Legends, tradition, culture and religion blend to form a brilliant potpourri that is Kanyakumari. It is India’s southernmost tip where the Bay of Bengal and the Arabian Sea join the Indian Ocean. Sprawled out on the shore of this great ‘Triveni sangam’ is the Kanyakumari town home to an array of beautiful temples, most importantly the iconic Kumari Amman temple, a colorful beach bazaar and the Vivekananda Rock Memorial standing sentinel over the sea. The memorial is built in honor of Swami Vivekananda who swam in this rough sea to the rock and meditated for days. The town gradually came up around the famous shore temple dedicated to the virgin goddess, Kanyakumari.
History
Kanyakumari is an ancient city on the southern tip of India that takes its name from the shore temple of Kumari Amman or Kanyakumari. It is an important centre for pearl fishery. According to Travancore Consensus 1931, the Paravars ruled this coast and built the temple for their great reverence to sea goddess. There are many legends associated with the building of this temple. The most popular one has it that Goddess Kanyakumari, an incarnation of Goddess Parvathi was set to marry Lord Shiva who failed to show up on the wedding day. Infuriated she cursed the rice, sweets, ornaments bought in anticipation of the wedding, which turned into stones of different shapes, colors and forms. This is believed to be the reason for the multi-colored sand found on Kanyakumari beach. After this episode she pledged to remain a virgin all her life.
Since beginning Kanyakumari has been a big centre for art and religion, not to mention trade and commerce as well. The Cholas, Cheras, Pandyas and the Nayaks ruled this region and left their imprint in the form of some wonderful architectural sites such as temples of exquisite beauty. Subsequently, Kanyakumari went on to become a part of the Venad kingdom with its capital at Padmanabhapuram. Anizham Thirunal Marthanda Varma, the monarch of Travancore extended his territory further north up to Azhva during his reign from 1729 to 1758. Following which the present Kanyakumari district came to be known as Southern Travancore. The Battle of Colachel was fought in 1741 between Marthanda Varma and the Dutch East India Company in which the Dutch forces were crushed by the Maharaja’s army.
Initially the Paravar kings ruled Kanyakumari, after whose downfall the Travancore kings took over. Their reign ended after Travancore joined the independent Indian Union in 1947. Under the Travancore state Kanyakumari district gained both socially and economically. Two years later, Kanyakumari became a part of the reconstituted Travancore-Cochin state. Soon an agitation among the Tamil-speaking majority gained momentum for the amalgamation of Kanyakumari district with Tamil Nadu. And in 1956 during the linguistic re-organization of states, Kanyakumari was merged with Tamil Nadu. A certain Kumari Thanthai Marshal Nesamony is said to be instrumental in this merger.
A wave of Christianity spread across South India around 52 AD through St. Thomas, one of the Twelve Apostles of Jesus Christ. But Christianity flourished with the arrival of the European missionaries in the 16th century, pioneered by St. Francis Xavier (1506-1552). He used to make trips to Kanyakumari from Goa and stay here for sometime. During his stay in Kottar, Saint Xavier used to worship Mother Mary in a small temple. He even averted the invasion of the Padagas on the people of Venad which was appreciated greatly by the ruling king. And as a token of appreciation, the king allotted him a piece of land in Kottar to get a Catholic church constructed. The site already had a church in 1544 where the St. Xavier Church now stands.
It would be apt to say that Hinduism, Christianity, Islam and Jainism have together contributed to the architectural and literary heritage of the region.
Getting Around
State buses and auto-rickshaws are popular modes of transport in this coastal town. You can hail an auto-rickshaw from the railway station and other places of tourist interest. Or request your hotel of stay to arrange you a private taxi to take you around.
Tourist Traps in the City
The fast-paced commercialization notwithstanding, Kanyakumari still remains a place where you needn’t be wary of anything. Locals are a calm lot and extremely god fearing (like most South Indian cities). So chances of your running into a tout are very less. Do strike a bargain while souvenir shopping from the local bazaar; the prices are hiked a little for tourists. If you are stuck anywhere, you can seek help of the locals who are generally friendly but might have a tough time in deciphering a language outside of their mother tongue!
Local Custom
The locals have a traditional outlook, so when visiting a temple or any religious site dress modestly and avoid wearing short or revealing clothes. There are a variety of beaches in Kanyakumari, but not all are suitable for sunbathing. The famous Kanyakumari Beach opening up to a rough sea is composed of coarse multi-colored sand, making it an absolute no-no for stretching back and soaking up the sun. Though, you can spend the whole day here sitting on the paved wall and watching the sea, or browsing the local beach bazaar.