Best time to visit : October to March
Kanyakumari, also known as Cape Comorin is a town in the Indian state of Tamil Nadu. Renowned for its dazzling sunrise and dramatic sunset, Kanyakumari is one of the most exotic tourist hotspots in South India. The city is a popular tourist as well as a pilgrimage destination in India.
Tourists to Kanyakumari are enticed by its mesmerising beaches with crystal clear blue water and picture-perfect coastline. Besides beaches and monuments, the town is popularized as a ‘temple town.’ A trip to Kanyakumari is truly refreshing and exciting.
Entertainment ratio is double in Kanyakumari as compared to other Indian states, with unlimited religious and cultural events all year round, adventurous activity and nightlife venues nestled in the heart of the city. The city is a perfect assortment of traditional and contemporary culture, with high rise shopping malls and ancient palaces sharing the same podium. Kanyakumari backlogs considerable area for tourist places like temples, church statues, palace, museums, shopping venues, and historical monuments.
Facts
Name of the city comes from the Hindu Goddess Kanyakumari (also known as Kumari Amman). The temple of Goddess Kumari is the oldest landmark in the city. The land of this temple is said to be sacred, since this is the place where Goddess Kumari prayed to Lord Shiva to accept her as his wife. The place was renowned as “Cape Comorin” by British and Cape Festival is still celebrated every year with gaiety at Kanyakumari. This culturally affluent city of Kanyakumari is known for its celebrated history, striking arts, booming economy, and religious affairs.
Being a South Indian dominated region, Kanyakumari restaurants mostly serve tourists with its typical yet scrumptious South Indian style cuisines. The eatables of the city mostly include pure vegetarian food, generally Tamil favourites like sambhar, idli, dosa etc. There are many restaurants in the city that serve food on traditional banana leaf. Do not expect much of western style food in Kanyakumari. However there are some North Indian restaurants in the city like Hotel Saravana (serves Gujarati, South Indian, Rajasthani, and Chinese dishes), Sri Ramdev Restaurant (famous for North Indian Vegetarian Food) etc.
Sea shells, cheap electronic items, conches, South Indian lamps, straw hats, etc. are among the items worth buying in Kanyakumari. There are some small vendors in the city, where you will find customized conch with your name inscribed on it. Colourful sand packets, kaleidoscopes, star shells of various sizes, hair bands and clips made of shells are sold for cheap rates on all the beaches here. The Tamil Nadu Crafts and Poompuhar, Co-Optex Sales Emporium etc. are some places where you will find classic handcraft items at good prices.
Nearby Places:
- Kumara Coil (Kumara Kovil): Situated in the middle of verdant greenery, Kumara Kovil is located about 30 km. from Kanyakumari. The place is famous for its Lord Subramanya Temple. Kumara Kovil is renowned for its traditional architecture and the vast spread lake, which is big enough to enjoy boating in.
- Pechipparai Dam: Positioned about 62 km. from Kanyakumari, this dam offers a great excursion spot for group picnic and boating.
- Udayagiri Fort: Constructed in the 18th century by King Marathanda, Udayagiri Fort is situated about 31 km. away from Kanyakumari. The tomb of General De Lennoy, a Dutchman stand proudly on the fort.
- Suchindram: The most celebrated pilgrim town located 13 km. from Kanyakumari, Suchindram has a huge temple dedicated to a deity who is the avatar of Brahma (Creator), Vishnu (Preserver), and Shiva (Destroyer).
- Thengapattanam Beach: Located approximately 57 km. from Kanyakumari. It is a great spot to enjoy water sport activities. The beach has a 1200 year old mosque, which makes it the best nearby places to visit during your Kanyakumari trip.