The verdant beauty, the spectacular sunrise, the loveliest sunset, the historical and religious sites of Kanyakumari consumes you. It is one of the few places in India where you can hear many different languages spoken in the streets, so you can guess that it’s visited from people from different places around the world. The beautiful coastal town in Tamil Nadu is one of the major tourist places in South India. I also happen to travel there with my family and it was a wholesome experience.

Modes of travel : One can travel by bus, car, train or flight based on the source of journey. I travelled by train from Rameshwaram to Kanyakumari and it was an amazing experience.The train goes through the Pamban Bridge. And you can see the mighty sea on both sides. You can also see the Rameshwaram road bridge from the train. This journey via train is the one to remember. It also does get scary when the train runs through the middle of the sea but it’s thrilling. So, if you opt for this option, stay safe and away from the doors.

Places not to be missed in Kanyakumari:
Kanyakumari Devi Temple: This is one of the most revered temples of the city. It is one of the 51 Shakti Peethas and is believed that the spine area of Sati’s corpse fell here. It is located at the Cape Kanyakumari, at the confluence of the Bay of Bengal, Arabian Sea and Indian Ocean. The name of the town also comes from the Devi Kanyakumari Temple.

Thiruvalluvar Statue: The statue is a 133 feet tall stone sculpture built in the memory of the famous Tamil poet and philosopher Thiruvalluvar. It is located atop a small island in the town. One has to take a ferry ride to visit the Statue. The ride is comfortable and joyful.

Vivekananda Rock Memorial: If we continue the Ferry ride, we can reach another famous place in Kanyakumari which is built as a tribute to Swami Vivekananda who according to sayings attained enlightment in these rocks. 
The memorial consists of two main structures, the Vivekananda Mandapam and the Shripada Mandapam. Alongwith these mandapams, there is Dhyan Mandapam also attached to the memorial for visitors to meditate. There are also various stores around the temple selling different books and souvenirs.

Gandhi Mandapam: This is a memorial of Mahatma Gandhi where his ashes were kept for public darshan before immersion in the sea. The Mandapam is built in Odisha style of architecture and designed in such a way that on his birthday, 2nd October, the rays of the sun falls exactly on the place where the urn was kept, through a hole on the roof.

Vattakotai Fort: It is a sea-side fort on the southern tip of India. It commands a picturesque view of the sea on one side and the Western Ghats on the other side. Another interesting feature near the site is a beach of black sands. It is a protected site under the Indian Archaeological department. It was built in the 18th century as a coastal defence-fortification and barracks in the erstwhile Travancore kingdom.

Kanyakumari beach: It has the unique feature of a rocky shoreline with different hues of sand. The waves here are quite rough and care must be taken when in the waters. One can view the Arabian Sea, Bay of Bengal and Indian Ocean meeting together which is referrred as the Triveni Sangam. It offers one of the best sunrise and sunset views. It gives the most calming feeling to start or end your day with.

There are also other beautiful temples, churches, beaches, view tower or monuments like Tsunami monument that one can explore there. Also, one can buy a handful of seashells and pearls from the nearby beach shops.

Useful Tip:

Be alert in the temples. Let me tell you a personal story, in one of the temples we were visiting, firstly some temple workers handed over a garland to us and took a good amount for it then they gave us some diyas to light which we didn’t even ask for without mentioning anything about the money. We took it thinking that it might be a tradition. Once we lighted the diyas in the temple and were leaving they asked for a certain amount to pay. So, just ask questions when someone hands over something, it need not be free.

I hope the blog post will be useful in planning your next trip to Kanyakumari.