I started traveling to find my purpose. I got my purpose but fell in love with travel

You know these were the exact lines which echoed in my head just when I reached a place which is known as the southern tip of India or the land of three seas: Kanyakumari. Honestly, I was planning to explore Kanyakumari city in the state Tamil Nadu for the last three years but I guess plans never works for me because it only kept postponing. And, when it happened, it was an impromptu one, without any planning or fixed itinerary. But I guess this is what adds to the fun and when it is a place like Kanyakumari city, it automatically gets double.

History of Kanyakumari city in the state of Tamil Nadu

Kanyakumari in the state of Tamil Nadu is sometimes referred as Kumari district, a name which has been taken from goddess Parvati, the wife of lord Shiva. It is a popular belief among the locals of Kanyakumari that the wife of Mount Kailash Mahadev, reincarnated here in the form of Devi Kanya to kill its demon king and bring peace. Goddess Parvati is the creator herself and was the only one who could bring harmony to Kanyakumari city. During the British Raj, Kanyakumari was bestowed with the title of cape coromin and became a famous centre for trade and commerce. Islam, Christianity and Jainism have greatly contributed to the Heritage of Kanyakumari, who over the period of time was under the control of great rulers of South India: The Cholas, Pandayas and Nayaks

Our journey to reach India’s land end started at 10 PM from Bangalore, as we wanted to reach Kanyakumari by the morning. We thought that we are going to take some rest and then we shall proceed with the sightseeing, which will give us a day extra in Kanyakumari. But, a slight scroll through the Instagram on the way led us to change this plan a bit, as I spotted a beautiful picture of Chitharal Jain rock cut temple. A look at it and I knew I had to explore it. Reaching Chitharal Bhagwathi temple required us to make a detour of three hours on our way to Kanyakumari, which made it a 17 hours continuous drive for us to reach the southern tip of India. But, I should tell you that what a scenic and mind blowing road drive it is. I mean, I was driving and I remember it to be my one of the scenic drives that I have done in a long time. Kanyakumari is sometimes referred as India’s land end and I should say that what an incredible end to our country with such splendid beauty, truly justifying what India is famous for

So, here in this blog I am sharing 11 best tourist attraction in Kanyakumari city that you can easily explore within one day. Not to mention, that one of the best things about this land of three seas is that majorly every tourist place here is within the vicinity of 2 kilometers and easily walkable if you take an accommodation close to the main market area

Sunrise at Kanyakumari Beach: It is said that one of the best sunrises of India can be seen at Kanyakumari and true to the words, I would want to call it magical though we got a glimpse of sunrise for just 5 minutes. It was mainly clouded and raining in Kanyakumari, while we were there but still those five minutes were enough to give me the glimpse of how magnificent it would look on a clear day. The confluence of three seas (locally called as Triveni Sangam) at Kanyakumari seas further adds to the charm of this tourist attraction. But, here is a thing that you need to keep in min. Make sure to reach the place before 6 AM, as the sunrise point is crowded on most days and you would need to secure a place for a clear view. In case, you are coming by car there is a dedicated area to park it with a nominal charge of Rs. 40/-

Triveni Sangam (Cape Coromin): This is where you will spot the confluence of three seas and is considered a holy place by the visitors. Some even take a dip here but refrain to go in the water after the sunset as it gets dangerous

Kanyakumari Temple: After checking the sunrise viewpoint, it was time to see Kanyakumari temple which is one of the ancient temples here. It is from where the city adopted its name. Locally called as Bhagavathy Amman temple, this 3000-year-old monument in Kanyakumari is one of the 51 Shakti-peethas, dedicated to goddess Parvati. The photography inside the main sanctum area of this temple is prohibited. The temple gets open at 5:30 AM till 12 PM and reopens at 4 PM

Vivekananda Rock Memorial: A 10 minutes ferry ride will take you to Vivekananda rock Memorial, which is built on the shoreline of Kanyakumari Beach. It is said that on the evening of Dec 25^th 1892, Swami Vivekananda came to Kanyakumari on a pilgrimage and swam to this particular rock to spent the whole night meditating here. Thereafter, the authorities decided to build a memorial on this rock, to mark his visit, which has remained opened for the public for over 20 years now. The ferry starts at 8 AM in the morning till 4 PM and would charge Rs. 50/- too & fro

Thiruvalluvar statue: I couldn’t go to Thiruvullar statue as due to low tide the ride for the day was cancelled. But this 38-foot-long statue of Thiruvullar was built by Tamil Nadu Government, to honour Saint Thiruvalluvar who is undeniably one of the greatest Tamil philosophers of his time. The same ferry takes you to the statue of Thiruvalluvar in the same ticket cost

Our Lady of Ransom church: Our lady of Ransom church of Mother Mary, this 15^th century structure is a fine example of Gothic architecture.

Kanyakumari Wax Museum: Kanyakumari wax museum is said to be India’s first wax museum which has statues of public figures like Jackie Chan, Shah Rukh Khan, Amitabh Bachchan, Barack Obama, Michael Jackson, David Beckham. Sad, that I missed on it as the place was closed due to pandemic. Both videography and photography are prohibited inside the museum

Gandhi Memorial or Gandhi Mandapam: As the name suggests, Gandhi Memorial in Kanyakumari is built in the memory of Mahatma Gandhi. It is said that the place where Gandhi Mandapam is built, it is here that the ashes of Father of nation was kept for some time, before it was immersed in Triveni Sangam of Kanyakumari. Interestingly, it is also said that Gandhi Mandapam is designed is such a way that on 2^nd October (his birth) the rays of sum fall at the same place where his ashes was kept.

Vattakotai Fort: Resting along the coast of the Bay of Bengal, the Vattakotai Fort, an ASI marked monument, is one of the last coastal forts constructed by the rulers of 18th century. There isn’t much to do here unless you adore exploring ruin just like me. Vattakotai fort is a beautiful place to enjoy the beauty of Kanyakumari sea range. Kanyakumari is also famous for its Padmanabhapuram Palace but we didn’t get to see the place as it was close

View Tower: An absolutely thrilling place according me to enjoy the panoramic view of Kanyakumari city. Also known as the observation tower, it is located in Kovalam Beach Road. I particularly enjoyed visiting here because I went to this particular place during the sunset. Honestly, it was a good decision since I could enjoy the sunset with the whole city view of Kanyakumari. The view tower remains open from 7 AM-7 PM. A nominal fee of Rs. 15/- is charged here

Sunset Viewpoint: The authorities have built a dedicated place to see the magnificent sunset of Kanyakumari, where you can sit and enjoy the view of sun going down. Though, I didn’t really visit this place during the sunset as I watched it from the view tower but I found the place calm and beautiful, when I visited here the next morning. But those who saw the sunset sitting here said it to be a beautiful sight.

I think if someone really want to experience the beauty of southern India beaches, I think Kanyakumari, the southern tip of India is the place where everyone should come to experience how beautiful India is.

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