Day Trip to Kanyakumari
About Kanyakumari:
Kanyakumari is a town on the southernmost tip of India. It is also known as Cape Comorin. It is located at 80 kilometers away from Trivandrum – a capital of Kerala, which has made Kanyakumari, is the one of the favorite tourist destinations for day trippers from Trivandrum. Geographical location of Kanyakumari is very unique as it rests at the position where the Indian Ocean, the Bay of Bengal and the Arabian Sea join. And the confluence of these three seas can be seen here. This place is named after the Goddess Kumari who said to have prayed Hindu God Lord Shiva to be his wife. Tourism has been an integral part of Kanyakumari and has many tourist attractions to offer. It is also considered as a pilgrimage sites because it is dotted with many temples, churches, religious pillars and statues. It has been a center of culture for years, which is reflected in the arts, monument, food and even the people. Though there are countless tourist attractions in and around Kanyakumari but visitors flock here every day for spectacular sunrise and sunset. Lets enjoy Day Trip to Kanyakumari from Trivandrum.
TRIVANDRUM – KANYAKUMARI
Pick up from your hotel in Trivandrum and drive towards Kanyakumari. It is 85 km away from Trivandrum city.
EN-ROUTE PADMANABHAPURAM PALACE
Stop en-route at the town of Thuckalay see Padmanabhapuram Palace located in at Padmanabhapuram Fort.
Visit Padmanabhapuram Palace:
The Palace was built around 1601 AD by the King of Venad Iravi Varma who ruled Venad between 1592 and 1609. This a magnificent wooden palace located in the state of Tamilnadu at 64 km from Trivandrum. The palace was named after the deity Sree Padmanabha whom King Marthaanda dedicated his kingdom. It was once the erstwhile home of royal family of Travancore. It is one of the finest examples of traditional wooden architecture of Kerala.
The important edifices in the Palace complex are Poomugham (entrance hall), Manthrasala (council hall) Manimeda (clock tower), and Natakasala (the hall to perform Kathakali), Uttupura (dining hall) Thaikottaram (Mother Palace), Uppirika Malika (storeyed building) Kannadithalam.,Navarathri mandapam, Indravilasom, Chandra vilasom etc.
CONTINUE DRIVE
Continue drive towards Kanyakumari.
ARRIVES KANYAKUMARI
Arrive Kanyakumari. On arrival, visit all the interesting tourist places of Kanyakumari.
Major attractions of Kanyakumari:
Vivekananda Rock:
Vivekanand Rock memorial is one of the major tourist attractions and a sacred monument at Kanyakumari in India. It stands on one of two rocks located about 500 meters off mainland India’s southernmost tip. It is open every day for visitors. The construction of this memorial started in January 1964 and was completed in 1970. It was built in honor of the visit of the great spiritual teacher Swami Vivekananda to Shripada Parai. Swami Vivekananda said to have reached Kanyakumari in December 1892. It is believed that he swam to this rock and meditated on the rock seeking enlightenment. He spent three days there, returning to the shore only on 28th December 1892, and became a reformer and philosopher. One can see the statue of Vivekananda here and also a meditation hall for visitors to meditate. The merger of three seas – Bay of Bengal, Arabian Sea and Indian Ocean can be seen from these rocks. The memorial consists of two main structures, the Vivekananda Mandapam and the Shripada Mandapam.
Thiruvalluvar Statue:
It is the statue of most celebrated Tamil poet and saint Tiruvalluvar, author of the Thirukkural. It is located in Kanyakumari in the state of Tamilnadu at the confluence of Bay of Bengal, the Arabian Sea and the Indian Ocean. The Thiruvalluvar statue is positioned atop a small island near the temple on the Vivekananda rock. It is 133 feet tall stone sculpture (Statue’s height 95 feet + stands upon a 38 feet pedestal) with a total weight of 7000 tons that catches the attention of visitors by the virtue of its size. Inside the pedestal is inscribed the 1330 couplets and 133 chapters, these verses are world famous as the wisdom contained in it is universal. It was inaugurated in January 1, 2000.
Kanyakumari Bagavathiamman Temple:
Kanyakumari has taken its name from the presiding deity of the area called Goddess Kanyakumari Amman. It is dedicated to the goddess Parvathi as virgin. The temple is located at the edge of ocean. Visiting hours are 4.30 AM to 12.15 PM & 4 PM to 8.15 PM. Most celebrated festivals here are Car festival in May/June and Navaratri for nine days in the month of September/October.
Kamarajar Manimandapam:
The monument was raised and dedicated to late.Sri.Kamarajar, popularly known as black Gandhi. He was former Chief Minister of Tamil Nadu and the president of Indian National Congress.He was also called as king maker during congress regime.It was built where his ashes were kept for public to pay homage before immersion into the sea. You can visit this monument between 7 AM to & PM.
Government Museum:
One can also visit the Government Museum if time permits, situated on the beach road offers a good collection of sculptured artifacts and crafts of south Indian temples. Visiting hours are from 09.30 AM to 05.00 PM.
Sunrise and Sunset:
Sunrise and Sunset by the sea is the main attraction of Kanyakumari. It is worth seeing and probably the foremost feature of the town that attracts thousands of tourists every day. Sunrise can be seen in Kanniyakumari throughout the year at Bay of Bengal. Sunset can be seen from View Tower throughout the year except the months of June, July and August.
RETURN TO TRIVANDRUM
After experiencing the beautiful sunset, drive back to Trivendrum.
Arrives Trivandrum. Upon arrival, drop at your hotel.
