Kanyakumari

Kanyakumari Tamil Nadu

Kanyakumari famed as Cape Comorin is the southernmost point of the Indian Peninsula. The administrative capital of the district is Nagercoil, . The district has the best literacy rate in the state and is considered the best educated district in the Indian state of Tamil Nadu by the HRD Ministry.

It is exceptionally admired in India for its stunning and exclusive sunrise and sunset. The flowing together of three ocean mass – Bay of Bengal, Indian Ocean, and Arabian Sea creates the sunrise and sunset even more extraordinary.

• Thanumalayan Temple Suchindram:

Suchindram is a temple town situated in the southern most district of Kanyakumari in the Tamil Nadu State,The town of Suchindrum is renowned for the Thanumalayan Temple and was an important fort of Travancore.

The current temple built in 17th century is famous for its sculptures. It was previously controlled by one of the main Namboodiri families called the Thekkumon Madam.

• Vattakottai Fort: 

A Circular Fort is a seaside fort near Kanyakumari. constructed in the 18^th century as a coastal defence fortification and barracks in the erstwhile Travancore Kingdom under the supervision of Captain Eustachius De Lannoy, an ex-Dutch naval officer of the Dutch East India Company, who served as the commander of the Travancore Army.

The fort is made of granite blocks and today, a part of the fort extends into the sea. It is a protected site under the Indian Archaeological Department. After a major renovation by the department, site is opened to tourists.

• Thiruvalluvar Statue: 

The statue is a stone sculpture of the famous Tamil poet and philosopher Thiruvalluvar, the author of Thirikkural. It is located in a small island near the town of Kanyakumari.

The statue itself has a height of 95 feet and stands upon a 38 foot pedestal that represents the 38 chapters of virtue in the Thirukkural.

The combined height of the statue and pedestal is 133 feet, denoting the 133 chapters in the Thirukkural and it has total weight of 7000 tons.

• Padmanabhapuram Palace: 

It is one of the best 10 palaces in the world. It is located close to the town of Thuckalay in Kanyakumari District, Tamilnadu and it is administered by the Government of Kerala archaeology department. It is about 20 km from Nagercoil, and about 50 kilometers from Thiruvananthapuram, Kerala.

This palace was the ancient capital of the Travancore kings. The palace is known for its planning and military architecture and remained the center of power till 1790, later the capital was shifted to Thiruvananthapuram. The Padmanabhapuram palace complex is inside an old granite fortress around four kilometers long. The palatial mansion is a wooden paradise. The palace is located at the foot of the Veli Hills, which form a part of the Western Ghats.

• Vivekananda Rock Memorial: 

This monument situated on a rock island is one of the finest pieces of structural design in India’s southernmost tip, Kanyakumari.

It was built in 1970 in honour of Swami Vivekananda who is said to have swam to this small rocky island and meditated here in his quest for enlightenment.

The local legends acquaints that Goddess Kumari performed austerity on this rock.

A meditation Hall – Dhyana Mandapam is also attached to the memorial for visitors to meditate. The Mandapa incorporates diverse styles of temple architecture all over India.