Kanyakumari

Lake View of Kanyakumari

Kanyakumari District is a district of Tamil Nadu state, India and also the southernmost land area and district of mainland India.

Kanyakumari District is one of the 30 districts of Tamil Nadu state, and also the smallest. The district takes its name from the tourist town of Kanyakumari, which is at the tip of the Indian Peninsula and faces the Indian Ocean. The headquarters (capital) of the District is Nagercoil, which is 22 km from Kanyakumari town.

The district is a land of tourist attractions with many historic and religious sites that are centuries-old and also endowed with great natural beauty, both on the coasts and the mountainous interior, with a rich variety of flora and fauna.

Location: Kanyakumari District is located at the southern tip of peninsular India and bordered by Thiruvananthapuram district of Kerala state to the west and Tirunelveli District of Tamil Nadu to the north and east. Travellers sometimes refer to it as "Land's End".

The district lies between 77° 15' and 77° 36' of the eastern longitudes and 8° 03' and 8° 35' of the northern Latitudes. The south-eastern boundary (coastal) is the Gulf of Mannar (Bay of Bengal), while on the South and the South West, the boundaries are the Indian Ocean and the Arabian Sea.

Other Subjects of Kanyakumari

Festivals of Kanyakumari:

View from the Mathur Hanging Trough bridge with the Pahrali river flowing below.

Kanyakumari District has important religious sites for all three major religions in the district, viz., Hinduism, Christianity and Islam. The Ayyavazhi festival, Ayya vaikunda Avataram is widely celebrated throughout the district.The Kodiyettru Thirunal celebrated in the religious head quarters, Swamithope pathi attracts a huge crowd across from and beyond the state. The car festival at Suchindram also attracts large crowds in the month of January. The Kodai festival in the month of March at the Mandaicadu temple also attracts large crowds, both from Tamil Nadu and Kerala.

The Thirukalya Utsavam in Kumaracoil temple, near Thuckalay, is celebrated in the month of March - April, and attracts large numbers from Kerala. In the St. Xavier's Church at Kottar, the annual festival on the 3rd of December, is celebrated with grandeur, and attracts Catholic people (and some Hindus too) from all over South India.[citation needed] All important religious festivals like Christmas, Deepavali, Ramzan are celebrated with fervour.

New Year is grandly celebrated with Vana Vediakkai (fireworks) and local games such as Valukku Panai (slippery palm - The game in which the person has to get to the top of the bamboo stick which is flooded with oil)

Transport & Highways of Kanyakumari:

Greenery along the National Highway 47, near Chunkankadai

There are two major National Highways (NH) roads emanating from Kanyakumari town. One is the NH 7 that starts from the town and runs through Madurai and the other is the NH 47 that runs to Salem through Kerala, touching some important cities in Kerala like Thiruvananthapuram and Kochi and also in Tamil Nadu. The road stretch from Kanyakumari to Thiruvananthapuram is one of the busiest Highway stretches in India.

The state-owned Tamil Nadu State Transport Corporation is the major operator of bus services in the district, though licences are issued for specific routes to private operators.

An Octo-circular Ayyavazhi Thangal near Thiruvattar on the Marthandam - Kulasekaram road.

Railways: Nagercoil is a major railway junction, connecting the eastern and western rail-lines. The western line runs through the west coast (though Kerala) and the eastern line runs through the east into Tirunelveli district of Tamil Nadu, towards Chennai. The rail-link to Kanyakumari was established only in 1978, mainly because establishing a rail line through the district posed some challenges for the rail department and took a lot of efforts, especially the western line. The western line that runs to Thiruvananthapuram today runs through some huge artificial ground-elevations and number of hill-tunnels. For nature-lovers, the rail-route from Nagercoil to Thiruvananthapuram should be a real delight.

Kanyakumari District is connected through direct train services with all leading metropolitan cities in India, like New Delhi, Mumbai, Chennai, Bangalore & Kolkata. These Express trains originate either from Kanyakumari or Nagercoil.

Passenger (local) train services and other express-trains run between Thiruvananthapuram and either Nagercoil or Kanyakumari. The journey by train from Thiruvananthapuram to Nagercoil usually takes an hour-and-half.

India's longest-running train, both in time and distance, The Himsagar Express runs between Kanyakumari town and Jammu Tawi. The train covers 3,751 km between Kanyakumari and Jammu Tawi, in 74 hours and 55 minutes.

Agriculture System in Kanyakumari :

Rubber Plantation near Pechiparai

Kanyakumari District accounts for more than 95% of the production of natural rubber in the state of Tamil Nadu. Rubber is cultivated mainly in the hilly areas (on the western ghats) in the interior, while paddy fields and other crops are mainly found on the plains, near the coast.

1. Rice
2. Coconut
3. Rubber
4. Tapioca
5. Banana
6. Pulses
7. Cashew
8. Mango
9. Palmyrah
10. Tamarind
11. Arecanut
12. Jack Fruit
13. Clove

Tourism & Places of Interest in Kanyakumari:

Chothavilai Beach, near Nagercoil

The district is a major tourist attraction in India, with a year-round tourist traffic at Kanyakumari town and several important tourist spots like Padmnabhapuram while seasonal in other tourist spots. The following are some of the major tourist attractions in Kanyakumari District, distances being given from Nagercoil:

• Kanyakumari, the Land's end, and the confluence of the three water bodies, is 20 km to the south of Nagercoil, with tourist attractions of its own which include the Vivekanda Rock Memorial, 133 ft (41 m) high statue of Tamil poet-saint Tiruvalluvar - both on the mid-sea on rocky islands; the place is also famous for its distinctly beautiful (reddish) sunrise and sunset.

View of the Western Ghats at Keeriparai

• Vattakottai Fort, or Circular Fort, is a fort near Kanyakumari, right on the sea-shore, built under the orders of De Lannoy during the reign of Marthanda varma (1729-58 AD). The view from the top of the fort, of the sea and the palm-fringed beach below is fantastic.
• Suchindrum (Thanumalayan) Temple, about 6 km from the heart of town and Nagaraja Temple (in the town), are some tourist attractions within the town.
• St. Xavier's Church, (Kottar in the town), built in the year 1600 AD, has historic importance due to the visit of St.Francis Xavier. The church was built in the land allotted to St. Xavier by the Venad king.
• Swamithoppe Ayya Vaikundar Pathi, about 11 km from Kanyakumari, which is the religious headquarters of Ayyavazhi, is well known for its non-idolatry system of worship.
• Padmanabhapuram Palace, (22 km from Nagercoil), once the seat of the Travancore kings, is India's only palace made completely of wood (16th century).
• Chitharal Jain Monuments (about 35 km near Marthandam), impressive rock shelters and idols dated 9-11th Century.

Decorative lights at a church in Marthandam during the Christmas season

• Thirunandikkara temple (about 20 km), rock-cut cave temple of Pallava art can be traced back to seventh and eighth century AD.
• Thengapattinam Beach. This beach is located on the west coast near Painkulam village in Vilancode Taluk. It is a fine beach adorned with coconut groves. It is also a magnificent estuary where the river meets the sea. Riding in a catamaran (small boat) in the river can be a pleasant experience which can be arranged through local fishermen. It is 35 km from Nagercoil, 12 km from Kuzhithurai and 54 km from Kanyakumari.
• Udayagiri Fort, built by the Travancore kings, is a fort previously used for training the Travancore forces and also served as Barracks. Capt. Eustachius De Lannoy's tomb is within the fort. The fort (about 90 acres and almost full of vegetation now, with several plants, reptiles, etc.) is presently declared as a bio-diversity park and maintained by the Kanyakumari forest department.

Maruthuvazhmalai (or medicinal) Hill, near Kanyakumari.

• Mathur Hanging Trough, near Thiruvattar in the District, is an aqueduct that carries irrigation water through a canal between two hills. The canal itself goes above a small river. Built on very high pillars, it is said to be one of the biggest aqueducts, both in height and length, in Asia.
• Olakaruvi waterfalls, about 20 km from Nagercoil is on the middle of a hill and requires an hour's trek by foot from the base of the hill (better to go in a group, as it is a forested area)
• Keeriparai - for nature-lovers and adventurers - pristine and beautiful, places like Keeriparai haven't been publicized much by the Forest Department for various reasons - Keeriparai hills (30 km from Nagercoil) and the nearby Kalikesam are good picnic spots - one can enjoy water rushing through small mountain streams - with pebbles and ferns all around. There are also a few small waterfalls in this area - the popular one being Vattaparai Falls. Maramalai, which is further up in the hills of Keeriparai is famous for Wild elephants.

Mathur Aqueduct (Mathur Hanging Trough Bridge)

• Kodhayar (called Kodhayar Lower Camp) - is about 60 km and takes travellers through some exciting hill roads (motorable roads) with some thrilling 'hair-pin bends' and U-turns - Kodhayar forests are famous for bisons, though there are other wild animals too. Access to some areas need prior permission from the Forest Department.
• Pechiparai Reservoir, about 30 km from the town, in the hills, and also Perunchaani and Chittar dams are a must-see for the nature-lover (with clouds touching the top of the hills around the dams on a misty day !).
• Thiruparrapu Falls, is a waterfall near Thiruparrapu.

Kanyakumari - Vivekananda Rock Memorial and Thiruvalluvar Statue at sunrise

• Muttom, a coastal village, is another popular place with tourists. The terrain in this village and its surroundings is hilly and from a height one can have an idyllic view of the place, with a Portuguese style church standing in the middle of the village. The beach-area is somewhat rocky. There is also a 100-year old lighthouse. The lighthouse, though near the sea, is situated on a land mass some 105 feet (32 m) above sea level. Another attractive feature of this area, is a reddish ravine-like area with casurina trees near the seaside. This place with very popular with Tamil and Keralite film-makers, especially Tamil film director Bharathiraja.
• Sanguthurai Beach, about 8 km from Nagercoil is a palm-fringed and sandy beach. Sothavilai Beach is another good beach, about 7 km from the heart of town. Both beaches were hit by the Indian Ocean Tsunami, but authorities have taken steps to improve facilities again. There is a very good lagoon (estuary - place where the river meets the sea) at Manakudy - 10 km from the town.
• Panchappathis, the five holyplaces of Ayyavazhi, all situated within 10 km radius from Kanyakumari
• Mukkudal reservoir : Fresh water supply to Nagercoil is from the Mukkadal Reservoir, about 8 km from the town, in the interior - itself a very scenic place, with a small bushy island in the middle of the dam. The dam is surrounded by hills of the Western Ghats.