A coastal town situated on India's southern tip which was known as Cape Comorin during British rule. People say it is a popular place for watching sunrise and sunset over the ocean. And truly it is.
The place takes its name from the goddess Devi Kanya Kumari, considered to be a sister of Krishna. I reached the Kanyakumari beach at around 5 in the morning. I thought I will be the one reaching so early but the beach was already crowded with tourists. Also, it is said that on full-moon evenings, one can see the moon-rise and sunset at the same time. It's a beautiful place to witness the sun rising from the horizon. Right after the sunrise, the fish market is set up near the beach. All the fishermen leave early morning with their net n boats to catch the fish and return back after the sunrise.
The place is more populated by tourists than the residents. But is much cleaner than cities like Madurai and Rameshwaram. Most of the tourist places are near the sea like Vivekanand Rock Memorial, Thiruvalluvar statue, Sunrise point, Kanyakumari temple.
One must visit the Vivekanand rock memorial, the whole city is visible and it looks astounding from the distance. First boat ferry starts at 7:45 am. When we reached for the ferry ride, there was a huge queue of people waiting for their turn. But if your falling short on time then you can buy a VIP ticket. The rock memorial is surrounded by sea from all the sides. The 115 ft tall statue of Thiruvalluvar(prominent statute of Tamil scholar) can clearly be seen from the rock. The beach sands are multi-coloured and likened to a mythological story.
Our Lady of Ransom Church is situated near the Kanyakumari beach. It is a very beautiful and peaceful church made in white gothic style structure.
Gandhi Mandapam is a memorial built in the memory of Mahatama Gandhi. It is said that the sacred ashes of Gandhiji was kept here before immersing in the sea. And also the memorial is built in such a way that on every 2nd October the sun's rays fall on the exact spot where the ashes were kept.
Thanumalayan temple in Suchindram is the only temple where all the three main gods of Hindu mythology - Shiva, Brahma, and Vishnu are worshipped together. It also houses the 22 feet long Hanuman statue. This temple is another finest example of south Indian architecture with beautiful gopurams, pillars and carvings. There is a strict dress code for men and women. Males are asked to take out their shirt and wear a dhoti (mund) for worshipping the god. The way to Suchindram is beautiful, it is covered by coconut trees on both sides. The expressway has many windmills on both the sides of the road.
Kanyakumari is a always crowded with tourists but still is a peaceful place to visit for 2 days to see all attraction points along with sunrise and sunset.
