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Thursday 9 October 2014

Long drive to Delhi - 7 : Kanyakumari, Tamilnadu

Drive to Kanyakumari  from Madurai on NH 7 was smooth. Of course you got to pay toll for it. Road side scenery gets a little less green as compared to Karnataka or Kerala because of less rains due perhaps to geography of Western Ghats.

Kanyakumari is located at southern most tip of Indian peninsula & has an average elevation of 0 meters. Temperature fluctuates from 22 to 33 C during the year.

Kanyakumari finds mention in ancient Roman & Greek books as Cape of Comorin. Islam is said to have arrived through traders & missionaries in 8th century & European missionaries arrived in 16th century.

One legend mentions Kanya Devi an avtar of Parvati, who did penance here to marry Shiva but the marriage was never solemnised. Devi Kanniya Kumari blesses all the pilgrims here in Kumari Amman Temple.

Another legend is about Hanuman dropping a piece of earth while carrying a mountain with Sanjivani herb on it from Himalayas to Sri Lanka. Saints such as Vyasa, Agastya, Avvaiyar & Thiruvalluvar are associated with this place.

Budget / luxury accommodations & variety of foods are available in the town. Wear light cotton clothes, cap & use sun lotion to ward off tanning. Light footwear which are easily removable may be used as they are not allowed in temples & memorials. Afternoon outing may be avoided as sun is too harsh. Drink lots of water to keep hydrated.      

Getting nearer to land's end

As we get closer to land's end the speed of wind increases & which is being harnessed for clean energy

It is a small sleepy town but for tourism, having a population of about 20k & the district has a population of 20 lacs

As land ends, sea & wind greet the travellers

Vivekanand Rock Memorial - built in 1970 by Eknath Ranade. Swami Vivekanand is said to have meditated here for three days 

133 ft tall statue of Tamil saint-poet Thiruvalluvar by sculptor V.Ganpathi Sthapati completed in the year 2000

View of twin rocky islets & unique memorials. From one memorial to another one has to use ferry

View from Vivekanand Rock Memorial. To & fro ferry service goes on throughout the day & return tickets are available. Look at the sea shore with haphazard buildings coming up 

Municipal market near Devi Kanniya Kumari Temple

Get your future foretold in just Rs 25, deluxe edition Rs 100!

Panoramic view can be had by going up the View Tower on a ticket of Rs 5. Tourists flock to see sunrise & sunsets from this vintage point 

Sunset from the top of the tower

Twin memorials at sunrise

Afternoon sky
Sunrise & sun worshippers on the Tower
Sun, sea, clouds & varying patterns of light at sunset

Light House

1 comment:

Harsh Wardhan Jog said...

https://jogharshwardhan.blogspot.com/2014/10/long-drive-to-delhi-7-kanyakumari.html