Quite a few years back I spent a lovely and relaxing weekend at Kovalam on the Arabian Sea in the state of Kerala in India. Since I did not have much plan to go around the town, I decided to take a day trip to Kanyakumari which is located at the southernmost tip of the Indian subcontinent. Within mainland India it the southernmost town and surrounded on three sides by the Laccadive Sea.
Kanyakumari, which literally translates to the Virgin Princess was previously known as Cape Comorin. It is a town in the state of Tamil Nadu and the land’s end of mainland India. Kanyakumari is famous for its unique sunrise and sunset views, which is weather dependant of course.
I started from my hotel at Kovalam after breakfast and travelled by a private car arranged by the hotel concierge. It was during the Indian monsoon season and road passed through lush green and wet surroundings.
The distance between Kovalam and Kanyakumari is about 76 kms. The road is pretty much straight in the southern direction. Since the journey involves passing from one state to another, there is a Kerala State Motor Vehicles check post in the town of Poovar, just after 16 kms from Kovalam. I remember passing St Bartholemew’s Church which has a La Pieta sculpture outside and can be seen from any passing vehicle.
Once the car entered entered the state of Tamil Nadu, the chauffeur of my car suggested that we can take a brief stop on the way about 40 kms from Kanyakumari and see the Padmanabhapuram Palace. I thought it was good idea as the rain had briefly stopped and its always nice to visit places unplanned and get surprised and I am glad I did so.
Padmanabhapuram Palace
Located in its namesake town in the Kanyakumari district of Tamil Nadu is the Padmanabhapuram Palace, also known as Kalkulam Palace. It is a Travancore era palace owned and maintained by the government of Kerala. It is claimed to be one of the oldest palaces in India.
The town of Padmanabhapuram was a former capital city of the kingdom of Travancore and the palace was built around 1601. The palace complex comprises of the Central Mansion, Southern Hall, King’s Council Chamber, Performance Hall all of which are constructed in the traditional Kerala style architecture. From the doors, to the wooden carved columns to the ceilings, everything is exquisite. I was not able to visit the interiors of the palace as it was a national holiday. But from what I heard from people around the place and later from reading about the palace is that there are display of artefacts and gallery of paintings within the palace.
Kanyakumari – The tip of Peninsular India
From the palace after about an hour and 10 mins drive, I reached Kanyakumari and here my main intention was to visit the Vivekananda Rock Memorial on one of the two rocks just off the coast. To reach there I had to go through a long winding queue of people and take a ferry to the rock. The ferry was extremely crowded even in the pouring monsoon rain and it took about 10 mins to reach the Rock Memorial.
Vivekananda Rock Memorial
In 1892, Swami Vivekananda, an Indian monk and philosopher, swam across the Laccadive sea and meditated on the rock for three days and nights till he attained enlightenment. The Vivekananda Rock Memorial at this site was inaugurated in 1970. Most people who visit Kanyakumari take a trip to this memorial which is a short 10 mins boat ride from the mainland.
The memorial has of two main structures, the Vivekananda Mandapam which consists of the meditation Hall (Dhyana Mandapam), the Assembly Hall (Sabha Mandapam) and the porch in front of the temple (Mukha Mandapam). The other one is the Shripada Mandapam with areas for gatherings and prayers.
The rock is surrounded by the Laccadive Sea where the mighty Bay of Bengal, the Indian Ocean and the Arabian Sea meet. The sunrise and sunset from this spot is supposed to be spectacular. I was not to lucky to view any of that.
Thiruvalluvar statue
On the way back from the Vivekananda Rock Memorial, the boat stops at the Thiruvalluvar statue rock. The 95 feet tall statue of the famous Tamil poet Thiruvalluvar stands on a pedestal of 38 feet. The sculpture is 133 feet tall which is a symbolic representation of the 133 Thirukkural chapters (a classic Tamil language text on virtue, wealth and love) composed by him. The statue was inaugurated in 2000 and is a popular tourist attraction.
Other places of interest in Kanyakumari
Temple of Kanya Kumari : This temple is dedicated to Kanya Kumari or Kumariamman, an incarnation of Goddess Shakti.
Gandhi Mandapam: A memorial which marks the spot where the urn containing the ashes of Mahatma Gandhi was kept before being immersed at the point where the Bay of Bengal, the Indian Ocean and the Arabian Sea meet.
Our Lady of Ransom Church: A Catholic church near the Kanyakumari beach. The statue of Mother Mary is said to have been brought from Italy.
Government Museum: The Museum has displays of sculptures from temples of southern India, including a 7th century bronze statue Nataraj (Shiva in his famous dancing pose).
Guganathswamy Temple: Located near the Kanyakumari railway station, this is a 1000 year old temple built by the Chola ruler Raja.
Vivekanandapuram: This is the HQ of the Vivekananda Kendra founded by Eknath Ranade who was instrumental in the establishment of the Vivekananda Rock Memorial. Here there are two exhibitions on Swami Vivekananda’s life and teachings – The Wandering Monk and Arise!Awake!. There is also an exhibition showcasing the life and teachings of Eknath Ranade.
HELPFUL HINTS:
- The nearest airport from Kanyakumari is at Thiruvananthapuram which is about 85 kms away.
- There many many standard hotels in the area or at Nagercoil, the headquarters of Kanyakumari District about 20 kms away.
- The ferry services from the mainland to the rock memorial is run by Poompuhar Shipping Corporation. Queues though long are quite organised and within a covered area.
- Separate tickets are needed for the ferry ride and entry to the Rock Memorial.
- If you want to visit the rock with the statue of Thiruvallar, it is best to take an earlier boat and visit both the rocks in a day.
- Kanyakumari is famous for its gorgeous sunrise and sunset views if you are lucky enough to get good weather during your visit.
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