Kanyakumari District Portal

Kanyakumari district was once in the erstwhile Travancore state which was ruled by the kings Chera line Consequent on the linguistic reorganisation of states in India. The southern part of Travancore state was integrated with Tamil nadu in the year 1956 and it became a district in the name of Devi Kanyakumari. Kanyakumari, the southern most district of India and the smallest district in Tamil nadu is having places of legendary, historical and artistic importance. The Western Ghats ending into green hills perennial rivers, lotus filled tanks, dense forests with wild elephants, extensive paddy fields, rich palm grooves, wavy cocunut gardens and a carved coastal line of nearly 70 k.m. length are the unique natural features of the Land's End-promontary of India Travelling in such a small, old and beautiful district is not only a feast to the eyes but to the mind also.

Nanjilnad the nucleus of Kanyakumari district is described as a fertile piece of land in Puranauru, one of the sangham works in Tamil literature. There are several special features of the district. The first and the foremost one is that is in the name of Devi Parashakthi who is doing eternal penance as a Virgin Goddess named Kanyakumari at the confluence of the three oceans and radiating sanctity all around. The district has a unique advantage of the rainfall during the both south-west and north-east monsoons. The sand of the coastal area is rich in minerals Ilmenite, Monosite and even Thorium. In Tamil nadu rubber and clove cultivated only in Kanya kumari district. The quality of rubber produced in Kanyakumari is one of the best in the world and the yield per acre is also very high compared to other parts. A large variety of medical plants like Rauwolfia, Serpentina are also found here. Even one of the hills on the highway between Nagercoil and Kanyakumari is known as Marunthuvaal malai.(medicinal hill).

Another important feature of the district is that there are several rare temples which cannot be seen else where kanyakumari, the geographical pinpoint of India otherwise known as Cape comerin is not only the meeting place of land adn sea, but also marks the confluence of three Oceans. The Bay of Bengal, the Sunrise in the morning and Sunset in the evening from the same spot. The legendary importance of Kanyakumari is a remarkable one like Lord Siva who protects the land by doing penance in Himalayas, his Devi Parashakthi stands as a tapasi on the seashore of Kanyakumari.

The presiding deity of the temple of Kanyakumari is Parasakthi as a virgin Goddess in meditative mood. The life-like image of Devi with a smiling face is a combination of innocence, purity and beauty. Smeared with sandal paste, decked with different varieties of valuable ornaments and decorated with beautiul garlands of flowers. She creates a sense of devotion and "peace that passeth understanding" in the mind of every worshipper. There is one version that Adi Sankara composed Soundaryalahari after seeing the sunrise, sunset and moon rise on the full moon day of the Tamil month of Chithrai at Kanya kumari praising the virgin Goddes. The beauty of Devi Kanyakumari reflects in the opening lines of his divine work.

On the golden sands of Kanyakumari stands the shrines of Adi Sankara with his disciples, Swamy Vivekananda in meditative mood and Gandhi Smarak Mandir in Oryan style. The reputed Vivekananda Rock Memorial on the sea-girl rock is a "visible symbol of invisible strength, invisible faith and burning devotion that Swami Vivekananda personified". Near Gandhi Smarak Mandir stands a memorial to our beloved leader karmaveer Kamaraj. The 133 feet high statue of Thiruvalluvar in the mid-sea at Kanyakumari which was erected by the Chief Minister of Tamil Nadu Dr.Karunanidhi is unique and colossal in size and has no parrallel anywhere in the world. This statue is definitely enhance the appeal of Kanyakumari and spread the message of the universal poet all over the world through the lakhs of tourists who throng Kanyakumari. Ti will proclaim the words of Father Beschi who said: "Thiruvalluvar shrines as a star in the darkness of night, a lovely flower in the desert, a light that drives the gloom of ignorance and beacon light to the whole world".