Kanyakumari (the paradise of South India)
About
Indian beaches are better known as” the legends of joy that never sleep”. India peninsula ends in a swan song of wild seas and broken rocks, this enchanting seashore being Kanyakumari. Kanyakumari is the true spot where one can find the beauty of beaches. Lapped by the Bay of Bengal, Indian Ocean and Arabian Sea it is the sangam of these three mighty seas. This is known as the Triveni Sangam. It is also an exotic abode of Indian art, culture, tradition and heritage. This pilgrim center abounds with folktales and mythological stories speaking volumes about Kanyakumari. The explorations of these historical temples that have kept the myths alive add some golden moments to ones memorabilia.
Azure sky with whimsical drawings, merging with blue sea form the district horizon ,the water spread of the sea in numerous shades of black and blue, with patches of surf washing the shore, haze reflection of sunlight in blue water and yellow sand, swaying coconut trees, extensive verdant plains punctuated with intermittent inhabitations, pagodas with quadrangular slanting roofs and cupola shaped shrines, tall church towers, large trees with pepper trees clinging to them, green vegetation on both sides of black topped roads, streams meandering through green vegetation on both sides, merrily fluttering colorful birds, giving sounds from feeble murmur to nerve wrecking shrieks enfold the viewers eyes and mind. Not without reason Lord Connemera called the region a fairy land. It was once called as the 'Granary of Travancore'(Nanjil Nadu).This name refers to this place because paddy grows here in plenty.
The town of Kanyakumari is mainly publicised in tourist brochures, but the district has much to offer for both the nature-lover and landscape-photographer. Nature seems to be at its best in this district .Interspersed with the seashore, plains, hills, peaks and dales the district is entirely devoid from monotony in appearance. The old Arcadian charm tenaciously lingers in spite of the urbanization. It is also rich in flora and fauna. A unique feature of Kanyakumari district is that it has all kinds of natural eco-systems. The panoramic view available from the cliffs of slight elevation are beaches, mountain valleys, evergreen forests in the deep interior, rubber and clove plantations on the highlands.
Local info
A major beach attraction is the exuberant scenes of the sunrise and sunset especially on full moon nights. The nature of the sand in the beaches of Kanyakumari is unique as it is multicolored. A variety of seashells adorn the seashore and curios adorn the kiosks which are available at throwaway prices. Health-tourism is a fast developing industry. The mainland is dotted with hills and uneven landscape tapering into the ocean. Tourism has come up in a big way leading to many commercial buildings and hotels at the upper crest of the land mass with the sea visible below. The locals live in the old areas and on the lower side of the town. The main occupation being fishing and other maritime .Of late many locals are employed in shell-craft and other tourism-related businesses. It holds the rare distinction of being the only district in India which has a 99% literacy rate, a 98.5% female literacy rate. 60% or more are college degree holders.
This place has been associated with great people like SwamiVivekananda, Thiruvalluvar and Mahatma Gandhi in whose names memorials have been built here. They are very beautiful and add attraction to the place.
There are two islets in the ocean adjacent to the mainland,one dedicated to Swami Vivekananda 'the wondering monk' an Indian philosopher of the 19th century.On the other southeast of the Kumari Amman temple ,is the grandiose statue of Tamil saint-poet Thiruvalluvar The statue a gigantic 133 feet (40.5 m) tall is one of the biggest statues in Asia.
In the North Western coast of Kanyakumari within the beach sand the following minerals are found Ilmenite, Rutile, Zircon, Garnet, Monazite Sillimanite, Magnatite. Due to windy conditions in this coast the above rare minerals are deposited.
History of Kanyakumari
Kanyakumari is variously referred to as Alexandria of the East, Cape Comorin, Kanniyakumari in Tamil Language. Cape Comorin was christened by the British, necessitated perhaps by the inability to pronounce the desi version. Kanniyakumari is derived from the virgin goddess Kanniyakumari Amman manifestation of Goddess Parvati who under the disguise of Devi Kanniya did a penance in one of the rocks in this area to attain the hand of Lord Shiva. Thus it truly shows the unity of India, a bride in south waiting for her groom from the Himalayas (Kailash) north.
Ptolemy in his manuscript had identified Kanyakumari along with the Gulf of Mannar as a center for pearl fishery. Korkai, a place to the east of Kanyakumari was identified as an emporium of pearl trade,The Travancore Census 1931 says that Paravars ruled here.The place was a great centre for art and religion for centuries as it was ruled by the Cholas, the Cheras, the Pandyas and the Nayaks The sea route made suitable for trade and commerce. Later became part of the Venad kingdom with its capital at Padmanabhapuram. The king of Venad, Anizham Thirunal Marthanda Varma, established Travancore by extending his domain further north up to Aluva, during his reign from 1729 to 1758. Kanyakumari District came to be known as Southern Travancore. In 1741, Maharaja Marthanda Varma defeated the Dutch East India Company at the famous Battle of Colachel. Foreign colonial powers, the Dutch, tried to colonize the areas around Nagercoil during the 18th century, but were subdued. The Dutch East India Company, were very much attraced to the spices of Travancore, they tried to establish a trading post at the then important port town of Colachel, near Nagercoil.
Maharaja Marthanda Varma initiated the process of reforms in various sections of government. Infrastructure like Irrigation systems dams, roads, schools etc. were developed under the Travancore regents.Kings of Travancore helped the people of this land to a great extent The British in India called Travancore a 'model native state'. Travancore was supposed to be the most socially developed and one of the most economically developed states under the British Raj.
Travancore kings restricted women from wearing dress to cover up their chest and there was a revolt against the king and it was called as "Saree Revolt". The king of Travancore tried to subdue the revolt .Later under the leadership of "Muthukutty" who belonged to Nadars the dominant caste people in this district, there was a another revolt .
Kings of Travancore ruled until the overall suzerainty of the British took over. The British had it until 1947, when India became independent. Travancore joined the independent Indian Union in 1947. The reign of the Travancore royals came to an end. The culture followed by Kanyakumari people has more influence from Travancore. In 1949, Kanyakumari became part of the reconstituted Travancore-Cochin State. Under the leadership of Marshal Nesamony a popular agitation took place for its freedom from Travancore and for the amalgamation of Kanyakumari District with Tamil Nadu by the Tamil-speaking people of the district . Kanyakumari district was amalgamated with Tamil Nadu (then known as Madras State) On Nov 1st 1956 during the linguistic reorganisation of states.
In spite of being a Hindu administration, the rulers generally had religious tolerance, were not hostile to European educators, missionaries and traders. St. Francis Xavier was the pioneer in preaching Christianity to Kanyakumari district. Islam is believed to have entered the southern part of India through Kanyakumari during the early part of the eighth century AD through traders and missionaries who came through sea-routes. Islam, Christianity and Jainism contributed to the architectural wealth and literary heritage of the region.
Location
By its location Kanyakumari occupies a unique place among the tourist centre’s of India. It is 19 km to the southeast of Nagercoil the District Headquarters. It is well connected with Thiruvanathapuram the capital of Kerala by a road. Kanyakumari with sensuous beaches glistening multihued sands, rocky promontories its scenic charm make it an endearing abode for one and all. Kanyakumari district has many tourism spots which provide exciting, enriching and refreshing experience. The town of Kanyakumari is a myriad of cultural & religious diversity. The total area of the land is 1,685 square kilometers. Kanniyakumari is located at 8°05′N 77°34′E8.08°N 77.57°E. Every year the land receives 1,188.6 meters of rainfall. It is the only district in Tamilnadu to receive showers from both the monsoons. The maximum temperature goes to 35ºC and falls to a minimum of 21ºC. The local population is basically Tamil but most people are able to converse in Malayalam too. The Western Ghats and Eastern Ghats terminate at this point. On the north and the east it is surrounded by, Tirunelveli District while on the west and northwest it is bounded by Kerala state. There are evidence that point to a submerged continent south of Kanyakumari called Kumari Kandam compared with Lemuria.
Getting there
There are air, road and rail facilities for travelers and tourists. The nearest airport is about 87 kilometers away from Kanyakumari, located in Thiruvanthapuram (Kerala State). There are two railway junctions; one is the Kanyakumari Junction and the other Nagarcoil Junction. There are three bus terminuses namely, Central and Express Bus Stand Anna Bus Stand and Christopher Bus Stand.
Attraction 1
Kumari Amman temple
About
Kanyakumari takes its name from the Kumari Amman temple. Devi Kanya Kumari, known as Kumari Amman is one of the incarnations of Devi. She is popularly known as "Bhagavathy Amman". Bhagavathy Amman Temple is located in Kanya Kumari. The Kanyakumari temple is an ancient one and is quoted in the Ramayana, Mahabharata, and the Sangam works Manimekalai and Puranaanooru. It is believed that Parasurama, who reclaimed Kerala, from the ocean installed and worshipped the image of Kanyakumari.
History
There is a romantic legend behind the origin of this temple. The demon Baanaasuran wreaked havoc on the inhabitants of this world and heavens. However no one could harm him, as he had because of severe austerities obtained a boon from Lord Brahma that only a maiden could vanquish him. Mahavishnu requested the Gods and the humans to request primeval energy or Divine Mother Paraasakthi to vanquish the demon. Shakti was born as a daughter to a king at the land’s end. The young princess grew up to be a damsel and recollected her identity and commenced penance with the desire of marrying Shiva. The lord meditating in far away Kailas woke up from his trance hearing her prayer and started walking south to marry the princess. The celestial Sage Narada, fixed the midnight hour as the auspicious time for the wedding.
This made the Devas anxious as the goddess would lose her powers of slaying Banasura if she got married, they requested sage Narada to stop the wedding at any cost. First Narada tried to confuse Devi. He asked her if she was certain that it was only Lord Shiva and not Banasura in disguise she was getting married to. He suggested that Devi to test Siva and should ask Lord Shiva to come with 3 items. The 3 things were betel leaf without veins, coconut without eyes and a stalk of sugarcane without the mandatory stump-joints. If he could produce these, then he would surely be Siva. Lord Siva easily brought these items and the marriage proceedings continued as per schedule.
Then Lord Shiva along with his entourage was on his way to Kanyakumari from Suchindrum. Sage Narada then assumed the form of a cock crowed signifying the break of dawn at Valukkamparai 5 kms south of Suchindram. Thinking the night was past and he had missed the auspicious time of the marriage he returned to his abode disappointed. Goddess Kanyakumari was infuriated because the groom did not show up for the wedding and cursed all the articles, ornaments and food that had been prepared for the occasion. All the objects turned into sand and seashells of different shape, color and form that you see scattered along the coast today. The uncooked grains are supposed to have turned into stones as time went by. The small stones which look like rice on the shore today are believed to be indeed grains of the wedding that was never solemnized.
The Goddess decided to remain virgin which means Kanya in Tamil. The demon Banaasuran upon hearing of the Goddess proceeded to Kanyakumari to win her hand in marriage by force. A fierce battle ensured in which she killed him with her Chakragudha, and relieved the suffering of Devas. At the time of his death, Banasura understood his mistakes and begged for her mercy. Being an epitome of compassion she forgave and absolved him of all his sins.
Local info
The black stone image of Kanyakumari in the sanctum bearing a garland is an enchanting one .The idol of Goddess Kumari Amman in the inner sanctum, is carved of blue stone and placed on a pedestal. By doing the repetition of God's name (mantra-japa) in her spiritual ecstatic mood she sheds pure spiritual bliss and is a model to the whole of Hindu womanhood, an embodiment of eternal Divine Bliss. The life-like image of Devi with a smiling face is a combination of innocence, purity and beauty.
The deity is beautifully adorned with gold jewelry, holding a rosary in her right hand and touching a garland with the left. Her crown is embedded with precious gems and diamonds. But the most beautiful being a nose ring studded with diamond which is visible even from the sea. The light emanating from this nose ring misguided arriving ships as that from a lighthouse and caused them to crash onto the rocky coast. Hence a door was built to the east of the shrine which is opened only five times a year when the goddess is taken out for ceremonial bath. The eastern door is opened also on new moon days in the months of Thai, Aadi , during Navaratri and in the month of Kaartikai. The shrines of Vijayasundari and Balasundari friends and playmates of the Goddess in her youthful form are seen.
There are a total of 11 theerthams associated with the temple in the ocean.
Worship services are carried out here, throughout the day, in a manner similar to that in Keralite temples as it was with Travancore state earlier. There is a Navaratri Mandapam in the outer corridor, which further has a pathway leading to the second corridor that encircles the shrine. There is a well called Patal Ganga Teerth from which pilgrims proceed to the flag mast. The temple festivities take place twice a year. Generally in October the 10-day Navaratri festival and second time again for a 10-day festival ‘Vaikasi Visakam’ during the tamil month of Vaikasi (May June). The ancient temple comes alive with lights and colors, and the idol is taken out in a procession on the street in the morning and evening. The car festival, the Aaraatu and the float festival here are also celebrated. The goddess is facing the east. Pilgrims entering the inner corridor can have the darshan of Indra Vinayak. There is also a small shrine dedicated to Tyaga Sundari.
Male devotees are required to remove their shirts before entering the temple. The Pandiyans were supposed to have commissioned the building of the shrine in honor of the goddess in the 8th century. The temple was subsequently revamped by the Chola and Nayak dynasties. Non-Hindus are barred from entering the temple.
In Kanyakumari there is a shrine of Adi Sankara with his disciples. Adi Sankaras is believed to have composed Soundaryalahari after seeing the sunrise, sunset and moon rise on the full moon day of the Tamil month of Chithrai at Kanya kumari in praise of the virgin Goddess. In the opening lines of his divine work he has sung about the beauty of Devi Kanyakumari . Many seekers in India pilgrimage to Kanyakumari in search of health, inner peace balance and holistic renewal.
Alternate Legend
Another theory is that king Bharat’s daughter Shakuntala’s and king Dushyant granddaughter ‘Kumari’ came to the southernmost part of her father’s empire to act as his representative and manage the affairs there. Since this place was ruled by Kumari it came to be known as Kumari Nadu and the city where she lived was called Kumarinpadi that eventually was shortened as Kanyakumari
Scenes of sunrise and sunset
About
Tourist folk this paradise, round the year lured by the serene beauty of this place and the spectacles of sunrise and sunset. The sunrise is visible throughout the year but the sunset can be best viewed only from October 15 to March 15 from this southernmost tip. Murugan Kundram a small hill nearby from where one can view both sunrise and sunset throughout the year .It is about 3 km from Kanyakumari. One can have a panoramic view of Kanyakumari from this hillock. The sunset followed by the moonrise is visible almost simultaneously on full moon days from the Murugan kundram. It is a unique spectacle which is seen only in very few parts of the world.
Vivekananda Rock
About
“Truth, purity, and unselfishness - whenever these are present, there is no power below or above the sun to crush the possessor thereof. Equipped with these, one individual is able to face the whole universe in opposition.” were the words of the great sage Vivekananda. Swami Vivekananda, with intense love in his heart for motherland .Swami Vivekananda took two years of extensive travel through the length and breadth of India, after the death of his guru Sri Ramakrishna. The great religious leader on reaching the tip of India swam to the rock 400 metres offshore and meditated here on 25th, 26th and 27th of December 1892. He pondered over India's PAST, PRESENT and FUTURE. In the course of his meditation on the isolated rock island, he acquired a spiritual charisma. The swamiji is also supposed to have obtained the firm resolve to go to America, to participate in the Conference of World's Religions in Chicago to be held the next year 1893 an important event in the modern history of Hinduism for the spreading of the Vedanta philosophy to the West.
Swamiji's vision was that, the scientific and technological knowhow of the West was the answer to India's problems and the spiritual abundance in Indian philosophy was the answer to the Western problems. His desire to go to America was to share the experience of the West and East merging them to help the entire world. In 1897 he founded the Ramakrishna math and mission. His lectures and writings are available as books.
In 1962 on his birth centenary, Vivekananda Memorial Rock temple was conceptualized. The design of the memorial was by Sthapati Sri S.K. Achari and consecrated by Srimad Swami Vireshwarananda, President of Ramakrishna mission. The President of India Sri. V.V. Giri formally inaugurated it in September 1970. A temple Vivekananda Rock Memorial, stands dedicated to the dynamic samnyasin who shook East and West. The rock is now known as Vivekananda Rock.
Local info
The memorial as a whole has two main structures Vivekananda Mandapam and Sripada Mandapam, in its precincts on two rocks standing adjacent to each other separated by about 70 metres
Vivekananda Mandapam
Vivekananda Mandapam has a dimension of 534' x 426' .This Mandapam erected in honour of Vivekananda consists of
• Dhyana Mandapam -
• Sabha Mandapam
• Mukha Mandapam
• Front Entrance .
The shrine consists of a Meditation Hall or the Dhyana Mandapam has six adjacent rooms where visitors can meditate peacefully The Assembly hall or Sabha Mandapam has Pralima Mandapam (statue section) along with two rooms and a corridor. A lifesize statue of Swami Vivekananda in a standing posture, with its vision directed towards the 'Sripadam' is installed in the Assembly hall. Above the main entrance of the memorial sacred Hindu Symbol 'aum' or 'om' is written, in Tamil. One can climb a gallery of wide steps to reach the main entrance.
Shripada Mandapam
This square hall consists of the following structures.
• Garbha Graham - The sanctum sanctorum
• Inner Prakaram
• Outer Prakaram
• Outer Platform
From very ancient times, the rock has been regarded as a sacred place. Legend has it that Devi Kumari performed tapas or austerity on this rock 'Sripada Parai'. On this rock there is a brownish complexion impression of a footprint on an elevated surface. This is believed to be the ‘the sacred feet’ of the Devi Kumari. Hence it has been venerated as a symbol of Shripadam. The original Kanyakumari Amman temple was on this rock or somewhat near it and that the rock was a part of the mainland. Sometime the sea encroached upon the mainland and turned it into an island, which is the result that the temple had to be rebuilt. The rock has been venerated as a great place to do sadhana through the ages. This might be the reason for Swamy Vivekananda had an urge to reach this place plunging into the sea and riding the surging waves. A temple has been constructed to enshrine the sripadam.
Visitors were invited to meditate peacefully away from the noise from outside. Any individual desiring to get rid of all the worldly tensions, can take some time out and sit in the hall meditating all their problems away. From ancient times, even before the temple was built, the rock was considered a sacred place ,blessed by the touch of feet of 'Devi Kumari' .The spirituality of the place along with the mighty waves crashing on the rocks splattering sea water to the air seem to depict the tranquility the mind can attain in spite of a chaotic world outside. The cost of construction of the memorial came up to 1 crore 35 lakhs. The rock measures about 164 meters x 130 meters at the water level and has a spacious level top at an altitude of 17 meters
Getting there
There are ferry services from the mainland from Wednesday to Monday from 0700 to 1100 in the morning and from 1400 to 1700 in the afternoon. Tuesday is a holiday .The Tamilnadu government has constructed a break water wall and facilitated the erection ferry jetty. Poompuhar Shipping Corporation operates regular ferry service to the island .There are also two helipads on the Rock, one on the northwest and the other on the southwest
One can have a breath taking view of the merging of the three major water bodies namely Bay of Bengal, Arabian Sea and Indian ocean ( triveni sangam) from here. The architectural magnificence is a visible symbol of invincible strength, invisible faith and burning devotion that Swami Vivekananda personified. Recently came into news when giant disastrous Tsunami waves hit on December 26, 2004
New Vivekananda Mandapam
The new Vivekananda mandapam in the mainland was dedicated to the youth of India by Swami Ranganathananda at Vivekanandapuram on 6th September 1988. A huge granite statue of Swami Vivekananda is installed in this exquisite mandapam constructed in black and red granite stones. The Samadhi of the late Eknah Ranade founder of Vivekananda Rock Memorial in the front and a beautiful terrace garden garden adorn the mandapam that stands in a pool of water.
Vivekananda Kendra
After raising a national memorial to the Swamji the trust resolved to found and run a Service Mission named as Vivekananda Kendra with headquarters at Kanyakumari. The Kendra has “Service to Humanity” as its sole motto .This Kendra is open to anyone having the inner urge for service irrespective of color , creed, sex, community or way of worship. The Kendra trains people to be deployed in needy areas to work for economic, social, cultural and spiritual wellbeing of people. It also provides residential and other facilities for pilgrims. The activities carried out in this centre include yoga, free medical dispensary, free schooling for the needy and large scale rural development. The Kendra is sure place of visit for the service minded individuals.
Attraction 2
Gandhi mandapam
About
The beautiful Gandhi mandapam was completed in 1956 and is a memorial for the father of the Nation. An urn containing the ashes of Mahatma Gandhi was kept here for public to pay homage before a portion of its contents was immersed in the three seas. Mahatma Gandhi visited Kanyakumari twice in 1925 and 1937.In 1925 when he desired to worship the goddess Kanyakumari Amman he was denied permission by the Travancore state government because he had travelled abroad. In 1937 when the temple was thrown open to all Hindus, he was specially requested to visit the shrine. He came to worship the goddess in January 1937.In 1948 his ashes were brought here to be immersed in the triveni sangam. In commemoration of this event a beautiful monument has been constructed here.
Local info
Its central shape is 79 feet high representing the age of the Mahatma at the time of his death The monument is built in such a way that the golden rays of the sun fall at midday on the peedam on 2nd October through a hole in the roof. It resembles an Oriyan temple
Kamarajar Manimandapam
Kamaraj was regarded as the King Maker of Tamilnadu. His role in shaping the a political event in the country is extremely Kamarajar Manimandapam or Kamaraj Manimandapam was raised and dedicated him The Late. Sri Kamarajar was a freedom fighter, Former Chief Minister of Tamil Nadu, President of Indian National Congress. He was popularly known as Black Gandhi among the masses and king maker during congress regime significant. .His is truly a rags to riches tale born in a humble family and then he went on to become the chief Minister of Tamilnadu. He was a hard worker and had a sharp political acumen. This monument was constructed on the seashore where his ashes were kept for public to pay homage before immersion into the sea and was dedicated and built for the great freedom fighters hardwork and achievement on 2nd October 2000 by the chief minister of Tamilnadu. The Memorial spreads on an area of 6,300 sq.mt. The memorial contains the photographs narrating the life and services of the great leader. A library is also functioning here. The Memorial is open from 7am and 7 pm freely for visitors.
Thiruvalluvar Statue :
Magnificence along with a monument is the sight which defines the Thiruvalluvar Statue .It reams at you the cultural heritage and history of Tamilnadu mingled with architechtural grandiose. This statue is the foresight of the Tamilnadu Government in its quest to rise as beacon of art. The Government of Tamil nadu had a vision beyond the Horizonin raising a statue for Thiruvalluvar in Kanyakumari, the southern tip of the mainland at the confluence of the three seas befitting the stature of this Saint-poet. Thirukkural the immortal poetry was given to the world by Thiruvalluvar. Thirukkural the classic poetry is unique in the deliverance of code of conduct to the mankind. Thiruvalluvar’s quintessential words of wisdom are covered in 1330 couplets under 133 chapters, each chapter comprising 10 verses. The three major divisions include Virtue, Wealth and Love encompassing the whole gamut Indian way of life. The statue, standing amid the dancing blue waves, creates a lasting impression and inspiration.
The greatness lays in its height 133 feet tall (38 feet is the height of the pedestal the statue over it is 95 feet tall) a standing mammoth indeed. Weighing just a little bit more than 7000 tons and more than 500 craftsmen sculptors, assistants supervisors.and workers have worked in its construction .The former Prime Minister, Morarji Desai laid the foundation stone for the statue in 1979 . Chief Minister Mr. Karunanidhi allocated funds for its erection in the 1990-91 budget. The installation was finalised and the actual work of sculpting the statue began only in 1990. Intially the construction began on September 6, 1990, on a tiny island adjacent to Vivekananda Rock Memorial. After initial hiccups it was revitalised in 1997 and was completed on January 1, 2000. The cost running to more than $1 million (U.S),
The design with a slight bend around the waist is reminiscent of a dancing pose of the ancient Indian deities like Nataraja. The challenging design was sculpted Dr. V. Ganapati Sthapati who also created the Iraivan Temple . The huge boulders necessary for the sculpture came from Sirudhamoor, Pattumalikuppam and Ambhasamudram Hills. A full-length wooden prototype was created to work around the tricky bend design before construction. After the identification of an energy line at the center using the ancient science of Vastu an empty cavity was erected in the center of the statue from top to bottom.
Three workshops, in Kanyakumari, Ambasamudram and Shankarapuram were commissioned for the stone work. From Ambasamudram came 5,000 tons of stones, while Shankarapuram has contributed 2,000 tons of high quality granite stones for the outer portion of the statue. The largest of the 3,681 stones weighed over 15 tons; the majority weighed three to eight tons. The 19-foot-high face, with the ears, nose, eyes, mouth, forehead all of which were made of individual stones carved by hand. Scaffolding consisted of stumps of palmyra tree and poles of 18,000 casuarinas (ironwood). This was held together by two truckloads of ropes.
The 3 tier pedestal known as Atharapeedam is surrounded by an artistic Mandapa known as Alankara Mandapam which is 38 feet height. Represents the 38 chapters on ‘Virtue’ in the Book of Aram in Thirukural . Alankara Mandapa is surrounded by 10 elephant statues signifying 8 directions with earth and space down.This being taken from the legendary Dasaratha the father of Sri. Rama, (Ramayana) who was able to charioteer in ten directions. Tourists can worship the holy feet of Thiruvalluvar by climbing the 140 steps are constructed inside the Mandapa.
The statue stands at 95 feet on the pedestal representing symbolically and artistically the chapters in Porul ‘Wealth, (70 chapters) and Inbam ‘Pleasure’ (25 Chapters) signifying that Wealth and Love be earned and enjoyed on the foundation of Virtue solid
Some Details About The Statue Of Thiruvalluvar :
Total pieces of stones utilised for the statue
- 1283
Weight of the statue
- 2000 tons
Height of the Athaara Peedam
- 38 feet
Total pieces of stone utilized
- 672
Weight of the stones in the Peedam
- 1500 tons
Total height of the monument - 133 feet
Height of the Alankara-Mandapam
- 38 feet
Total pieces of stones utilized for the Mandapam
- 1726
Weight of the stones in the Mandapam
- 3500 tons
Total weight of the whole structure
- 7000 tons
Number of steps upward - 70
Maruthuva malai
Maruthuva malai also known as the Marunthu Vazhum Malai literally translated to "hills where medicine lives" the reason for the in area being called do isit is the abode of unique native medicinal plants It is a part of the Western Ghats. According to to tradition the Maruthuva Malai is a fragment of the Sanjeevni, a piece of which fell down here when it was carried by Hanuman to Srilanka to cure the wounds of Lakshmana the brother of Rama.It is situated on the way to Kanyakumari from Nagercoil. A large number of devotees frequent the temple 300feet above on the hill during Karthika Deepam festival. An unbroken scene of surrounding region is seen from this temple. The whole coastline from Leepuram in Kanyakumari to Muttom in surrounding taluk is visible. Wide stretches of paddy fields, the estuary of the Manakudy lake, steeples of churches, towers of temples, coconut and Palmyra groves, vast expanse of salt spans present a panoramic view. It is also a good place for trekking.
Bay Watch
The Bay watch is a water Theme park especially suitable for families.. This is 2 km away from Kanyakumari on the Kovalam Road. There are many different types of rides available like the Bumping Car, Crazy Chairs, Giant Wheel, Milky Way, Flying Elephants, Hotel Tea cups, Cape train, Multiple Splash, crazy cruise, Aqua shuttle, Family pool, wave pool and sky train. The park is maintained by Sree Bhadra parks and Resorts Ltd, Thirssur in Kerala. It is open for visitors from 10 am to 7.30 pm. The entry ticket for children is 150 rupees and 200 rupees for adults. It also houses the world famous wax museum..
Wax Museum
Can we think of a similarity of London and Kanyakumari doubtful, but that is possible, a museum with all famous people, Madam Tussaud’s Wax Museum and its counterpart Wax Museum in Kanyakumari. It is is the first of the Indian Wax museums. This wax museum is near the Baywatch Theme park. This was opened for visitors to see from 24th December 2005. The museum houses all the important figures of the Indian History and present, Indira Gandhi, Singer K. J. Yesudhass, Spiritual Guru Mata Amirthananda Mayi, Super Star Rajinikanth, Prime Minister Dr. Manmohan Singh, father of nation Sri. Mahatma Gandhi, Big B - Amitabh Bachchan, Shah Rukh Khan, Winner of Nobel Prize for Peace - Mother Theresa, Bharatha Rathna M S Subbalakshmi, Miss. J. Jayalalitha, Swamy Vivekanandan, Smt. Indira Former Chief Ministers of Kerala Mr. Karunakaran and Mr. E. K. Nayanaras well as the world history Jackie Chan, Dictator of Iraq Mr. Saddam Hussein, Hollywood Super Star Arnold Schwarzenegger in wax form. The wax figures are realistic and the precision is so much so that the originals and the models look the same!
Church
There are ruins of an old church called Thommai Palli or St Thomas Church at Kumari Muttom about two kilometers north east of the Cape point. It is said that at the beginning of the 16th century, the portuguese sailors who passed the place made their offerings here for safe voyage. All along the coast there are many churches prominent among them being the one to the North of the temple.
It is a lovely Gothic structure of graceful proportions measuring about 153 feet in length and 53 feet in breadth with the position of the bell 53 feet above the floor level. The Central tower is crowned with a gold cross. The church with its beautiful statue of the Blessed Virgin Mary de Mercode is one of the beautiful Churches in South India.
Government Horticulture Farm
There is a Government Horticulture Farm in Kanyakumari started by the Travancore Royal Family in 1922. This fruit farm is about 2 km away from Kanyakumari on the way highway to Nagercoil. Here there are a variety of fruits, hundreds of plants and different species of trees. The peculiar climatic conditions favor the grafting of trees throughout the year. The farm can be visited between 9 and 11 in the mornings and 1 to 3 in the evenings. It is working on all working days except Saturday and Sunday.
Vattakottai
About
It was built in the 18th century and is located in 3½ acres in the coast. The walls of the Fort are constructed with Granite and it is 26ft in height and 3ft wide. The entrance is of 29ft wide. At the four corners of the Fort 18ft wide pillars are built. In the middle of the Fort there is a small pond, well, and an inclined path to top the gun to the elevated platform to point it towards the offenders. Also inside there are Quarters for the Soldiers to stay and storage for the Ammunitic. This Fort was built by the Dutchman Delaynai, who served as the Commander Chief of the erstwhile Travancore when it was ruled by H.H. Marthanda Verma (1729 - 1758).About 1810 A.D the British forces captured this fort .
Local info
The small river by the side of the fort and the green vegetation all around add to the scenery of the fort. It is now a picnic spot and holiday resort. Outside the fort there is enthralling spiraled serpent like coconut tree unique in its shape. It is said there is a subway to connect this fort to Padmanapuram palace near Thiruvanthapuram.
Getting there
It is situated around 6kms on the north eastern coast of Kanyakumari.
Muttom
Muttom a few kilometers in the coast of Kanyakumari is attracting people desirous of having a seaside holiday.the place is well known by Mariners for its crocodile rock jutting out into the sea. A light house has been built here in 1875 and improved in 1909.A port is also under construction.
