Thursday, March 4, 2010

Kanyakumari

Kanyakumari is a beautiful sea side tourist place, in the southmost end of India in Tamilnadu state. Kanyakumari is not only a tourist place, a popular pilgrim destination too. This is the only place in india where you can watch both sunrise and sunset because, the three oceans - Bay of Bengal, Indian Ocean and Arabian sea meets here.

Kanyakumari takes its name from Goddess Kanyakumari Amman and the temple of the presiding diety is on the edge of the ocean at the confluence of three oceans.

Important tourist attractions of Kanyakumari are Vivekananda rock memorial and Thiruvalluvar Statue, both are situated on two giant rocks reached out of the sea, looks like two small islands in the sea.

Vivekananda memorial is on the rock named Sreepada parai (means the rock blessed by the touch of feet of the goddess). You can see the footprint of the goddess Kanyakumari there. Swamy Vivekananda(one of the most famous philosopher and spiritual leader of india) is said to have sat in deep meditation on Sreepada parai. There is a meditation hall inside the Vivekananda memorial monument. Spending some time there would be an amazing experience.

Thiruvalluvar Statue built in the memory the great Tamil poet-saint Thiruvalluvar on the adjescent rock of Sreepada parai is one of the biggest statues in Asia.

Regular boat services are available here.

Kanyakumari was formerly a part of Thiruvananthapuram district of Kerala. When the agitation of larger tamil population of Kanyakumari for the merger with tamilnadu intensified, the States reorganisation commission also recommended the same. In 1956 Kanyakumari district formed and merged with Tamilnadu state.

There are somany interesting tourist spots in and around kanyakumari.