Kanyakumari
Tail of India

Ensconced within the southernmost a part of India, the Kankyakumari Beach is settled at the confluence of the Bay of Bengal, the Arabian Sea and therefore the Indian Ocean . Witnessing the numerous hues of the waters of the three merging into one to make a singular palette may be a surreal sight. It also has multi-coloured sand that creates the experience of strolling thereon an unforgettably beautiful experience. However, the simplest reason to go to this beach is that the spellbinding sunset and sunrise. Watch the sky painted in myriad hues because the sun dips or peeps out of the water. you’ll also buy knick-knacks and native handicrafts at the beach. For a spectacular germander speedwell view, you’ll head to the lighthouse on the beach. Tourists also can enjoys adventure activities and water sports at the beach and people trying to find a quieter experience can trek right down to the beach. The Kanyakumari Beach is found around 10 km from the guts of the town . it had been earlier referred to as Cape Comorin.

Located on the southern tip of mainland India, at the confluence of the Arabian Sea , the Indian Ocean and therefore the Bay of Bengal, the Bhagavathy Temple is devoted to Mary Goddess Kanyakumari. The temple is taken into account symbolic of sanctity and unity and is one among the 51 shaktipeethams (one of the places where the severed body parts of Goddess Shakti fell).
According to legend, in one among her incarnations as Devi Kanya or Shree Bhagavathy, Goddess Parvati did penance during this temple to marry Lord Shiva.
The hoop of the idol, studded with rubies, glitters such a lot that it resembles a beacon. Devi is additionally referred to as Shree Baala Bhadra and Shree Baala. it’s widely believed that sage Parashurama performed the consecration of the temple and therefore the goddess within the temple removes rigidity from the mind. Devi Kanyakumari also finds mention in epics Mahabharata and Ramayana.

The magnificent Padmanabhapuram Palace is found at Thuckalay, 16 km from Nagercoil and 64 km from Thiruvananthapuram. it had been the seat of the erstwhile rulers of Travancore. The architecture of the palace is just fabulous. Almost everything leaves tourists awestruck, be it the Belgian mirrors, intricate carvings and paintings on ceilings or the 17th and 18th-century murals, rosewood and teakwood carvings, huge earthen urns and colored mica on windows. The artworks are often found in plenty at the palace – in dance halls, queen mother’s palace, museums, council chambers, dining halls, inner courtyards and king’s rooms.
The palace are often accessed from the western side after walking through an enormous courtyard. referred to as Manthrasala, the boardroom is that the better part of the palace. it’s coloured mica windows and floors with an immaculate finish, including its floor, which had a glass finish made with a mixture of lime, coconut, river sand, egg white, lime and jaggery. The Queen Mother’s Palace, referred to as Thai Kottaram, is that the oldest a part of the palace that was inbuilt 1550 AD in Kerala sort of architecture. it’s over 90 differing types of floral motifs painted and carved on the ceilings. one among the newest additions to the palace is that the audience hall, built between 1829 and 1846. The dining hall can accommodate over 1,000 people. A four-storeyed building stands at the guts of the palace complex. it’s a king’s room, royal treasury, king’s bedroom with a four-poster medicinal bed, which was built with 64 sorts of wood with healing properties. The fourth floor or upparikka malika features a meditation hall also because the royal shrine, the walls of which are adorned with scenes from the Puranas also as 18th-century murals. A secret passage was also constructed within the palace premises to require the royals to safety, just in case of an attack or assault. referred to as Thekee Kottaram, the southern palace houses an archaeological museum, which boasts furniture, copper plates, wooden sculptures, granite sculptures, ancient armaments and more from the age gone . Open on all days except Mondays between 9 am and 4.40 pm also as national holidays, the palace expects the visitors to go away their footwear outside the premises, so as to take care of the polish of the floors.

Built in 1970, the Vivekananda Rock Memorial may be a combination of conventional and modern Indian architectural styles, especially from West Bengal and Tamil Nadu . From this iconic monument, one can get spectacular views of the celestial happenstance of sunrise, sunset and moonrise. On full-of-the-moon days, enjoy the special spectacle of the moon rising and therefore the sun setting simultaneously. On Chitra Purnima in April, both moon and sun face one another on an equivalent horizon.
The entrance to the memorial features the architectural sorts of Ajanta and Ellora Cave Temples, while the memorial mandapam resembles Belur’s Sri Ramakrishna Temple. A life-size bronze statue of Swami Vivekananda in his famous parivarjak posture is housed here. Shripada Mandapam, one among the 2 main structures of Vivekananda Rock Memorial, is its sanctum sanctorum that’s enclosed within an outer platform. The square-shaped hall comprises a garbha griham, an inner prakram and an outer prakram.
It has sections including Dhyana Mandapam, Mukha Mandapam, Namasthubhyam and Sabha Mandapam. Of these, the Dhyana Mandapam, also called the Meditation Hall, has been created by integrating various sorts of Indian temple architecture. Visitors are allowed to take a seat , relax and meditate in six rooms here. The auditorium or the Sabha Mandapam comprises a statue section, Pralima Mandapam, an outer courtyard and a corridor that encompasses the most hall. Swamiji’s statue is so positioned here that his vision falls directly on the Shripadam. within the memorial mandapam stands the statue of Vivekananda and visitors can see the footprints of Mary goddess, Sri Pada Parai, on an equivalent rock.
To the southeast of Kanyakumari Temple are two rocks projecting out of the waters of Lakshadweep sea – the Shripada Mandapam and therefore the Vivekananda Mandapam. it’s said that on one among these, Swami Vivekananda sat in meditation for 2 days and became a strong crusader with the blessings of Kanyakumari, Mary goddess.

Udayagiri Fort is one among the foremost prominent tourist stopovers within the city. Also referred to as De Lannoy’s Fort or Dillani Kottai, it’s a remnant of the regime of Travancore. The fort is surrounded by an isolated hill about 260 high and was used as a training ground for the king’s army. Remains of the furnace used for creating ammunition stand as a sworn statement to the very fact . Interestingly, it’s said that a brass gun, 16-ft-long, was found within the fort complex but couldn’t be moved even a couple of feet by variety of individuals including 16 elephants. Now, the fort has been became a natural park and one can find a playhouse , herbal gardens, bird and deer enclosures and an aquarium.
The fort was constructed with mud during the reign of the Venadu king, Sri Vira Ravivarma (1595-1607 AD), and later reconstructed with stone during the rule of Marthandavarma (1729-1758 AD). Donations got by the Nattars of Nanjilnadu to construct the structure. The fort also served as a cantonment under Dutch captain, Delonnoy, who was captured as a prisoner of war by Marthandavarma and later appointed as commander-in-chief of the military equipment, including cannons that were once stored here. Within the fort complex are located a foundry to manufacture guns, cannonballs, mortars. The fort also served as a jail when the soldiers of Tipu Sultan’s army were kept here towards the top of 18th century AD.