Tamilnadu Tourism: Kanyakumari - Places of Interest

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Kanyakumari Temple

The temple overlooks the shoreline. It is dedicated to Parvati as Devi Kanya, the Virgin Goddess who did penance to obtain the hand of Lord Shiva. The deity, Devi Kanyakumari is' the protector of India's shores' has an exceptionally brilliant diamond on her nose ring which is supposed to shine out to sea.

Kanyakumari Temple also known as Kumari Amman is located on the shore and is devoted to a manifestation of Parvati. The temple is located picturesquely and commands breathtaking views of the surrounding natural beauty. You will be amazed to find that the diamond nose ring of the deity can even be witnessed from the sea. The Kanyakumari tourist attractions are must watch for the tourists since they are instances of the age-old culture, heritage and civilization of this place.

The Kanyakumari Temple is a small temple dedicated to goddess Kanyakumari. It is located on the seashore of Kanyakumari. The temple is ancient one and is mentioned in the Ramayana, Mahabharata, and the Sangam works, Manimekalai and Puranaanooru. The image of Kanyakumari was installed and worshipped by Parasurama.

Legend: Demon Baanaasuran had wreaked havoc on the inhabitants, when Mahavishnu requested the gods and the humans to create energy Paraasakthi to vanquish the demon. Answering the prayers Shakti appeared as a young girl at Kanyakumari and commenced a penance with the desire of marrying Shiva at Suchindram. Narada fixed the time as midnight for the wedding. When Shiva`s procession reached Vazhukkumpaarai, a rooster crowed, heralding daybreak, Shiva returned to Suchindram. The disappointed goddess chose to spend her life in Kanyakumari as a virgin. The food prepared for the wedding went waste and turned into sand, which can be seen on the southern shores.

The demon Banaasuran hearing of Shakti`s story proceeded to Kanyakumari to win her hand in marriage, which led to a fierce battle in which he was slain.

Temple: The black stone image in the sanctum wears an enchanting garland. She also wears a glittering nose ring visible from a distance. The light emanating from the nose ring used to misguide the ships and many crashed on the rocky coast. The door was built facing the east and is now opened only five times a year. There are shrines dedicated to Vijayasundari and Balasundari, friends and playmates of the Goddess. There are 11 theerthams associated with the temple. The confluence of the seas, at the southern tip of the subcontinent has been held sacred for centuries. The eastern door is opened also on new moon days in the months of Thai, Aadi (Capricorn and Cancer), during Navaratri and in the month of Kaartikai.

· Festivals: The Vaisakha festival is celebrated in the Tamil month of Vaikasi where an image of the goddess is taken around town in procession on various mounts. The car festival, the Aaraatu (when the eastern door to the shrine is opened) and the float festival here are of significance. The Kalabham (sandal) festival is held in the month of Aadi when the image is covered with sandal paste, and on the 13th day, the last Friday of the month, the image is covered with umpteen flowers. The image of the deity is held in worship at the Navaratri mandapam throughout Navaratri, and processions mark the celebrations. Destruction of Baanasuran is enacted on Vijaya Dasami.

· The contact telephone number of Devesthanam office, Bagavathiamman Temple is 04652-246223. Timings from 4.30 AM to 12.15 PM & 4.PM to 8.15 PM. Annual Festivals are Car festival (May / June) and Navaratri (Nine Days) Festival (September / October).

The temple opens from 0430 to 1130 and from 1730 to 2030.

Non-Hindus are not allowed into the sanctuary.

Vivekananda Rock Memorial

· Located to the southeast of the Kumari Amman temple are two rocks protruding out of the sea. One of the rocks is Sri Padaparai, where you can find the footprints of the virgin goddess imprinted on it. Among the tourist attractions in Kanyakumari, the most fascinating one is the Vivekananda Rock Memorial. It is here that Swami Vivekananda sat in deep meditation. The regular ferry services make it possible for the tourists to reach this place

· It is about 500 meters away from mainland. This memorial stands on one of two rocks separated by about 70 meters. It was built in 1970. This memorial is dedicated to Swami Vivekananda, the greatest social reformer. Swamy Vivekananda was supposed to have medicated on the rock where the memorial stands today. A meditation hall is also attached with the memorial. The design of the mandapa incorporates different styles of temple architecture from all over India. It houses a statue of Vivekananda. The divine foot print 'Pada Parai' of Devi is also seen here. Ferry service is available to reach the memorial.

It opens from Wednesday to Monday.

Tuesday is holiday.

It opens from 0700 to 1100 and from 1400 to 1700.

· Vivekananda Rock Memorial is another place in Kanyakumari which attracts large number of tourists. As its name implies, it is essentially a sacred monument, built by the Vivekananda Rock Memorial Committee to commemorate the visit of Swamy Vivekananda to “Shripada Parai” during 24^th, 25^th and 26^th December 1892 for deep meditation and enlightenment.

· From very ancient times, the rock has been regarded as sacred place. In Puranic tradition, it has been known as “Sripada Parai: meaning the rock, that has been blessed by the touch of Shripada feet of the Goddess.On the rock, is a projection similar in form to a human fort and a little brownish in complexion, which has traditionally, been revered as a symbol of Shripadam. According to legend, it was on this rock that Goddess Kanyakumari did Tapas.

The memorial consists of two main structures, viz

(i) Vivekananda Mandapam

(ii) Shripada Mandapam.

· Vivekananda Mandapam:- This 180’-11 ½ ‘ X 56’ Mandapam consists of (1) Dhyana Mandapam, i.e., Meditation Hall with six adjacent rooms (2) Sabha Mandapam or the Assembly Hall including Pralima Mandapam (statue section) two rooms, a corridor and an open Prakaram round the Sabha Mandapam (30 Mukha Mandapam (Portion) and (4) the Front Entrance steps with two rooms and a corridor below the steps.

· Shripada Mandapam:- This square hall consists of (1) Garbha Graham i.e., (Sanctum Sanctorum) (2) the Inner Prakaram (3) the Outer Prakaram and (4) the Outer Platform all around. Both the Mandapams are so designed that the vision of Swamiji in the statue would be seen direct towards the Shripadam.

· Visting Hours -7 AM To 4 PM .

· Entrance Fee - Rs 10 . Ferry Fee Rs 20 for adult .and Rs 10 for students.

Gandhi Mandapam

· Not far from the Kumari Amman Temple is the Gandhi Mandapam, constructed at the spot where the urn containing the ashes of Mahatma Gandhi was kept for public view before a portion of its contents was immersed in the three seas. It resembles an Oriyan temple and was designed so that on Gandhiji's birthday (2nd October), the sun's rays fall on the place where his ashes were kept.

· Gandhi Memorial is another place to visit in Kanyakumari. The memorial was built on the spot where there is an urn that contained the ashes of Mahatma Gandhi before they were immersed into the river. The architecture of the temple is similar to the central Hindu temples and it is designed in a way so that the first rays of the sun fall exactly on the place where the ashes of this great personality were kept.

· The place has been associated with great men like Swami Vivekananda and Mahatma Gandhi in whose names memorials have been here. They are very beautiful and add to the attraction of this place. The beautiful Gandhi Memorial completed in 1956, is situated as a memorial to the Father of the Nation. An urn of Mahatma Gandhi was kept here for public to pay homage before immersion.

· Mahatma Gandhi visited Kanyakumari twice in 1925 and 1937. Mahatma Gandhi visited Kanyakumari in January 1937. In 1948 his ashes were immersed in the sea waters in Kanyakumari. In commemoration of this event a beautiful monument has been constructed here. Its central shape is 79 feet high representing the age of the Mahatma at the time of the sun at Mid day on 2^nd October would fall on the peedam through a hole in the roof. The memorial was transferred to the administrative control of the Public (Information and Public Relations) Department from Public Works Department of Government of Tamil Nadu in the year 1978.

· Visting Hours -7 AM To 7 PM . Entrance Free

Thiruvalluvar Statue

· Thiruvalluvar is the immortal poet of Tamil Nadu and has given to the world Thirukkural. The memorial statue of Thiruvalluvar is in Kanyakumari. The pedestal of the statue is of 38 feet height and the statue over it is 95 feet tall with a grand total of 133 feet for the entire sculpture. The 3 tier pedestal known as Atharapeedam is surrounded by an artistic Mandapa known as Alankara Mandapam with 38 feet height. Surrounding the Alankara Mandapa stand 10 elephant statues signifying 8 directions with earth and space down. The father of Sri. Rama, the hero of Ramayana was called Dasaratha as he was able to charioteer in ten directions. To help the tourists to worship the holy feet of Thiruvalluvar 140 steps are constructed inside the Mandapa.

· The pedestal with a height of 38 feet represents the 38 chapters in the Book of Aram in Thirukural and the statue of 95 feet on the pedestal represents the total chapters in Porul (70 chapters) and Inbam (25 Chapters). Thus the statue symbolically, and artistically signifies that the theme of Porul and Inbam are based on Aram.

· Visting Hours -8 AM To 4 PM .

SOME DETAILS ABOUT THE STATUE OF THIRUVALLUVAR

Chief Sculptor	-	Dr. V. Ganapathy Sthapathi
Height of the statue of Thiruvalluvar	-	95 feet
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
Number of steps downward	-	70

Kumari - Hall of history

· It is located south side of Kanyakumari Railway Station exhibits the pictures of historical wonders and also comprised rare photographs Kamarajar, Gandhiji and other freedom fighters.

· Visiting hours:- From 08.30 A.M to 08.30 P.M.

· Entry fees :- Adults Rs. 10 /- Students Rs. 5 /-.

Guganathaswamy Temple

· This is a 1000 year old temple and is said to have been built by the King Raja Raja Chola. The architectural style of the Cholas is quiet apparent in this temple. It is located near Railway Station. There are 16 inscriptions found in this temple that date back to the years 1038 A.D., 1044 A.D., 1045 .A.D.

· Visiting hours:- From 06.00 to 11.15 A.M and 05.00 P.M to 08.45 P.M.

Sunrise and Sunset

Sunrise can be seen in Kanniyakumari throughout the year at Bay of Bengal. Sunset can be seen from View Tower throughout the year except the months of June, July and August.

View Tower and Telescope House

Panoramic view of landscape, seashore, Vivekananda Rock Memorial, Thiruvalluvar Statue etc., can be seen at View Tower and through Telescope.

· Visiting hours:- 05.00 A.M. to 07.00 P.M.

· Entry Fee :- Rs. 3 /- Adults and Rs. 2 /- for Children.

Suchindrum

· Suchindrum is a small village about 12 km. from Kanyakumari and about seven kilometres from Nagercoil. This holy place is located on the bank of the river Pazhayar, adjoining fertile fields and coconut groves and the temple is dedicated to Sri Sthanumalayan. The word denotes Siva, Vishnu and Brahmma as. Sthanu represents Siva, Mal represents Vishnu while Ayan represents Brhamma i.e. Siva, Vishnu and Brhamma in “One Form”.

· Suchindrum means the place where Indra attained ‘Suchi’ i.e., purification. The Sthalapurana has it that Indra suffered a curse from sage Gowthama, when he stealthily cast amorous glances at Ahalya the wife of Gowthama. Not able to suffer the mortification brought about by the curse. Indra had to seek immediate redemption. He came to ‘Gnana Aranya’ as this place was then called and offered worship to Lord Shiva. Relieving Indra of his curse, Lord Shiva granted him of his wish that the place where he attained purification should henceforth be called ‘Suchindrum’.

· Another story goes to say that the Trimurthys i.e. Brhamma, Vishunu and Shiva, cajoled by their divine consorts came down to the earth to test the chastity of Anusuya, wife of sage Athri at Gnana Aranya. The Gods for this misadventure had to suffer a surse form the Rishipatni and to undergo the purification process, before they could be restored to their former glory.

· It is said that Thanumalaya Swamy temple is the only shrine dedicated to the Trinity in India. The present structure of the temple is the work of a number of persons spread over a number of centuries. It is a complex of many beautiful structures constructed at various times and is one of the best specimens and a store house of the Dravidian style of art and architecture.

Kamarajar Manimandapam

· Another monument Kamarajar Manimandapam was raised and dedicated to Late. Sri. Kamarajar, The 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. This monument was constructed where his ashes were kept here for public to pay homage before immersion into the sea.

· Visting Hours -7 AM To 7 PM . Entrance Free

Government Museum

· The Government Museum, situated on the Beach Road offers a good collection of sculptured artifacts and crafts of South Indian Temples and is one of the “Must See” places in Kanyakumari.

· Visiting hours:- From 09.30 A.M. to 05.00 P.M. (All friday and second Saturday holiday)

· Entry Fee :- Adults Rs. 5 /- and Children Rs. 3 /- per head. Foreigner Rs.100 /-

Udayagiri Fort

· The fort was rebuilt in the reign of Marthandavarma, the Venad King, during 1741-44. Under the supervision of De Lannoy, the Belgian General, who served as the Chief of the Travancore army; East India Company’s troops were stationed there till the middle of the 19^th century. Foundry for the manufacture of guns, mortars and cannon balls were also established within the fort under the supervision of the General.

· In the early days, the fort was of strategic importance. Prisoners captured in the campaign against Tippu were confined in this fort for sometime. It is further said that a brass gun 16 ft. long bored as a 22 ponder, found in the fort could not be removed even for a few yards by a large number of people, even with the help of 16 elephants.

· A village has come up in front of the fort. The people who live here, are mostly agriculturists. A few of them are engaged in trade. Pottery making is the chief Industry among a section of the people. Now, the District Administration, with the help of Forest Department has set up a Biodiversity Park over here. Tourists can see deer, ducks, fountains, birds and over 100 varieties of trees inside the fort.

Mathoor Hanging Bridge

· The Mathoor Hanging Trough is the tallest as well as the longest trough bridge in Asia, having a height of 115 feet and a length of one kilometre. Constructed in 1966, this bridge has become a place of tourist importance and hundreds of tourists visit this place. This is situated in Mathoor, hamlet of Aruvikkarai revenue village in Thiruvattar Panchayat Union.

· The bridge has been constructed at Mathoor across the river Parazhiyar at a cost of Rs. 12.90/- lakhs and the trough canal (Pattanamkal canal) on the bridge carries water for irrigation from one side of a hill to the other side of a hill. The trough has a height of seven feet with a width of seven feet six inches. The canal is being shouldered by 28 huge pillars. By the unrelented efforts of late Thiru. K. Kamaraj, the former Chief Minister of Tamil Nadu, this canal was constructed as a drought relief measure and for the development of agriculture in Vilavancode and Kalkulam Taluks. The District Administration has recently put up a staircase from top to the bottom of the bridge and also built a children's park and bathing platforms over here.

The details of the bridge are: Hydraulics Particulars

1.	Length of flume	-	1240 ft. (378.05M)
2.	Width	-	7’-6’ (2.286 M)
3.	Height of trough	-	7’-0 (2.13 M)
4.	Full supl. level	-	5’-6/(1.68 M)
5.	Free board (3-4)	-	1’6’ (0.46 M)
6.	Slope	-	1/1000
7.	Velocity	-	5.1 Ft. per second / (1.55M/Sec)
8.	Discharge	-	204 C.ft/Sec.
9.	No. of span pillars	-	28
10.	Length of span	-	40 feet (12.195 M)
11.	Bed level, trough at start	-	230.55 (Cms.)
12.	Bed level, trough at end	-	229.17 (Cms.)
13.	Maximum height above ground level	-	104’.00 (28 M)
14.	Construction cost	-	Rs. 12.90 lakhs

Ø Greenery around the Bridge

Ø The View of the river (which is 115m below) from the bridge will be breathtaking.

Ø Watching the greenery from the bridge will make you feel as like you are floating in clouds

St. Xavier Church

· St.Xavier an outstanding and dedicated priest visited the coastal areas of Tamil Nadu from Goa, he never missed the opportunity of visiting Kottar in Kanniyakumari district which was a celebrated commercial centre at that time. During his stay at Kottar, he used to worship St. Mary in the small temple. He was popularly known as “Valiya Pandaram” among the people of Kottar. While he was at Kottar, he averted the invasion of Padagas on the people of Venad which was appreciated by the king, who became closer to the Priest. In recognition of Xavier’s services, the king allotted a land to him for the purpose of constructing a catholic church at Kottar. There was already a church in 1544 in the same place, where the St. Xavier’s church stands now.

· The church records show that the church was built in the year 1600 A.D. In the year 1865, the Church was enlarged and the shrine of our lady was also renovated and vaulted over. In 1930, the church was raised to the status of a Cathedral.

· In 1942, in commemoration of the fourth centenary of the arrival of St.Xavier in India, a beautiful tower to the saint, a grotto to Out Blessed Mother and a small shrine to St.Ignatius who sent him to India were constructed in the Cathedral premises. In 1955, the church was further extended and the chapel of Our Lady was incorporated into the enlarged church.

· The Church of St. Xavier enjoys a great fame as a place of miracles from early times. The annual festival is celebrated during the month of November – December lasting for 10 days.

Padmanabhapuram Palace

· The ancient historical town Padmanabhapuram is one of the four municipalities in the district is 55 Km. south of Trivandrum, about two km. east of Thuckalay and 35 km. from Kanyakumari on the Trivandrum-Cape Comerin road. This town is surrounded by a fort with an area of 187 acres. The ancient capital of Travancore might be constructed before AD 1601. The palace with an area of seven acres, is situated in the very centre on the Padmanabhapuram Fort, amidst hills, dales and rivers. The palace which is situated in Kanyakumari District is under the control of a Curator of the Archaeological Department of Kerala Government.

· The fort which was built with mud originally was dismantled and reconstructed with granite by Maharaja Marthanda Varma. The height of the walls varies from 15’ to 24’ according to the inclination of the ground.

· Entrance Hall:- The entrance to the main edifice is controlled by another ornamental gateway with retainers for watch and ward. The gabled entrance has wooden ceiling profusely ornamented with lotus medallions. The most striking feature of the entrance is the clock-tower which is one of the oldest in India erected in 1832 A.D. and still continues to be in working order.

· The first floor the Poomuham has a council chamber or Mantrasala which is meant for holding discussions with ministers and prominent citizens. The floor off this hall, which is polished with the admixture of coconut shell ashes, eggs fermented in molasses and lime reflects the figure like a mirror. Next to the Mantrasala is the Dancing Hall which was used exclusively for the members of the royal family.

· Adjacent to the Council Chamber and to the south of dancing hall is the dinning hall called “Uttupura”, with two floors (the ground and the first) each measuring roughly 78 by 6 metres and it would accommodate about 2000 people at a time. Feeding of about 2000 poor persons, it is said, was done here every day and so the king was called ”Dharmaraja”.

· Uppirika Malika : - The most attractive building in the whole palace is the ‘Uppirika Malika’ which consists of three storied. ‘Uppirika’ is the abbreviated term of ‘Muppirika’ which means the residence of the eldest member of the family. A wooden cot is erected on the top most floor in the belief that “Lord Vishnu” the chief deity. The first floor contains a wooden cot made of 64 medicinal plants, on which Maharaja used to sleep. The medicinal cot was presented to Maharaja “Marthanda Varma” by the Dutch East India Company in 1750, as a mark of friendship.

· The Navarathri Mandapa: - To the west of the Zuppirika Mandapa is the Navarathri Mandapa which is a spacious hall of exquisitely beautiful granite pillars with drooping pendants reminiscent of the Nayakar style of architecture. In the Navarathri Mandapa, performances of Bharatha Natya and musical recitals took place in the royal presence.

· Entry Fee Rs 25 for Adult & Rs.10 for Children.

· Fees for Foreigners : Adult Rs 200 & Children Rs 50

· Video and Camera Fee are Rs 1500 & Rs 25 Respectively

· Separate fee for Car parking

Pechiparai Dam

· About 43 km. from Nagercoil this dam has been constructed. This dam in Kalkulam Taluk, was built during the days of the Maharaja Sri Moolam Thirunal across the river Kodayar. The construction of the dam was designed on the pattern of the Periyar dam in the Madurai district. The length of the dam is 425.1 mts. It has a catchment area of 204.8 sq.km. There is a camp shed provided at the dam side for the visitors. The weather is very pleasant and hence attracts a large number of tourists.

· The reservoir is surrounded by dense forests which are famous for their valuable trees and rich would life such as tiger, elephants, deer etc. A hill tribe, small in number known as ‘Kanikars’ dwell in the dense forests around the lake.

Peer Mohammed Durha

· There is a durha named ‘Peer Mohamed Oliyullah Durha’ at Thuckalay named after the great philosopher Mohamed Appa, who was born in Tenkasi of Tirunelveli District. After spending sometime in spiritual pursuits in Peermedu of Kerala State he came and stayed at Thuckalay. Being a Tamil poet of great eminence, he wrote many books on philosophy. He had intimate relationship with the Kings of Chera dynasty. It is said that he laid foundation stone for the Padmanabhapuram Granite Fort.

· The Anniversary of the great philosopher poet is celebrated every year on a grand scale on the full moon day in the month of Rajap.

Mukkadal Dam

· This is a natural dam constructed by T. Chitirai Maharaja. If supplies water to Nagercoil Municipality and it is also proposed to get water from here for Suchindrum and Kanniyakumari. It is very picturesque spot and ideal for picnics by groups.

· Greenery around dam is worth to watch

Baywatch Amusement Park

· In an effort to augment the tourism potential of Kanyakumari, Shree Bhadra Parks and Resorts Limited, a company under Shree Bhadra group has set out ambitious plans to build a chain of high-tech amusement and theme parks at major tourist centres in southern India, along with an entertainment township at Kanyakumari.

· According to a feasibility report, Kanyakumari is one of the virgin spots, where holistic family entertainment business can certainly flourish. Baywatch, the water theme and amusement park is the first phase of the master plan of India’s first ‘edutainment village’ at Kanyakumari. A project worth Rs 30 crore. This is a prospective step to increase Kanyakumari’s visibility in the Indian subcontinent. The park will cater to both domestic and international travellers. The project has been positioned appropriately for its uniqueness in providing fun-filled recreation.

· Subsequently, Kanyakumari is also now a national tourist spot, which is a must see historical

tourist center for travellers worldover. Besides being the southern lands end of India, Kanyakumari is the only meeting point of three major sea beds in the sub-continent, namely the Indian Ocean, Arabian Sea and Bay of Bengal.

· According to statistics, Kanyakumari receives on an average 15,000 visitors to these national monuments, every day.

· The management being handled by value entertainment center is known for their safety, novelty and quality, along with real emotions, content and perfection with top most priority to cleanliness and hygiene. According to officials, entertainment with education will be the future trend in entertainment parks. And, Baywatch is a pioneer in bringing together quality education and entertainment together.

· Plans are also afoot in blue print for south India’s first hi-tech Planetarium, Southeast Asia’s first Coral Museum and an Aquarium incubating the sea world. Baywatch may also be the first in the industry, to be certified for the safety of its rides and security as a concerned issue. They will have more accessibility to facilities that will provide a sense of safety to all visitors.

· 03 Km from Kanyakumari.

THIRPARAPPU FALLS

· Thirparappu falls is a natural beauty spot attracts many tourists.

· It is located at a distance of 5 kms. from kulasekaram.

· There is a lord shiva temple. The lord after destroying the yagam of dhaxan as virabhadra murthi has taken abode over here. This lord, who is very sweet for the sincere worshippers, is in a fierce form.

· This temple is one in the shivalaya ottam temples. There are many old inscriptions in this temple including the one of the pandiya king dated nineth century.

· This temple is situated in a very scenic background as the kodhaiyaru rivers makes a fall near the temple. This is a west facing abode.

· The sanctum is round shaped at the bottom and cone shaped toward the top.

· There is an abode for jvaradevar in the temple. Beautiful big temple.

Muttom Beach

· The famous beach at Muttom is located about 16 kms from Nagercoil and 32 kms from Kanyakumari.

· Muttom is famous for its beautiful landscaping and high rocks dipping into the sea at the beach-side.

· The sun set view point at Muttom is one of the most Panoramic view points in the district.

· Another attraction of Muttom is the century old light-house built by the British.

· The district administration constructed small open huts at the rock tops for the tourists to sit and watch the massive sea waves leisurely with protection from sun and rain.

· The fencing work and the small huts have already been completed to the delight of the tourists who mob the beach in hundreds during week ends.

· Sitting benches have also been constructed in a circle for the elders to chit-chat, relax and enjoy the sun set.

· Seeing the response of the tourists, the district administration has sanctioned for the construction of a toilet complex, a small shopping complex and a children's park and there are plans to undertake sculpture - works across the rocks to add to the ambience of the area.

· Be careful! The rocks on which tourists go to see the sea view are slippery and a number of fatal accidents have occurred over the past few years. So avoid those rocks and don't cross the fences.

· It is located near to Trivandrum-Kanyakumari highway.

Vattakottai Beach and it's Circular Fort

Vattakottai, a granite fort six kilometres north-east of Kanyakumari cape, forms the terminal of a line of ramparts known as the South Tranvancore lines built by Marthanda Varma to serve as defence for Nanjil Nadu. It is rectangular in shape and covers an area of about three and a half acres. The fort is enclosed by walls 25 to 26 feet high, including the parapet, 29 feet thick at the front, 18 feet at the corners and 6 feet at the rear.

The portion running into the area is the most strongly built under the orders of De Lannoy during the reign of Mathandavarma(1729-58).About 1810 A.D. the British forces under the command of St. Leger marched into Nanjilnad through the Aralvazhmozhi pass and demolished the defence lines.

The small river by the side of the fort, and the green vegetation all around add to the scenery of the fort and has now become a holiday resort and picnic centre.

It is said that there is a subway or tunnel about four feet width, supposed to connect the padmanabhapuram palace. Now the tunnel has been closed. On the northern side of the fort is found a slop to being the canon from the lower to the upper part of the parapet of the fort. There is well of about 6’ diameter. The whole wall around the fort is repaired and fresh mortar is being applied. From the evidence left by the fort itself, it may be presumed that this fort was the military base to protect the Kumari port which was a rich pearl harbour. Since the emblem of the Pandya Kings was ‘Fish’ and we find this emblem in some of the places of the fort, it can be safely concluded that the Pandya Kings had control over this fort for sometime.

Next to Vattakottai, we can see the traces of a light house in Leepuram being called so after Colonel Lee who has destroyed most of the Kadukkarai Kanyakumari Fort in 1806. This is a picnic spot, the sea is calm and suitable for bathing.

· The seashore with lot of coconut trees is a wonderful place to sit and relax.

· The sea is so calm so that you can play with the waves without any fear. But don't go so deep :-)

· 80Km south of Trivandrum

· 15 Km East of Thuckalay

· 50 Km from Kanyakumari

· The fort surrounded by sea is so pleasant to watch .

· Get the different experience of watching a sea from the top of a fort.

Chothavilai and Sanguthurai Beaches

This beach is about 10 Kms from Kanyakumari, is one of the best natural beaches of the district. The beach has shallow water and High sand dunes on the back ground. The District Administration has through its own funds and through the funds of MPLAD scheme, put up rest shelters, kudils (rest rooms) and a view tower over here for the benefit of tourists. The tourists can reach the beach through the newly laid coastal road which is a very beautiful drive along the sea-coast.

Sanguthurai is a beautiful beach resort and is very convenient for the local population of Nagercoil. It is only about 10 kms from the city(Nagercoil). Unfortunately no infrastructure facilities were available in this beach. The district administration has now sanctioned a project for putting up of a children's park, seating facility, open huts with Terracotta roofs and lighting facility at the beach . The entire work has been completed. It is also proposed to put up a few shops for Women Self Help Groups at the site, which can provide eatables to the on coming tourists at the beach side

Children's Park :

Near to the beach there is children's park. Not only children's but all peoples can enjoy there .There are lot of water games and many other games which will surely make all the children so happy. And are very old? If you love to watch children's mischievous playing then you should make a visit there .It will make you so happy as if that you are sitting in heaven.

Walkable Distance From Kanyakumari Railway Station

Tamilnadu Tourism

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Monday, November 2, 2009

Kanyakumari - Places of Interest