Kanyakumari located at the southernmost tip of the Indian Peninsula, in Tamil Nadu State, is also known by its former name Cape Comorin. Kanyakumari is named after the Kumari Amman or Kanyakumari Temple, which the Paravar rulers had built on the very confluence of the three water-bodies – the Arabian Sea, the Bay of Bengal and the Indian Ocean. The sparkling diamond nose-ring of the deity is said to be visible even from the sea.
The beautiful Gandhi Memorial completed in 1956, is situated as a memorial to the Father of the Nation.  Mahatma Gandhi visited Kanyakumari twice in 1925 and 1937 and in 1948 his ashes were immersed in the sea waters in Kanyakumari.   The memorial statue of Thiruvalluvar, a legendary Tamil poet, stands on a pedestal, 38 feet height and the statue over it is 95 feet tall with a grand total of 133 feet for the entire sculpture.

The Vivekananda Rock Memorial is another place in Kanyakumari which attracts large number of tourists.  It was built to commemorate the visit of Swami Vivekananda to “Shripada Parai” during 24th, 25th and 26th December 1892 for deep meditation and enlightenment.  The memorial consists of two main structures,  Vivekananda Mandapam and Shripada Mandapam.  Another must see is the Government Museum, situated on the Beach Road offers a good collection of sculptured artifacts and crafts of South Indian Temples.

The Guganathaswamy Temple is a 1000 year old temple and is said to have been built by the King Raja Raja Chola.  The architectural style of the Cholas is quiet apparent  in this temple.  It is located near Railway Station.  There are 16 inscriptions found  in this temple that date back to the years 1038 A.D., 1044 A.D., 1045 .A.D.

The Udayagiri fort was rebuilt in the reign of Marthandavarma, the Venad King, during 1741-44. Prisoners captured in the campaign against Tippu were confined in this fort for sometime.   It is further said that a brass gun 16 ft. long bored as a 22 ponder, found in the fort could not be removed even for a few yards by a large number of people, even with the help of 16 elephants.

The St. Xavier Church is named after     the priest Xavier who    visited the coastal areas of Tamil Nadu from Goa.
The church records show that the church was built in the year 1600 A.D. The Church of St. Xavier enjoys a great fame as a place of miracles from early times.  The annual festival is celebrated during the month of November – December lasting for 10 days.

The Padmanabhapuram Palace  is spread over an area of seven acres, and is situated in the very centre on the Padmanabhapuram Fort.  The palace was constructed around 1601 A.D by Iravipillai Iravivarma Kulasekhara Perumal who ruled Travancore between 1592 A.D. and 1609 A.D. The palace complex is one of the best examples of traditional Kerala architecture. The Padamanabhapuram Palace complex consists of several structures like the Mantrasala, or the King’s Council Chamber, Thai Kottaram, meaning, Mother’s Palace – believed to have been constructed before 1550, the Nataksala, meaning, the Hall of Performing Arts

The Maruthuva Malai also known as the Marunthu Vazhum Malai – the abode of medicinal herbs is according to tradition,  a fragment of the Sanjeevi Mountain, a piece of which fell down here, when it was being carried by Hanuman from Mahendragiri to Srilanka.

Best time to Visit: October to March

How to Reach:

By Air: The nearest airport is at Trivandrum (80 km).

By Rail: Nearest Railway Stations are Kanyakumari Station & Nagercoil Station, 19 km away.

By Road: Kanyakumari has a good road network which connects it to the major cities and towns in South India like Chennai, Bangalore, Madurai, Pondicherry, Thiruvanathapuram and and so on