Pilgrimage Kanayakumari,tamilnadu,india
Kanyakumari owes its popularity as a tourist destination to both its sanctity as a pilgrimage site and to natures
generosity. The never-ending horizon, the confluence of three seas, brilliant sun rises and sunsets, the rare sight of the sun and moon sharing a horizon and a beach that is as beautiful as it is dangerous add their own allure to the magic of Kanyakumari.
Named after and dedicated to Parvati as the young virgin, the Kanya whose tapasya won her the hand of Lord Shiva. But there being many a slip tween the cup and lip, poor Kanya never did get married. The story goes that Narada Muni, advisor to the gods decreed midnight the auspicious hour for
the wedding ceremony. Narada calculations were all awry! The hour proved most unfavourable, the wedding party heard a cockcrow and presuming the night had passed and they had missed the scheduled time, turned back. The wedding feast turned, not to dust but close enough, to sand and even today, Kanyakumaris unusual multicoloured sand bears an uncanny resemblance to rice and pulses! Left at the altar and hence a virgin forever, Kanya is worshipped by young maidens.
Shopping
Handcrafted trinkets, seashell art, palm leaf drawings are available all over. Shopkeepers will try to palm off beads as authentic coral, so be wary. All prices are negotiable so bargain hard!
Events
The Chitra Poornima festival celebrates the full moon in April and the RC Church holds its Holy Annual Festival in the fourth week of December.
Night Out
Restaurants in Kanyakumari offer a variety of cuisine. There are plenty of places to eat at on the jetty road near the Kanyakumari Temple.
Sights
Kumari Amman or Kanyakumari Temple is built at the edge of the sea, where poor Kanya waited for her groom to arrive. The virgin is worshipped in the form of an exquisitely beautiful black stone idol, bedecked in silks, gold and diamonds. Kanyas glittering nose ring shines so brightly
that it could be seen from afar. Its radiance sent ships off course, crashing on the rocky shoreline below the temple. So many ships met their untimely end that the eastern door to the shrine was closed off; and is opened only five days each year. The temple also houses two smaller shrines dedicated to the goddesss friends and playmates, Vijayasundari and Balasundari. East of the temple are two huge rocky outcrops. Sri Padaparai is sacred because it contains an imprint of Kanyakumaris foot. The Rock Memorial temple complex built by the Ramakrishna Mission in 1970 marks the place where the famous Indian philosopher saint Swami Vivekananda meditated. Ferries take visitors to the temple, which has a remarkably serene atmosphere despite the crowds that come to see it. Designed like a temple, the Gandhi Memorial commemorates the final resting place of the urn containing the Bapus ashes, before its immersion in the sacred confluence of three oceans. On the 2nd October (Gandhis Birthday) the first rays of the morning sun fall on the exact spot where the urn was kept for the public to pay homage to the Father of the Indian nation. The Government Museum has a collection of sundry objects like old coins, whalebones, tribal objects, bronze sculptures, and woodcarvings.
How to get there by Air
The nearest airport to Kanyakumari is at Thiruvananthapuram (Trivandrum-80km). The airport has direct connections to Bangalore, Mumbai, Kochi, Delhi, Goa and Chennai.
How to get there by Rail
The Railway Station is barely 1 km from the town with excellent express and superfast train connections to Delhi, Mumbai, Chennai, Kochi and Thiruvananthapuram.
How to get there by Bus
Regular bus services connect Kanyakumari to Chennai, Pondicherry, Bangalore, Trichy, Madurai, Rameshwaram, Thiruvananthapuram, Kovalam, Kochi and other places in Tamil Nadu and neighbouring Kerala.
Best time to Visit
The temperatures are more or less constant through the year. The rains hit in the beginning of June though. Although Kanyakumari can be visited through the year the best time to visit would be between October and March. But whichever month you visit be sure to include a full moon night in your stay.
The sunsets and the moon rises at the horizon almost simultaneously, in breathtaking synchrony.
Hotels in KnyakumariTTDC operated chain of hotels and youth hostels are the best bet for travellers in Tamil Nadu. The hotels offer standard accommodation, large single and double rooms, AC and non-AC, restaurant and bar facilities, tourist desk and transport. Youth hostels have double rooms with ensuite/shared bathrooms
and dormitories at rates that are amongst the lowest anywhere. There are many other small hotels and lodgings along the beach road. Some good options are Hotel Singaar and Hotel Parvathi Residency.
What to Pack
Pack light cottons, comfortable footwear and plenty of sunscreen. While shops here are stocked well carry any prescription medicines you think you might require.
Emergency Number
Police Station: 100 Govt. Hospital : 223206 Holy Cross Hospital : 230897 Krishnakumar Hospital: 230021 TOURISM BOARD OFFICE: Government of India Tourist Office 154, Anna Salai Madras-600 002 Tamil Nadu Tel: +91 44 8269685, 869695
Nearby Places
Nagercoil is the District Headquarter of Kanyakumari and only 19 kms away. It is named after a temple here that is dedicated to the Lord of Snakes or Nagaraja. St. Xaviers Church at Nagercoil dates back to the 15th century. It holds a 10-day festival every year from the 24th of November.
Close to Nagercoil are the Olakkay Aruvi waterfalls, which make a good spot for a picnic. Suchindram is a popular pilgrim town 13 km from Kanyakumari. Its temple is dedicated to a deity that is a combination of Brahma, Vishnu and Shiva, i.e. the Creator, the Preserver and the Destroyer. It has richly carved gopuram (tower), musical pillars and works of art from various periods. Kumarakovil 34 kms from Kanyakumari is popular for its Lord Subramanya temple, which is situated in the midst of lush greenery on a hillock. It is noted for its architecture and the lake near it is big enough to boat in. The Mondaikaddu Bhagvathy Amman Temple 41 km from Kanyakumari is a small 7th century BC temple that attracts a regular flow of pilgrims from around the area. The Amman in the shape of a five-headed anthill is 12ft. high and still growing. Thengapattinam Beach is an ancient maritime town that used to service trade with the Middle East. 54 kms from Kanyakumari it makes fro a great getaway. It has a 1200-year-old mosque and in addition, the beach here is clean and free of the regular tourist crowd, and the water here is perfect for swimming. Padmanabhapuram 45 km from Kanyakumari has an old fort, which encloses the palace of the Travancore kings, and the Ramaswamy temple that carved panels of scenes from the Ramayan. Pechipparai Dam is only 56 km away and offers a waterside spot for picnics and boating facilities. Udayagiri Fort 34 km away from Kanyakumari was built in the 18th century by King Marathanda and contains the tomb of his trusted general, a Dutchman General De Lennoy. Vattakottai , 6km from Kanyakumari, houses an 18th Century Circular Fort. You can enjoy a swim in the sea because the waters are tranquil here.
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india Travel Guidebudget hotels in Hyderabadby: Raman Mankotia
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