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KANYAKUMARI

     The southern-most tip of India is Kanyakumari. The Arabian sea, Bay of Bengal and the Indian ocean meet here. It is an important pilgrim center. Sunrise and sunset are spectacular, especially on full moon days. With long stretches of sands of many hues, the beach offers a welcome change.

A variety of shells are on sale on Kanyakumari beach

How to reach: The nearest airport is in Thiruvananthapuram, 87 km away. Kanyakumari is well-connected with all places by rail and road. Local transport is bus, auto rickshaw and taxi.
Altitude: sea level; temperature: ranges from 20 to 35 deg C.
Rainfall: average 102 cms; clothing: cotton; visiting season: round the year.
Languages: Tamil, Malayalam, English.
Places of interest: Vivekananda Rock memorial: This memorial to Swami Vivekananda was built in 1970. Vivekananda was a social reformer and saint of modern India. He is supposed to have meditated on the rock where the memorial stands. Ferry service is available. Visiting time is from 8 am to 4 pm. Gandhi memorial and Guganathaswamy temple are two other tourist spots in the area. Kumari Amman temple is a famous place of worship where Parvathi is worshiped as virgin goddess who did penance to wed Lord Shiva. There is a nice picnic spot some 6 km away, Vattakottai (Circular Fort). It is an 18th century fort overlooking the sea. Nagercoil where the Nagaraja temple is situated is 19 km from Kanyakumari. Nagaraja is the serpent god, the presiding deity. Sand from the spot is given as prasadam. The entrance has a Chinese style. Suchindram (13 km) has a unique temple dedicated to the trimurthies - Brahma, Vishnu and Shiva. The musical pillars and the 18-foot high Hanuman statue are artistic attractions. There are also inscriptions dating back to the 9th century AD. Udayagiri Fort, 34 km away from Kanyakumari, was built by King Marthanda Varma (1729-58) AD. This fort had a foundry for making guns. The Raja's general, De Lennoy's tomb is also situated in the fort. De Lennoy was a European taken prisoner by Marthanda Varma Raja when he defeated the Dutch at Colachel. De Lennoy turned out to be, in course of time, the Raja's trusted general. Thiruparappu waterfalls (60 km) has a temple of the finest architecture and paintings. Muttam (32 km) is a good beach and lighthouse. Tiruchendur (91 km) has a temple overlooking the Bay of Bengal. It is one of the abodes of Lord Subramanya. There is a steady stream of devotees. Kalakkadu and Mundanthurai are two wildlife sanctuaries which can be visited from Kanyakumari.

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