Kanniyakumari - The Destination
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Kanniyakumari, the southernmost point of peninsular
India, is the meeting point of three oceans-
the Bay of Bengal, the Arabian Sea and the Indian
Ocean. Besides it being an important Hindu pilgrim
centre, it is well-known for its picturesque
sunrise and sunset over the sparkling waters.
Attractions in Kanniyakumari are endless. A
must-see here is the Kumari Amman or
the Kanniyakumari Temple. This temple is dedicated
to a manifestation of Parvati
, the virgin goddess who did |
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penance to obtain Lord
Shiva's hand in marriage. The temple and
the adjoining ghat are perfectly
situated overlooking the shore. The diamond
nose-ring of the deity is famous for its
sparkling splendor said to be visible
even from the sea.
Kanniyakumari epitomises the site where
the spiritual leader Swami Vivekananda
spent days in meditation upon a rock off
the coast. A memorial built in his honor
is accessible via ferry. There is also
a recently built memorial to Tiruvalluvar,
the author of the philosophical work Tirukkural
- a treatise on the Indian way of life.
Close to the Vivekananda Rock
is another rock called Sripada Parai,
which means ‘the rock that has been
blessed by the touch of the feet of the
goddess.’ Both these rocks are fine
places from where you can have a view
of the land’s end of India.
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Kanniyakumari - Facts at a Glance
| State
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Tamil Nadu |
| Area : |
25.89 sq. kms |
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Temperature : |
34.8°C
- 22.4°C (Summers)
33.8°C - 21.6°C (Winters) |
| Rainfall
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102
cms |
| Language
: |
Tamil,
Malayalam, English |
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| Best
Season : |
Kanniyakumari is often
associated with the Goddess Kumari, the
virgin, and is a busy pilgrimage center.
It is thronged with pilgrims throughout
the year. The Cape is at its best during
Chitra Poornami or the full moon day in
April when the sun and moon are face to
face at the same horizon. Other full moon
days are also special - one can see the
sun set and the moon rise almost simultaneously!
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Attractions in Kanniyakumari
The
Vivekananda
Rock Memorial - On the seaside
is built a large, beautiful memorial dedicated
to the Indian philosopher, Swami Vivekananda,
who is said to have meditated here before
setting out as one of India's most important
religious crusaders. There is a Dhyana
Mandapam for one to sit in a peaceful
atmosphere and meditate. This memorial
is on two rocky islands projecting from
the sea about 400 m offshore. The Indian
philosopher Swami Vivekananda came here
in 1892. The memorial has been built on
the Vivekananda Rock where the great philosopher
- guide Swami Vivekananda went into meditation |
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that
transformed him into one of the most charismatic
spiritual leaders of this century. On
this rock is positioned the Vivekananda
Rock Memorial built in 1970 with
a blend of all the architectural styles
of India. A statue of Swami Vivekananda
has been installed inside the memorial
building.
Kumari Amman Temple -
The seashore Kumari Amman temple
is dedicated to the virgin goddess Kanya
Devi, who may be said to be the guardian
deity of the shoreline, but was later
absorbed into the figure of Devi, or Parvati,
consort of Shiva. One version of Kanya
Devi's story relates how she did penance
to win the hand of Shiva. The god was
all in favour and set out from Suchindram
for the wedding, due to take place at
midnight. The celestial devas, however,
wanted Kanya Devi to remain a virgin,
so that she could retain her full quota
of shakti or divine power, and hatched
a plot. Narada the sage assumed the form
of a cock and crowed; on hearing this,
Shiva, thinking that it was dawn and that
he had missed the auspicious time for
the ceremony, went home. The figure of
Kanya Devi inside the temple wears a diamond
nose stud of such brilliance that it's
said to be visible from the sea.
Gandhi
Memorial - The striking Gandhi
Memorial has been built on the
spot where the urn containing the Mahatma's
ashes was kept for public viewing before
immersion. Resembling central Indian Hindu
temples in form, the memorial was so planned
that on Mahatma Gandhi's birthday (October
2), the first rays of the sun fall on
the exact place where his ashes were kept.
Guganathaswamy
Temple - This 1000-year-old temple
is said to have been built by Raja Raja
Cholan, and is situated close to the railway
station.
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