Located at the southernmost tip of peninsular India Kanyakumari is the place where waters of Bay of Bengal, The Arabian Sea and Indian Ocean meet. The most striking feature here is the multicolor sand beaches. The beautiful sunrise and sunset is the one that you can never forget.
Formerly known as Cape Comorin, this southernmost tip of India is a pilgrimage and tourist spot. Kanniyakumari Bagavathiamman Temple combined with several others tourist places attracts lakhs of pilgrims and tourist every year.
Kanyakumari Temple – Also known as the Kumari Amman Temple is one of the ancient temples of the place and is located on the shoreline. This temple has goddess Parvati as the presiding deity who appeared in Kanyakumari as the Kanya Devi or the virgin goddess. This temple and the adjoining ghat attracts tourist from all over the world. The deity wears a diamond nose ring and it is famous for its sparkling splendor and it is also said that the nose ring is visible even from the sea. Non Hindus are not allowed to enter into the temple.
Swami Vivekanda Rock Memorial – Situated on a little rocky island just off the coast the memorial is about 500 meters away from mainland. The memorial stands on one of two rocks separated by about 70 meters. This memorial was made in the memory of the great Indian philosopher and was built in 1970. It is believed that in 1892 he sat here in deep meditation on the rock and that is why this memorial is located there. There is a dhyana mandapam where one can sit in a serene atmosphere and meditate. It houses a statue of Vivekananda. On the island one can also see the Shri Pada Parai, the footprints of Kanyakumari, the virgin goddess. To reach the memorial one has to hire the ferry services.
Gandhi Memorial – It is located at the place where the urn containing the ashes of Mahatma Gandhi is kept for public view before a portion of its contents were immersed in the three seas. This memorial resembles an Oriyan temple. This temple is designed in such a way that on 2nd October, his birthday, the sun’s rays fall directly on the spot where his ashes were kept.
Padmanabhapuram Palace – Padmanabhapuram Palace is a large mansion of the Travancore Kings. It is known for its fascinating natural splendor and beautiful architecture.
Vattakottai – Vattakottai is an 18 century circular fort located on the beach. It is a popular picnic spot which is located six km from Kanyakumari.
Udayagiri Fort – Located about 34 km from Kanyakumari the fort was built by King Marthanda Varma (1729-1758 AD). This fort has a foundry for casting guns. The grave of an European General, De Lennoy, who the king trusted grave is also located within this fort.
By Air – The nearest airport is Trivandrum International Airport. It is 67 km away from Kanyakumari and popular airlines like Air India, IndiGo, Jet Airways and many take flight from here.
By Train – Kanyakumari has its own Railway station and is well connected many major cities. Kanyakumari Express is well connected to Mumbai and Bangalore.
By Road – Kanyakumari has a well established bus network that connects it to cities in Tamil Nadu and also to major cities of India.