Kanyakumari-Romance of the Seas

Kanyakumari is located at the tip of India at the extreme south , where the two seas Bay of Bengal and Arabian sea  get united with the Indian ocean. It is also called the cape. I haven’t come across any other example of a place of confluence of three seas on the earth. There are several examples of confluence of two or more rivers in the world but it’s unique to see the confluence of seas.

 

The name of this place has been christened after the virgin goddess – Kanyakumari Amman. Mythological stories depict that Goddess parvati under the disguise of Devi Kanniya did a penance in one of the rocks in this area to have Lord Shiva as her consort. Kanyakumari and its surroundings are believed to be part of the land which was created by Parasurama, incarnation of Lord Vishnu. Folktales and mythological stories speak volumes about Kanyakumari.  This place, therefore, is also a popular pilgrimage.

 

The tourists who visit this southern most tip of India from every nook and corner of the country enjoy the exuberant scenes of the sunsets, the sunrises especially on full moon days. The nature of the sand in the beaches of Kanyakumari is unique as it is multicoloured.Though sunrise can be viewed throughout the year, sunset is visible only from October 15 to March 15 from this southernmost tip. But one can view both sunrise and sunset throughout the year from atop a hill called Murugan Kundram which offers a panoramic view of Kanyakumari. The sunset and moonrise can be seen almost simultaneously on full moon days from the same spot, which is truly a unique spectacle.

 

Kanyakumari , though a very small area has many important monuments and temples worth a visit besides the point where three seas meet.

 Kanyakumari temple is the first Durga Temple created by Lord Parasurama and is also one among the 108 Shakthi Peethas in the world. Parasurama built this temple on the shores and installed a beautiful idol of Goddess Kanya Kumari. The beautiful image of the Goddess in resplendent glory, with a garland in her right hand doing eternal penance as she waits for Lord Shiva to come, bestows on the devotee immense wealth of spiritual energy and peace of mind. One specialty of the idol is her diamond nose ring. The sparkling diamond nose-ring of the deity is said to be visible even from the sea. The temple's legend says that the nose ring was obtained from a king cobra and that light reflects off it so brightly that once an ancient mariner mistook it for a lighthouse. Sailing his ship towards the beacon, he wrecked upon the Kanya Kumari rocks. In order to prevent such a tragedy from happening again, the eastern door of the temple is only opened on five special occasions throughout the year.

 

Amidst the sea there are two rocks known as ‘twin rocks’ both contributing to the rich Indian heritage with the monuments of swamy Vivekananda and Saint Thiruvalluvar. Swamy Vivekananda came to kanyakumari on 24.2.1892 before his departure for Chicago to participate in the World Religious Conference in 1893. He sat on meditation on this rock for two days and became a powerful spiritual leader and philosopher. Vivekananda Rock Memorial has been built in 1970 and is a blend of various architectural styles of India.

 The Vivekananda mandapam is similar to that of Sri Ramakrishna Temple at Belur and the entrance is designed on the style of Ajanta and Ellora cave temples. There is a belief that the original Devi temple was built on this rock or somewhere near this and the rock itself was part of the mainland. The sea might have eroded the main land and turned the rock into an island, resulting in the shifting of the old temple to the present site. On this rock there is a small projection resembling human foot which has been revered as Sripaadam. According to legends it was on this rock that Goddess Kanyakumari did her penance. This special significance and sanctity attached to this rock might have prompted Swamy Vivekananda, an ardent devotee of Kali, to venture across the sea for his long meditation.This rock is approachable only by boat which provides a pleasure cruise into the sea.

 The Statue of great Tamil poet and saint Thiruvalluvar  is another architectural marvel .It’s a 133 feet tall stone sculpture . The statue stands upon a 38 foot pedestal that represents the 38 chapters of "virtue" in the Thirukkural. The statue standing on the pedestal represents "wealth" and "pleasures", signifying that wealth and love be earned and enjoyed on the foundation of solid. The statue is a delight to watch for its sheer grandeur.

The Kanyakumari town is very small and all the places could be seen in a day but to enjoy the flavour of the place one should stay for a couple of days. Sunrise and sunset point provide a tranquil atmosphere to relax and enjoy the great spectacle of nature. The small shops are good for both buying as well as window shopping .There are few good restaurants and the south Indian delicacies always add to the fervour if the town. There are plenty of items made with the sea shells like necklace .The prices though are very high and one really needs to test ones bargaining skills.

 Kanyakumari-in the end is a worth visit .