Kanyakumari is situated at the southernmost tip of the Indian subcontinent and the meeting point of the Indian Ocean, the Arabian Sea and the Bay of Bengal meet in Kanyakumari. Located in Tamil Nadu, this place is famous for the picturesque views at sunrise and sunset. A rare sight is on the full moon night in April, when both sunset and moonrise take place simultaneously.
The chief attractions for the traveller in Kanyakumari are the Kumari Amman Temple, the Vivekananda Memorial and the Church of Our Joy other than the multi-coloured granite rocks and the sandy beaches.
Kanyakumari has its name from the Virgin Goddess who abides here in the Kumari Amman Temple dedicated to her. She wanted to marry Lord Shiva and did penance to the Gods to fulfil her desire. But to save the world, she had to remain a virgin. This temple was built by the Pandya Kings in the 8th century and later was renovated by kings of other dynasties such as Chola, Vijayanagar and Nayaka.
The temple has a Navaratri Mandapa that has a painted panel depicting the Hindu goddess Durga killing the demon Mahisha. The sanctum sanctorum of the temple is at the spot, where Goddess Kumari did her penance and has her footprints carefully preserved.
The Vivekananda Memorial is situated on a rocky island off the coast. The boat ride across the sea is a memorable experience for the traveller. The memorial is erected on a place, where Swami Vivekananda sat in meditation just before going to attend the Chicago World Religious conference in 1893. Next to the memorial stands a huge 40 m statue of Thiruvalluvar, an ancient Tamil poet famous for his epic Thirukurral, which is a classic of Tamil literature.
The Church of Our Joy, a sixteenth century church built by Francis Xavier is located in the southern part of Kanyakumari.
The chief attractions for the traveller in Kanyakumari are the Kumari Amman Temple, the Vivekananda Memorial and the Church of Our Joy other than the multi-coloured granite rocks and the sandy beaches.
Kanyakumari has its name from the Virgin Goddess who abides here in the Kumari Amman Temple dedicated to her. She wanted to marry Lord Shiva and did penance to the Gods to fulfil her desire. But to save the world, she had to remain a virgin. This temple was built by the Pandya Kings in the 8th century and later was renovated by kings of other dynasties such as Chola, Vijayanagar and Nayaka.
The temple has a Navaratri Mandapa that has a painted panel depicting the Hindu goddess Durga killing the demon Mahisha. The sanctum sanctorum of the temple is at the spot, where Goddess Kumari did her penance and has her footprints carefully preserved.
The Vivekananda Memorial is situated on a rocky island off the coast. The boat ride across the sea is a memorable experience for the traveller. The memorial is erected on a place, where Swami Vivekananda sat in meditation just before going to attend the Chicago World Religious conference in 1893. Next to the memorial stands a huge 40 m statue of Thiruvalluvar, an ancient Tamil poet famous for his epic Thirukurral, which is a classic of Tamil literature.
The Church of Our Joy, a sixteenth century church built by Francis Xavier is located in the southern part of Kanyakumari.
