At
the southernmost tip of India, where the Arabian Sea, the Indian Ocean and
the Bay of Bengal meet, lies Kanyakumari, an important pilgrimage site.
Getting there!
By Air : The nearest airport is at Trivandrum (80 km). It
is directly connected with Bangalore, Mumbai, Cochin, Delhi, Goa, and
Chennai by regular flights.
By Rail : Kanyakumari is connected to Thiruvananthapuram,
Delhi, and Mumbai by broad-gauge railway network. Tirunelvelli (80 km) is
the other nearest railway junction and can be reached by road via Nagarkoil
(19 km).
By Road : Kanyakumari is connected by road to Trivandrum
(86 km), Nagarkoil (19 km), Tirunelvelli (91 km), Tiruchendur (89 km),
Tuticorin (129 km), Rameshwaram (300 km), Courtallam (130 km), Madurai (242
km), Thekkady (358 km), Kodaikanal (362 km), Palani (370 km), Ootacamund
(576 km), Cochin (309 km), and Coimbatore (478 km). We would provide you all
India tourist permit vehicles for the local transportations and also for the
intercity drives too.
It's Name , Kanyakumari has been named after the Goddess Kanyakumari Amman
who is the popular deity of the area. Legend has it that the Goddess Parvati
in one of her incarnations as Devi Kanniya did penance on one of the rocks
of this land's end to obtain the hand of Lord Shiva.
Erstwhile Travancore state
Kanyakumari district was once in the erstwhile Travancore state which was
ruled by the kings Chera line Consequent on the linguistic reorganization of
states in India. The southern part of Travancore state was integrated with
Tamil Nadu in the year 1956 and it became a district in the name of Devi
Kanyakumari. Kanyakumari, the southern most district of India and the
smallest district in Tamil Nadu is having places of legendary, historical
and artistic importance.
Absolutely worth visiting
Vattakottai : The 18th century fort overlooking the sea,
located 6 km from Kanyakumari. Here, the sea is calm and suitable for
bathing.
Suchindram : The Thanumalayan temple, here, is a
repository of art treasures, belonging to many kingdoms. The presiding deity
in the form of a Linga, denotes Shiva, Vishnu and Brahma. Inscriptions, said
to be of the 9th century AD, can be found in this temple. The temple is also
famous for a huge statue of Hanuman and its musical pillars.
Udayagiri Fort : Built by King Marthanda Varma
(1729-1758AD), this fort also has a foundry for casting guns. The king's
trusted European general De Lennoy's tomb is located within this fort.
Nagaraja Temple : Nagarkoil is a fascinating temple with
Nagaraja as the main deity. There are also shrines dedicated to Lord Shiva
and Vishnu.
Padmanabhapuram Palace (45 km), is the magnificent wooden palace of the
Travancore maharajas.
Tiruchendur, site of a beautiful temple dedicated to Lord Subramanya.
Courtallam Falls : are perched at a height of of 167 m.
The water is believed to contain medicinal properties.
