Situated on the confluence of the Indian Ocean, the Arabian Sea, and the Bay of Bengal, Kanyakumari is a holy place for the Hindus and lies in the southern state of Tamil Nadu. The nomenclature of Kanyakumari is steeped in legend. Kanyakumari means virgin. The place is named after the beautiful princess Kanya Devi, one of the many forms of Parvati. The marriage between Kanya Devi and the lord Shiva was to take place. But it never took place due to his inability to turn up at the auspicious time. So the name Kanyakumari.
Kanyakumari is the southernmost tip of India. Just beyond the tip of the land lies a gigantic rock, which is famous as the Vivekananda Rock. Vivekananda, one of the greatest Indians of the 19th century used to meditate on this rock. A number of Hindu pilgrims travel to this site.
Called Cape Comorin in English, the place has several places of tourist attraction in and around its vicinity. The fort of Vattakottai or the Circular Fort, as it's called commands brilliant view of the sea and is an ideal place for bathing. Suchindram, 13 kms from Kanyakumari, is noted for the Thanumalayan temple. The presiding deity of the shrine is Shiva Lingam. Udayagiri Fort, built by King Marthanda Varma (1729-1758AD), is located 34km away from Kanyakumari. 13km away is the famous Thanumalayan temple, which boasts a huge statue of monkey god Hanuman. Apart from these Kanyakumari is also home to Padmanabhapuram Palace (45 km) built by the rulers of Travancore.
The nearest airport is at the capital city of Thiruvananthapuram (80-km), which is well connected with national and International flights. From Thiruvananthapuram you can take a taxi or bus to Kanyakumari. The place is well connected by train services with all the places in the country. Express trains connect the Kanyakumari with northern cities of India like Jammu and Delhi. The place is also connected by regular bus services with Thiruvananthapuram, Chennai, Trichy, Madurai, Tuticorin, Pondicherry, Bangalore, Mandapam (Rameshwaram), Nagercoil, Tiruchendur, Tiruvelveli, etc.
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