Kanyakumari
About the city
It was northern India which had to bear the maximum burnt of attack of the foreigners whereas the southern India had to bear a few. This is the reason that the traditional temples in Southern India were not affected. They are still standing with their heads high and are attracting the people. The salient features of the temples of the south are that they have high and huge entrances. The idols in the Kanyakumari temple are at the river side and it is difficult to have a darshan without lighting a lamp. This tradition was perhaps started with the fear of Yavanas. The temple of Kanyakumari is also similar in this context.Kanyakumari is a cape at the southern boundary of India. It is a Junction of three seas-Viz Bay of Bengal. Arabian Sea and the Indian Ocean. It is a beautiful place. Bananas and coconut are the mainfruits of Kanyakumari. Rice is the main food of people;even Prasada (offering made to the deity and later on districuted amongst the devotees) is also made of rice. Mangoes are available here throughout the year.
During the month of Chaitra a unique scene can be seen. In the Arabian Sea there is the scene of sun set and simultaneously in the Bay of Bengal there is a beautiful scence of moon rising. People from all over the country and abroad visit Kanyakumari during this time to have a view of the sun set at one end and rising of moon at another end at the same place.
At the sea shore there is a temple of Lord Ganesha. First of all people visit this temple and after having darshan proceed towards the temple of Kanyakumari.
The temple of Kaynakumari is very beautiful. One has to cross many doors before reaching the deity. It is an idol of black stone wearing beautiful jewellery of diamond. On special occasions and festivals special make-up is done of the idol and people come to offer their prayers. The whole atmosphere is sacred and peace giving. Another salient feature of this place is that near the sea-shore there is a well of sweet water. People use this water for drinking and bathing. There is a tale famous about this place that once upon a time there was a demon name Banasur. He was very cruel. He worshiped Lord Shiva and got boon from him that except Kumari Kanya (virgin) nobody else can defeat him.
Banasur started torturing the gods. They performed a yajna to save themselves from the harassment of Banasur. From the flame of that Yajna Goddess Durga appeared in the form of kanyakumari. She was very beautiful. She worshipped Lord Shiva. He was very happy with her worship and agreed to marry her. But she could not marry Lord Shiva because he was stopped at Shuchindriya by Narada at the instance of gods and the auspicious time of marriage passed. Shuchindriya is a beautiful place. It is at a distance of twelve km from Kanyakumari. It is said that Lord Indra received a curse from saint Gautam for looking with lustful eyes towards Ahilya-the wife of Gautam. Later on he was freed from the curse at the same place. That is why this place is called Shuchindriya.
Here are the temples of Brahma, Vishnu and Mahesh. There is also a very big idol of Hanuman. Banasur came to know about the beauty of kanyakumari. He wanted to get her. He came to take her away with his army. Kanyakumari fought a furious battle with him and killed him.
In Kanyakumari there is a large rock in Arabian sea. It is a black stone rock. On this very rock Swami Vivekananda stayed for three days without taking food and water and performed meditation. It is also said that Swamji got self-realisation on this very rock. In his meditation Swami Vivekanada Saw his Guru Ramakrishna Paramhansa who ordered him to cross the sea. Swamiji took an oath of going abroad and there is a beautiful memorial of Swami Vivekananda. This is a centre of attraction for people from all over the world.
The Kumari Amman or the Kanyakumari Temple, located on the shore, is dedicated to a manifestation of Parvati, the virgin goddess who did penance to obtain Lord Shiva's hand in marriage. The temple and the adjoining ghat, picturesquely situated overlooking the shore, attract tourist from all over the world. The diamond nose-ring of the deity is famous for its sparkling splendor said to be visible even from the sea.
Two rocks reach out of the ocean, southeast of the Kumari Amman temple. One of these is Sri Padaparai, where the footprints of the virgin goddess are said to be imprinted on this rock, Swami Vivekananda is said to have sat in deep meditation and here also stands the famous Vivekananda Rock Memorial built in 1970. There is a dhyana mandapam where one can sit in a serene atmosphere and meditate. Ferry services are available to reach the memorial.
The striking Gandhi Memorial has been built on the spot where the urn containing the Mahatma's ashes was kept for public viewing before immersion. Resembling central Indian Hindu temples in form, the memorial was so designed that on Mahatma Gandhi's birthday (October 2), the first rays of the sun fall on the exact place where the ashes of the father of the nation were kept.
Cape Comorian, now titled Kanyakumari, is the land's End of India. The waters of the Indian Ocean, the Bay of Bengal and the Arabian Sea meet here, and this has long made it n important place of pilgrimage. Its calm inspired men like Mahatma Gandhi and Swami Vivekananda, and there are memorials to both. The main objective for the pilgrims, however, is the Kumari Amman Temple (the Virgin Goddess), one of the incarnations of Shiva's wife parvati. Non-Hindus may enter as a long they wear a dhoti (loincloth) and go bare-chested. The multi-coloured sand on the beach nearby represents the colourd rice thrown, like confetti, at the goddess's unconsummated wedding. The beaches here are not safe for bathing. A small bathing ghat is at the southernmost tip of land; most people will prefer to of the short distance to Vattakottai.
The Gandhi Mandapam is the memorial built over the place where a portion of his ashes rested before immersion in the sea. The werid lines belie the intended harmony of its ecumenical design. A hole in the roof allows the sun to shine on the memorial stone on 2 October Gandhi's birthday. Swami Vivekananda achieved a brief fame towards the end of the last century by preacing a universal gospel. An adulatory biography by Romain-Rolland is available. Whatever you make of this, the Vivekananda Rock Memorial is altogether grandr than Gandhiji's completed in 1970, it is built of red and black granite on the islet whre he meditated and achieved enlightenment, and incorporates architectural themes from all over India. A frequent ferry service (7-11 am and 2-5 pm) takes you there. The footprints of the goddess can be seen, and there is a panoramic view of the town from the candy-striped temple to the towering spire of the Catholic Church. Photography is banned on the island.
Visit St Mary;s Church (Catholic) and walk back along the shore through the fishing village, smelly but friendly. True catamarans are made here. A good view of this area, and the hills behind, can be had form the ferry jetty. The best view of all is from the Lighthous (open 3-5pm), again no photography. The Circular Fort at Vattakottai, 6 km away, is hardly circular. Basically square in plan it has pointed bastions at three corners and a large semi-circular battery jutting right out into the sea at the fourth. The arms and R V monogram over the gate signify Ravi Varma, Maharaja of Travancore in the 18th century. Like the larger Udayagiri Fort, this was built for him by De Lannoy, a Dutch general in his service. Construction is of large blocks of granite tightly fitted together with no external mortar. The merlons, in contrast, are rendered brick. Surrounded by sand and palm trees this is a proper romantic fort. The attractive beach has the same multi-coloured sand as Kanyakumari and looks safe for bathing. It is also possible to taxi to Vattakottai village, though the walk from there is definitely a country kilometer.
The real novelty of Kanyakumari is that you can watch the sun rise from one ocean and set in another. Full-moon time provides a simultaneous sunset and moonrise. This can be watched from the shore. Kanyakumari was a quiet reflective place whre one can happily spend several days.
At the southernmost end of Tamil Nadu, lies the land end of India or the point where the three seas meet, enchanting Kanniyakumari or Cape Comorin is one of the most popular tourist spots in the state and indeed, in the country. Part of the fascination is of course due to the fact that it is the very tip of the Indian peninsula and the confluence of the Bay of Bengal, the Arabian Sea and the Indian Ocean. The other part is that the nature is so spectacular at Kanniyakumari that several other Indian beaches pale by comparison. Kanniyakumar is at its best during Chitra Pournami(full moon day in April) when the sun and moon are face to face at the same horizon but other full moon days are also special when you can see the sun set and the moon rise almost simultaneously, as if by prior arrangement.
Demography
Kanyakumari has a population of about 19,678 in which males constitute 50% of the population and females, 50%. It has an average literacy rate of 79%, higher than the national average of 59.5%. The male literacy is around 79%, and the female literacy is also about 79%. In Kanyakumari, 11% of the population is under the age of 6.History
Kanyakumari got its name from the Kumari Ammkan or the Kayakumari Temple situated at the shore on the confluence of the BAy of Bengal, Indian Ocean and the Arabian Sea. According to the local lore, Kanya Devi, an avatar of Parvati, was to marry Shiva, but he failed to show up in the wedding. The rice and other grains meant for the wedding feast remkained uncooked. Today tourists can buy tiny stones which look like rice, in remembrance of the marriage that was never solemnised. The princess, Kanya Devi is a virgin Goddess who blesses pilgrims and tourists. According to a legend, Christianity arrived in south India around 52 AD through St. Thomas, on e of the twelve Apostles of Christ. However, European missionaries, who arrived in the 16th century, propagated Christianity in the area. St. Francis Xavier (April 7,1506-December 2, 1552) was the pioneer in preaching Christianity in the present day Kanyakumari District. Islam is believed to have entered the southern part of India through Kanyakumari during the early part of the eighth century AD through the sea route with traders and missionaries.The birth of Kanyakumari stems from the legend of Kanya Devi, also said to be an avatar of Goddess Parvati who was to wed Lord Shiva. However, the divine groom was tricked into believing that he had missed the auspicious time, by Narada who assumed the form of a rooster and crowed well before daybreak. Thus, the wedding never took place and the virgin goddess made Kanyakumari her home. It is believed that the rice and grains meant for the wedding continue to line the shores of Kanyakumari beach. The pilgrim town, once referred to as the 'Alexandria of the East' was always a great centre for art, culture, civilization and pilgrimage. It was also a famous centre for commerce and trade, making it a political hotspot. Indeed, Kanyakumari was under the control of the Cholas, the Cheras, the Pandyas and the Nayaks, all great rulers of South India at various points of its history. The architectural beauty of the temples owes much to the influence of these rulers and their individual cultural heritage. Kanyakumari was also the meeting point of new religions that would establish themselves here before moving further north. During the early part of the 8th century A.D, Islam entered the southern part of India through the sea route while St. Thomas would introduce Christianity to this area in 52 A.D. Jainism too shows its influence most evident in the architecture and literature of this place. Endowed with natural herbs and medicinal plants that grow in abundance in the hills and mountains of Kanyakumari, it also contributed much to the field of Ancient Medicine.
Modern History
During the British Raj, Kanyakumari also came to be known as Cape Comorin and became an important port for trade and commerce. After the British left India, Kanyakumari merged with Tamil Nadu in 1956 under the State Linguistic Reorganisation Act and stayed under the personal rule of Maharaja of Travancore between 1956 and 1961.Recent History
During the Mandaikadu Bhagwati Amman temple Masi Kodai festival in 1982, communal violence between Hindus and Christians broke out in the coastal villages of Rajakkamangalam, Eethanozhi, Kallukatti, Pillaithope and Nagercoil town. The resultant police shootout to curb the violence resulted in the death of a number of people, most of them residents of this otherwise peaceful and tolerant town. In the August of 2000, a National Convention on Communal Harmony was held in Kanyakumari, with delegates from 11 Indian states participating in the meeting. The Kanyakumari district was also one of the worst affected districts in the tsunami that ravaged the coasts of various countries in South and South East Asia, on 26th Dec 2004. It suffered a complete breakdown of communication, limiting the role of relief agencies for several crucial days. Hundreds of tourists were trapped at the Vivekananda Rock Memorial but were subsequently rescued by local fishermen.Kanyakumari. The Holy Trinity of oceans. The land of the Virgin Goddess. and of virgin beaches. Like its imposing shore that ventures bravely into the three seas, so also is its rock solid religious belief that transcends time. The pilgrim town is also a confluence of history, nature and spirituality. It was the chosen spot for Swami Vivekananda's penance and for the immersion of the ashes of Mahatma Gandhi. Like the ebb and flow of the tide in its vast ocean, Kanyakumari's many pilgrims mill about its ancient temples and beaches. They marvel at the seven colours of its sand, and at the myriad hues of its sunrise and sunset. Hoping to wash away their sins when the waves come in.