu,
its where the lands’ end of India
or the point where the three major seas confluence or merge namely Bay of Bengal, the Arabian Sea and the Indian Ocean.
This embarks a personification of the human life in its very sense.
The visit to Kanyakumari brings you to self realization and helps in retrospection.
Visiting Kanyakumari is indeed a once in a lifetime experience.