1
0
A hot afternoon, nearly three hours of travel from Trivandrum and an autowallah taking a U-turn to finally drop me to the hotel from the bus stand (after telling me it’s a tad too far to walk with the luggage) – that’s how I remember reaching Kanniyakumari. The sultry air could hardly lower the excitement of ticking the southernmost tip of India in the bucket list.
When the heat is not too harsh, the confluence of three major water bodies, a mid sea memorial — apart from beautiful shrines –make the “must-see” list for the quaint yet bustling tourist destination.
If the charm of the city has to be captured for a postcard picture, the statue of iconic Tamil poet Thiruvalluvar, standing tall near the Vivekananda Rock Memorial, the cityscape in the backdrop, and the confluence of three major water bodies — Arabian Sea, Bay of Bengal and the Indian Ocean — also known as Triveni Sangam have to be in the frame.
But this city in Tamil Nadu is more than just picture-perfect postcards. The colourful lanes light up in the evenings with restaurants suiting the palate of tourists from across the country. Cuisines from Maharashtra, Punjab, Gujarat, or any other part of India – you name it and the humble restaurants have it all.
The city – which is named after Hindu goddess Devi Kanniyakumari, who is considered to be the sister of Lord Krishna – also boasts of many beautiful temples. Our Lady of Ransom Shrine is one of the many beautiful churches in the city.
The quiet Kanniyakumari may be among the popular tourist destinations in the country, but it is quite modest in its welcome.
