Kanyakumari - at our land's end!!
An event of days gone by...last December during my solo all india motorcycle journey...
Kanyakumari is a small temple town with a ~5 km radius. It may not have velvety beaches with adventure activities, but, it packs a punch even in such a small radius with its Devi kumari temple, the colours on its horizon, Valluvar Memorial, Vivekananda rock and its rocky beaches. Though these are the main tourist attractions, people throng to Kanyakumari to view the beauty of sunrise and sunset, which is said to be in the purest form and without any clutter.
Like a typical tourist, I visited the Devi Kumari temple first and offered my prayers. Then, I took the government boat service that took me to the rock islands in the Indian Ocean about 10 minutes away from the town of Kanyakumari. I felt at complete peace with my surroundings when I was near these rock structures. Maybe because I was standing on rock memorials of two saints in the real sense. People who had offered a lot to the community and the world. The views of the Kanyakumari town and the Devi Kumari temple from the rock memorials was a very pretty sight.
Once I was back on land, I meandered my way through the small shops and shacks that had propped up near the temple owing to the tourist season. This shopping way was as colourful as a shopping district you will see in India.
The next day I decided to explore the famous 9th century temples of Suchindram, about 13 kms north of Kanyakumari, which is a must go place for all temple lovers. Built by many kings and dynasties, this Sthanumaalayan (sthanu means Shiva, maal is Vishnu and ayan is Brahma)temple falls in the erstwhile Travancore province and it is said that the latest touches to the temple were given during the Travancore dynasty. It even houses a 22 foot high monolithic Hanuman statue made out of granite. A strictly traditional temple, where the male, needs to go bare-chested, is under heavy security cover these days, thanks to the acts of terrorism being committed in the world. And, thanks to this rule, I was not allowed to take photographs. No one is allowed to carry anything from outside into the temple except themselves and their clothes :-).
Kanyakumari, may not be your ideal beach destination, but it is a place rich in history, natural beauty (sunrise and sunsets) and its temples are very intricate and admirable.
To see India through the eyes of a motorcyclist's lens, visit the album below.
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| my solo all-india motorcycle journey |
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