Kanyakumari



Where is Kanyakumari in India?



With its geographical location at 8° 04' 41" N and 77° 32' 28" E, Kanyakumari is the southernmost end of the Indian peninsular mainland. This town is included in the state of Tamil Nadu .

What is Kanyakumari famous for?



Kanyakumari, being the geographical end of the peninsular country, is famous for the meeting point of Indian Ocean with Arabian Sea and Bay of Bengal. This even helps in experiencing a spectacular view of sunrise and sunset. The place is even known for its exclusively rich south Indian tradition and culture, which gets reflected from the varied temples in the district.

Are there any other names of Kanyakumari?



The place derived its name from Kannyakumari Amman Goddess, who is popularly worshipped in the area. The town is often called as Cape Comorin for its geographical location.

Area of Kanyakumari



Kanyakumari is stretched over a total area of 25.89 sq. km.

Languages spoken in Kanyakumari



Being located in Tamil Nadu, residents of Kanyakumari mainly speak Tamil. Besides that they even speak Malayalam and Hindi. The urban part of the district speaks English though.

umari in India can be best traveled during the months of October to March.

How to reach Kanyakumari?

The place, being a major tourist attraction, is well-connected to the rest of the country as well as abroad.

  • By road: Kanyakumari is connected to the major Indian cities like Chennai, Bangalore, Pondicherry, Madurai, Tuticorin, Mandapam, Nagercoil, Trivandrum, Tiruvelveli, Tiruchendur and many more by the regular buses run by the state transport system. Besides that local auto-rickshaws and private taxis are available for traveling around the town.

  • By rail: Being the starting point of India's longest rail route Kanyakumari to Jammu, the place is connected to the rest of India through railways. The main and nearest railway station to the town is located at just 1 km north of the temple and bazaar. Some of the trains plying to and from Kanyakumari are:
    • Chennai Egmore Express
    • Tiruchirappalli - Howrah Express
    • Himsagar Express

  • By air: Kanyakumari does not have an airport of its own. The nearest airport serving the town is Thiruvananthapuram Airport, which is 80 km away from the place. Taxi services are available from this international airport to take you to Kanyakumari.

Famous Tourist Attractions in Kanyakumari



Kanyakumari, being the location of the meet-up of the three huge water bodies, attracts people from all over the world. Its unique simultaneous view of sunset and moonrise from India's southernmost tip is the main tourist attraction of the place. Besides this, the rich heritage and culture of the city can be experienced from the several temples located there. Some of the major tourist attractions, which one can not afford to miss while staying in Kanyakumari, are:

  • Swami Vivekananda Rock: This is a rock island located at 100 m from the Indian mainland. It is being named Swami Vivekananda Rock in the memory of Swami Vivekananda's visit and over-night meditation done there. This is the place from where you can have a picturesque view of the sunset and moonrise at the same time. The place has even got a huge statue of Vivekananda. This Rock Memorial is open to visitors from 7:30 am to 4:00 pm. Ferry services are available from the mainland jetty to take you to the Vivekananda Rock.

  • Thiruvalluvar Statue: Thiruvalluvar Statue is said to be the most famous attraction of Kanyakumari. This 133 feet high statue is of Thiruvalluvar, who was Tamil Nadu's greatest philosopher, poet and saint. Tourists are even allowed to climb up till the statue's feet. The view of the surroundings from there is a lifetime experience.

  • Padmanabhapuram Palace: Padmanabhapuram Palace is the erstwhile wooden palatial residence where the ruler of Travancore lived. Located at the state border of Kerala and Tamil Nadu, the palace is just 1 hr drive from Kanyakumari. Visitors are allowed to go inside the palace between 9:00 am to 1:00 pm in the morning and 2:00 pm to 4:00 pm in the afternoon.

  • Baywatch: Baywatch is a water themed amusement park. Located at the Sunset Point, this park houses the foremost wax museum in India.
To name a few more places to visit in Kanyakumari, are:
  • Goddess Bhagavathi Temple
  • Kamarajar Mani Mantapa Monument
  • Kanyakumari Gandhi Memorial
  • Kanyakumari Temple or Kumari Amman Temple
  • Our Lady of Ransom Church
  • Suchindram Temple
  • Tsunami Monument
  • Vivekanandapuram

What can be bought from Kanyakumari?



The local market of Kanyakumari offers numerous handicrafts made of straw, sea shells and coconut shells. Beautiful pieces for interior decoration at reasonable prices are the main attractions of those markets. Besides this, Kanyakumari markets even houses numerous goods like straw hats, multicolored sand packets, kaleidoscopes, electronics etc.

What to eat in Kanyakumari?



Kanyakumari's gastronomy mainly includes South Indian food. Mostly being vegetarian items, the menu comprises of Dosa, Idli, Sambar, Coconut Rice, Meen Kolambu, Valakkai Porial, Semiya Payaasam etc. Their traditional style of serving food on banana leaf is the main attraction of the different restaurants in Kanyakumari. The place has even got some Punjabi and Rajastani food places. Western food style is not much prevalent in Kanyakumari, though.

Restaurants in Kanyakumari



Some of the famous restaurants in Kanyakumari are:
  • Sangam Restaurant: In spite of being a multi-cuisine restaurant, Sangam Restaurant specializes in serving mouth-watering south Indian delicacies, especially Kerala food. This is Kanyakumari's first restaurant to offer non-vegetarian food.

  • Seaview Restaurant: Besides serving sea foods, Seaview Restaurant is even famous top food lovers for its Indian and Chinese cuisine.

  • Sri Krishna Food Court: Besides specializing in delicious chaats, Sri Krishna Food Court is famous for housing Sandwiches, Pizzas, Burgers and other fast food items.

Hotels in Kanyakumari, India?



Kanyakumari, being one of the major tourist attractions, have got uncountable hotels and modern resorts ranging from top class ones to economic ones. Besides providing basic facilities like well-furnished rooms, room service etc, some of the renowned hotels in Kanyakumari offer top class accommodation.

Luxury accommodation in Kanyakumari:
  • Sparsa Resort
    Beach Road, next to Sunset Point
    Kanyakumari, Tamil Nadu - 629 702, India.

  • Indien Hermitage Resort
    Kumariyur, Marungoor, Kanyakumari
    Tamil Nadu - 629 402, India.
Medium accommodation in Kanyakumari:
  • Sea View
    East Car Street
    Kanyakumari, Tamil Nadu
    India.

  • Hotel Cape Residency
    Nagercoil Road, Kanyakumari
    Tamil Nadu, India.
Economic accommodation in Kanyakumari:
  • Parvathi Residency
    400, PWD Road, Nagercoil
    Kanyakumari, Tamil Nadu - 629 001
    India.

  • Hotel Trisea
    Near Seashore
    Kovalam Road
    Kanyakumari, Tamil Nadu - 629 702
    India.



Last Updated on 16 September 2011
  Kanyakumari India